How do I respond when someone leaves me a bad rating or comment?
Negative reviews can be difficult to hear. We understand – it’s hurtful to hear unkind things said about your beer or your business. It can sometimes feel unwarranted or like a personal attack.
By reaching out to your customer using the Venue Check-ins Tool, you have the chance to establish a genuine connection, understand, and improve things for your customers. A thoughtful, polite response can even change an opinion or earn you a second chance at impressing your customer.
Please remember – this is a vocal customer who has taken the time to speak up about their experience at your venue. If the user perceives your reply as defensive or rude, there is a chance they could get even angrier and make the situation much worse. We’ve seen things spiral out of control when a reply ends up offending a customer.
We recommend you address your customer’s concerns, thank them for the feedback, and let them know what you learned from their criticism. Any information about how things are being resolved is often very meaningful.
Ultimately, you know your customers best. Put yourself in their shoes, see things from their perspective, and speak to them the way you want to be spoken to.
Am I obligated to respond to my negative reviews?
Not at all. Sometimes it’s best not to comment at all.
Remember everything that you say reflects back on your business. Take time to think about the rating or comment; there may be legitimate concerns brought up that you can address constructively.
What if a review isn’t accurate or true?
We recommend you explain your thoughts to your customer as directly and politely as possible and consider how it may be perceived. Don’t attack your customer. Remember that potential customers may see these comments – a thoughtful reply matters.
Can a check-in be deleted or removed from my page?
We only remove comments that violate our Code of Conduct: These include and aren't restricted to: nudity, offensive drunkenness, obscenities, racist statements, and photos or check ins that seem to be spam.