People are talking – constantly. About a myriad of companies, products, and services; and chances are yours in one of them. The impact of consumer-generated reviews and customer ratings continues to grow as more and more shoppers hop online to peruse the latest product and service reviews posted by their peers. Consumer reviews (from home improvement to weight loss products) can be a powerful tool for any company - but how should you respond to particularly harmful reviews?

1. Embrace the review no matter how damaging you may perceive it. It will not only strengthen the validity of your company and product or service, but will demonstrate to consumers (and potential customers) that you are open and invite honest discussions.
2. Open a line of communication with the reviewer by posting an honest reply on their review. Be constructive, positive, and polite. If the reviewer has legitimate reason to be dissatisfied, be apologetic and validate their concerns.
3. If the review is inappropriate or abusive in any way, contact site administrators to see what the policies regarding review are and what can be done about it. Keep in mind, just because it’s not very nice doesn’t mean it’s inappropriate or not suitable for the site.