Negative Reviews: How to Respond

Reviews aren’t always positive, are they? Unfortunately, in the beauty industry a client’s expectations and the artist’s result don’t always line up, so artists often have to hear and read unpleasant comments about themselves. We’re sure every beauty pro has run into a negative review at least once in their career.

Principles for handling negative reviews

Respond politely. Try to answer these reviews quickly and politely, even if the client isn’t putting it very nicely. Replies along the lines of “You’re one to talk, you don’t know anything!” are not acceptable. Don’t get into a fight with the client. Try to hear her out and figure out the problem. Apologize for the inconvenience.

Avoid canned phrases. We’ve all heard that classic customer-service line delivered in a sweet little voice: “Your feedback is very important to us.” Important? Then show it. Let the client see you genuinely want to sort things out, not brush her off with the empty phrases that annoy everyone.

Don’t take the conversation public. Resolve it one-on-one, not in front of all your followers, who, by the way, are your potential or actual clients.

Offer a bonus. If a client is unhappy because of your mistake, apologize and offer a small bonus, like a discount or a free service.

In our business, being client-focused isn’t just a fancy word. Our income and reputation depend on it directly.