Page 41 - Beverage MasterAprMay 2021

Craft Distillery

MIXOLOGY MISHAPS:

How To Turn Negative Online Reviews into Successful Sales

By: Chris Mulvaney, President (CMDS)
S ticks and stones may break our bones, but should always have a game plan in place. That way,

words will never ...hurt us? Wait, never-
your social media presence remains consistent
mind. In the craft beverage industry, words across all review platforms.
can do damage, especially online where
your reputation is always one Google search away. Look at it this way: think of each negative review
as an opportunity to show your customers that you
Facebook, Yelp, care.
and Google
are the three Here are some game plan directives to put into
most-trusted place:
review sources
for local searches. 1. Don’t Ignore Them or Be Defensive: Hearing
Reviews on these someone criticize your business hurts. It can be
sites matter. The tempting to close your browser every time you
way that your read a bad review, or, even worse, to respond
business treats a with a cutting retort, but burying your head in
negative review the sand or exhibiting online “road rage” isn’t
can tell your going to solve anything. Instead, come up with
customers a lot the right response. Address them by name.
about you. So, if Humanizing your approach will demonstrate
you do happen to your brand ethics. Make sure that you remain
receive one, you genuine. Don’t answer with an auto-reply. Take
need to act fast. the time to actually investigate each issue. Don’t
debate the validity of their statements, argue,
And while you are no doubt used to handling the or respond in an aggressive or combative way,
difficult customer in person, social review channels even if you don’t agree. Arguing with a dissatis-
are open for all to see, and negative comments can fied client online makes their original complaint
reflect poorly on your craft brand and, ultimately, seem more valid, and worse, it never makes you
cost you sales — right? Well, yes and no. look good.

Yes, if you don’t manage your negative comments Instead, thank the reviewer for their feedback
properly, then it could be bad news for your reve- and offer a sincere apology for their experience.
nue stream. However, there are ways to offset neg- You don’t have to take responsibility, but do
ative reviews. And, if you respond the right way, show empathy.
you can turn those negative comments around and
avoid having a damaging social media mishap. 2. Respond as Quickly as Possible: It is vital to
respond to negative comments as quickly as you
In fact, you can leverage them to actually improve can. Doing this will give you a better chance to
your conversion rates, “boost” your sales, and salvage those bad reviews. Each minute matters
ultimately create success for your craft beverage on social media because everyone has real-time
brand. access to it.

Create a Game Plan To help you manage your social media
responses in a timely manner, it’s best to hire
Before you take any action on a review, you an agency. They can assist with implementing
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