Yesterday my gratitude tip for you was to leave a positive review for a business. But what if you’re a business and you get a bad review? How can you respond with gratitude and kindness?

Well first let me ask the business owners out there a question...

Do you respond to reviews that your business gets? A lot of companies don't, however you should respond to all reviews, the good and the bad.

If you don't respond, it's the same as being in the same room as someone, having them tell you something about your company, and you don't say anything.

If you get a great review, that's awesome. Thank your customer who took the time to review your business and say nice things.

If you get a bad review, it's easy to get defensive, or want to go somewhere to hide. But potential customers LOVE seeing that a business took the time to respond to a bad review and try to make it right.

Here are 4 tips to responding to a negative review:

1) Reply to a negative review as soon as you see it. Reputation management software for small businesses can help you monitor and manage reviews.

2) Express empathy for the customer’s unhappiness.

3) Ask the customer to contact you privately to discuss their concerns. It’s best to talk by phone or in person, as texts and emails are subject to misinterpretation.

4) Once you resolve the matter, ask the customer if they’d be willing to add an update to their original review.