Topic: How do you respond to a bad Google review?

How do you respond to a bad Google review? Does the manager or corporate and how would you word it?

If it's a true current resident you personally and professionally reiterate your core values and invite that person in to discuss ways to handle their complaint and/or overcome their objectives.

Manager responds. Example to work order complaint ( I literally just made this up)
Thank you for taking the time to review ______, we are sorry to hear your experience has been less than desirable here at ________. We definitely strive for excellence. Our maintenance team works diligently to address all work orders within 24 to 48 hours and the timeframe may vary if an outside vendor is needed. Please know that we are here in the office to discuss this further as your happiness here at _________ matters to us. I look forward to speaking with you soon.

This is great, thank you for your feedback.

You really need a third party to do that for you. I know Apartment Guide and Apartments.com each have Ratings and Review services that can address this for you in a professional manner that is devoid of personal input. It's impossible for you or anyone from your company to address this without personal feelings. Reach out to your ad company for help

Nah! I think the manager is perfectly capable of answering a negative Google or Yelp review. I'm assuming most of us were placed in this position because we are trusted; so I'm assuming that the vast majority of us can draft a carefully, well-worded response to any negative review. I think we are all aware of the rules of decorum and that being professional and appropriate is of the utmost importance. I think we need to start being more self-reliant and not use "third parties" for everything.

That's an arrogant response. And exactly why you need a third party. You should see how things escalate when you try and answer reviews yourself. Cyber fights break out and you make it worse.

In my opinion, If the manager has time to respond, they should. It makes it more personal and gives the impression like you actually care. If they don’t have the time to do so, they can look to outsource the response.

Managers should respond to the review whether good or bad.

You should ask your ad rep to show you samples of review responses managers have given in the past. Some of them will make you wonder how they got the job.

that's why our company makes sure that we attend classes specifically for that purpose... answering reviews. I've seen all the bad ones time and time again. I'm actually confident enough to say my responses are stellar!

Are you confident enough to say all other managers are the same?

Aaron Potier of course not! Which means they need to be taught. Just like mine have been taught. It also doesn't mean to throw your hands up and hire a third party.

I agree managers can handle it themselves. Just make sure to keep it professional & not combative. I always read something like that over a couple times out loud before I hit send.

www.multifamilyinsiders.com/multifamily-...itive-online-reviews

Reputation.com is a fantastic platform and they work with everyone but yelp (given yelp’s requirements). I think that while most seasoned managers are capable of responding, it’s also difficult sometimes to separate personal from professional. Response platforms typically provide a variety of standardized responses that in the case of critical feedback, thank the resident or prospect for the feedback and encourage them to take the discussion offline.

RentPath can do reputation management and answer reviews. They send me a draft first so I can add specific details but it really helps to have the separation when the online reviews get personal!

To me it’s all about whether the response is genuine. Meaning don’t ask them to discuss further unless you really want to do that. And if you do, I’d bet at least some of the time it’s well worth it

I think the Manager should always respond. Good or bad. Be accountable but tell the story without and personal detail. People notice when we only respond to positive reviews. Always invite them to stop by the office to talk with you personally. Maybe you can change their experience and they might revise the review. Shows you care.

Always reply as quickly as possible. This demonstrates to viewers that you/the company is responsive and responsible. Never argue or become defensive. Always acknowledge feelings and ask for an offline conversation.

Hope this helps!

Martin Cleary

Hi! Responding to negative reviews can be tough, but it's worth the struggle! My goal is to respond within 24-48 hours. Taking the time to respond to negative reviews shows the resident that you’re not just sweeping their issues under the rug and that you’re taking active steps to ensure the issue doesn’t happen again (keep in mind: It’s not just the resident who will see the response, its prospects/public who will see it too).So, take a deep breath (or two or three) and follow these steps for respond success!

1. APOLOGIZE THE RESIDENT & SYMPATHIZE WITH THE RESIDENT’S CONCERNS
You want to make sure that the resident feels heard. Start with their name and state that you’re thankful (or sorry) to hear about their situation.

2. EXPRESS THAT WE STRIVE FOR GREATNESS & THROW IN A LITTLE MARKETING
You can take that situation and spin it so that readers will see that the negative experience the resident had is NOT the standard for the community/property management company. Let readers know that you have high standards and this isn’t your typical customer service.

3. MOVE THE CONVERSATION OFFLINE
You want to make sure that you provide the reviewer with offline contact information to someone that can handle their complaint. Invite the reviewer to contact you privately. This will prevent a lengthy public back and forth between the resident and the community.

4. KEEP IT SHORT & SWEET
You don’t want to go into too much detail. Three sentences for your whole reply is a good rule of thumb.

You can do it! Best of luck!