review and apologize that their experience did not reach the
level of satisfaction your strive for; suggest that they either
call or email to further discuss. In essence, make it clear that
you want to “make it right,” then put the ball in their court.
Avoid getting into details online, and instead, leave a short
and thoughtful response for other researchers to read when
visiting your review page.
Avoiding Negative Reviews Altogether
Although there are times when negative feedback is
inevitable, there are many ways in which this outcome can
often be avoided altogether. Recently, a popular regional
pizza chain near ISPA’s headquarters in Lexington, Kentucky,
was critiqued online by a famous sports blogger. After getting
his slice of pizza, the blogger took a bite and announced
loudly in front of several other patrons that the pizza he had
been served was “ice cold” and proceeded to insult the
product. After gaining the attention of several customers
dining, a worker of the restaurant walked up to the blogger
and asked him to leave, which only made matters worse. The
outcome? The blogger caused an even bigger scene, then
posted his video review online; the restaurant suffered
through several weeks of public backlash and negative
reviews from the blogger’s devoted fanbase.
While there are definitely mixed opinions surrounding the
blogger’s intentions and actions, the restaurant may have
avoided this fiasco entirely by simply altering their employee’s
approach with the blogger who, keep in mind, was also a
customer. How different might the review have been had the
worker offered to get him a fresh and hot slice of pizza,
instead of responding defensively? To avoid these types of
situations happening in your spas, talk with your
“When you receive a negative review about your spa,
it’s vital to respond to the critic as soon as possible in
a professional manner to avoid looking like the
complaint is being ignored.”
January/February 2019
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