Last week we looked at the science and research around law firm reviews. <Read Part I Here> Now that we know the importance your potential clients put on reviews, it is time to learn exactly what to do about it. Bad reviews can harm a personal injury firm’s reputation and may dissuade potential clients from hiring the firm. So they are NOT to be ignored. 

The silent treatment – When does it work?

As a general rule, firms should never let a bad review go unengaged. It communicates a lack of care and dedication to client satisfaction on the part of the firm. However, there are some times when a bad review should not be dignified with a response. For instance, when the review is so silly, idiotic or utterly ridiculous that no one will take it seriously. In this case the silent treatment works best. You can report the review as being inappropriate or as violating the terms of service of the website where it is posted. Sometimes if the website deems appropriate the reviewer will be sent an email to take down the review — and if they don’t do so within 7 to 14 days, it will be taken down automatically. 

Also, if the bad review was posted months ago without adverse consequences to your firm, there’s no need to respond. Research from BrightLocal found that 77% of consumers discount reviews that are more than 3 months old, whether positive or negative. So, in these circumstances, there’s no need to engage. But when you DO need to engage, how do you go about it? 

How to turn around a negative review 

Negative reviews are still reviews. Though they do not contain your preferred content, they do add to the quantity of your reviews. And for the majority of clients, the quantity of reviews is just as important as their quality. Knowing that you’re covered on the quantity end, you can apply these tactics to turn your negative reviews into positives.

Engage the review immediately 

By responding constructively to negative reviews, and promptly too, you show potential claimants that you care. When you do your best to immediately resolve a client’s issues, they become twice as likely to hire your firm again. Keep these rules in mind. 

1. Respond within 48 hours: Don’t let a bad review get cold, especially when there is a substantial issue to be dealt with. The longer it sits without a response, the higher the chances that your prospective clients will take it at face value. 
2. Acknowledge the issue: No matter what the crux of the complaint is, resist the urge to attack the reviewer. Not all negative reviews will be entirely justified, especially if you put a lot of effort into providing quality service. But you’ll only make matters worse by sounding defensive or refusing to acknowledge the issue. Thank the reviewer for their response and make it clear that client satisfaction is a top priority for your law firm. 
3. Apologize: An apology will go a long way to dampening any ire towards your firm, whether justified or not. But you should use this wisely. There’s a difference between “I’m sorry that happened” and “I’m sorry you feel that way”. Both will come in handy. For instance, if what happened was your fault, provide a truly sincere apology. But if it wasn’t your fault, apologize for the client’s feelings instead, otherwise you may come off as insincere or even uninformed. 
4. Offer a resolution: Whether it was your fault or not, don’t end the interaction without offering a solution. This is where you can show class and repair the harm to your law firm’s reputation. Stress how important you consider the happiness of your clients and offer to speak directly with the reviewer about their concerns. If you have spoken with them already, mention how happy you were to iron out the issues with them. This shows that you are eager to solve problems proactively and genuinely care about your clients. 

When handled properly, your actions may even convince the reviewer to voluntarily take down the negative review and put up something positive instead. 

Put the experience to work 

Now that you’ve averted catastrophe by taking care of the negative review, you should do your best to avoid a repeat occurrence. This is also where you can truly unlock the power of a negative review. 

1. Learn from it: Every negative review provides a golden opportunity to assess how clients feel about a particular aspect of your service. Use these negative reviews to train your staff better. 
2. Speak about it: If you notice that clients have a recurring problem with your business that is not your fault, you can use it as a content marketing idea. Write a blog article or make a video on it to help guide future clients on what your service entails so you can forestall confusion. 
3. Upgrade your service: Most important, negative reviews allow you to rise from the ashes better and stronger. It gives you a chance to truly upgrade your services and wow clients at every turn. 

Conclusion 

Although no one likes bad reviews, they can be just what you need to shake off lethargy and take your law firm to the next level. Handle them properly and you’ll be the one smiling at the end of the day.