by Testimonials and client endorsements are essential for any interior design company. As an interior designer, you would want everyone to be happy and leave a good note about how you completed their project. But that is not always the case. You will find clients who will not like something, and instead of good words, they may leave a negative comment for you. So, how do you tackle it?
Worry not. This guide will help you with tips and strategies to deal with negative remarks and make amends with your clients. After all, you need positive reviews to attract more clients. Till you convert these negative ones into positive ones, buy Google 5 star reviews and get going with your interior design business. Let’s begin.
Tips To Respond To Negative Interior Design Reviews
Seeing bad reviews can be discouraging, particularly if you have invested a lot of time and energy into the project. Your brand’s reputation is extremely important. Here are some strategies for handling them successfully.
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Don’t Get Defensive
Receiving a bad review causes stress. You can feel startled and ashamed about it. Even if the review’s interpretation is right, it is nevertheless significant. You yourself could hold on to such claims.
Hence, if you are to encounter a critical comment, avoid responding to it right away. The response you make is likely to be mean, jealous, or simply below professional standards because you are not in the right frame of mind.
Instead, you read it and reflect on it. Only after some time has elapsed should you draft a response. If you still feel bad, get help from someone to draft your reply. But remember to never get defensive and reply.
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Write A Response With The Correct Attitude
It would help if you started drafting your response when you are in the right mindset. Remember to draft your response with empathy. This is especially helpful if the review you received is rude.
Your empathic response will show your professionalism and integrity. Always acknowledge the situation in the reply and use phrases such as, “I understand your situation.” This is an excellent opportunity to learn and move on.
Interior designing business is very subjective, and you cannot be a favorite of all. So, learn from the bad comments and showcase your professionalism to the online community.
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Don’t Hide Negative Reviews
Can you imagine any interior designer who only has 5-star reviews and not even a single negative review? Will it not be suspicious? All positive reviews can also hamper your brand image.
When you showcase both positive and negative reviews on your website, it demonstrates that you don’t try to hide anything. In such cases, the positive reviews also look more genuine.
Always remember that negative reviews are going to be a part of your interior design business, and you will have to acknowledge, act, and move on. Let your client know you have read and acknowledged their feedback.
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Don’t Make Excuses
Remember, when you are replying to your client, they don’t want to listen to excuses. You don’t want to deny they have had that experience or pass the blame on someone else entirely.
Never dismiss your customers’ feelings just to protect yourself. This will instead tell your clients that you do not respect their opinions and that you only care about what you feel is right.
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Don’t Give Generic Reply
Negative reviews give a good opportunity for the interior designer to say their part, unlike positive comments. Therefore, it is better not to be generic and miss this golden opportunity.
People may not read your response to a positive comment, but they definitely will see how you have replied to a negative one. Therefore, you must say something meaningful.
A generic response will say, “Thank you for your feedback. We will try and improve our services and serve you better next time.” Nobody wants to read a politically correct response, especially in an interior designing business.
In your industry, personal relationships and word of mouth matter. Therefore, never copy-paste the same response. Rather, comprehend the review and, after that, compose a customized response that tackles the circumstances.
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Always Offer An Apology In Your Response
Irrespective of whether the review is right or wrong, taking responsibility will go a long way in your business. It is not just about apologizing but also about sincerely meaning it.
So, if your tone or words feel forced, your apology will not matter. Instead, offer a direct and genuine apology without using words such as truly, genuinely, honestly, etc.
A simple sentence such as, “I am sorry this happened to you.” will work far better and show you deeply care about your client’s feelings.
Indeed, you cannot make every client happy, but you can try to change their perception with how you reply to them.
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Take Your Conversation Offline
Remember to have a direct conversation with the client to fully comprehend and resolve the matter after responding to the online remark.
You can also leave your direct contact information in the reply so they can contact you in person and discuss the matter. Doing so will demonstrate that you are willing to provide a resolution at any cost.
And who knows, this unhappy customer may even give you a positive review after talking to you personally.
Conclusion
Interior design is a service industry in which you directly deal with clients on a day-to-day basis. Each client is different, and so will their requirements; hence, keeping everyone happy may be difficult. So, you must be prepared to deal with both positive and negative reviews for your work. In case there are negative reviews, use our guide to deal with them tactfully. Additionally, you can always buy Trustpilot reviews to balance your reviews and ratings online and improve your brand image.
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