How to Deal with Negative Tenant Reviews That are Damaging Company Reputation Online

There is a quote by Benjamin Franklin that says …” but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes”. Well, let’s add one more thing, negative online reviews. Granted, Benjamin Franklin wasn’t around when the internet existed, but if he had been, he would have said it (or we’d like to think so).
 

Unfortunately, people are much more likely to leave a negative business review before they’ll leave you a positive business review (unless you learn to ask for positive reviews). Of course, negative business reviews can nearly cripple a business if not handled properly, or at all. Your potential leads are looking at your online reviews, and they care about others opinions and experiences.

 

In the past, a poor review was simple one of your friends saying something along the lines of “I wouldn’t trust that company. I’ve heard bad things about them.” or “Rachel had a bad experience with the management.” However, things aren’t the same. In fact, the digital age has emboldened a lot of people and now the reviews are much deeper, harsher, crippling. If you want to get more property management leads, you have to make sure your review profile is not neglected.
 

That’s why property managers need to address all reviews, both negative and positive. Addressing all types of reviews will show engagement, of which will help alleviate some of the negative perception of your property from the bad reviews. Most of the time, property managers tend to overlook the negative review and let it “fester” online or on your property management website.

 

If there is one thing you do not do, it is leaving a bad review alone. In fact, there are some strategies that you can use to make a negative review turn into a positive (believe us, this is possible). Here are a few steps to help you with those negative online reviews. This needs to be a big part of your marketing strategies and focus.

 

A Few Steps To Help Out

1. Make Sure You Understand What The Negative Review Is Addressing

So, first things first. Do not respond to the negative review until you’ve taken the time to really understand what it is saying. If you don’t respond to what they are saying, you’ll look disinterested, which is the wrong perception you want others to have. Read it, re-read it, wait a minute, re-read it again. Fully digest the whole complaint before you decide to do anything.
 

 

2. Don’t Waste Too Much Time Waiting To Respond To The Negative Review
 

Now, the sooner that you can properly address the complaint, do it. But, make sure you’ve followed the first step or you’ll end up shooting yourself in the foot (or the wallet). The longer that you leave the negative review up without a response, the longer everyone else who sees the review has to formulate their own opinions. In fact, it is easier for people to see the negative before they’ll see the positive. So, time is of the essence here.

 

3. Find A Way To Take The Conversation Offline

This is where you’ll end up being able to control the situation a little more. If you have properly addressed the negative review online, you’ll have shown the customer the attention that they need, others looking from the outside that you care, and then you’ll be able to offer a resolution that both sides can agree on. The biggest thing is that you get any back-and-forth conversation off of the internet.

If you argue/disagree online, you are the bad guy, not them.

 

4. Show That You Genuinely Care

Here’s the kicker … if they believe you care, you’ve probably got a client for life. If they don’t believe you care, you have a bad online review and a bad word of mouth review. This is where you put aside your opinions and you work directly with them. Make sure that they hear you listening to them, working for them (more than for you).

 

5. Make Sure You Are Seeing All The Online Reviews

And finally, don’t miss out on any review. Again, being able to respond to all of the reviews is a great way to show that you are invested in the business and the tenants. Now, if this all seems like a lot, it can be. Which is why there is a simpler solution … that we offer.
 

 

A Simpler Solution

At Goodjuju, we offer online reputation management and property management SEO services that do all of this for you. What does that mean for you? It means less time trying to keep up with all of the different review websites. It means not having to respond to every review left online. It means not having to go through steps 1 through 5 every day.
 

Remember, a few negative reviews can really cripple a property management company. If you continually improve your reputation and respond to people sincerely, your leads will convert better.

 

No one is inclined to believe the business owner (they see you as a corporate, greedy pig). So, why chance it that you’ll overlook a negative review. You have plenty of other things to worry about.
 

It only takes a minute to find out how we can help save you time, money, and dealing with the inevitable negative review. Get a free analysis today!