Handling Negative Online Reviews About Your Child Care Business

If you have a business that deals with the public, particularly a child care business, it is almost inevitable that you’ll receive a negative online review at some point. To a child care business owner, a highly critical review can be alarming.  The reputation of your child care business is the most precious commodity you have. Like it or not, we live in a digital world, and it is a good idea to be prepared to handle online reviews. Here are some steps to take to safeguard your child care business’s good name.

1. Time is of the essence. Stay informed about what is being said about your child care programs on influential sites as soon as possible. If your business attracts the attention of reviewers on major sites, such as Google Reviews and Yelp,  consider investing in a service that can monitor multiple platforms in real-time and alert you when reviews appear online.
2. Stay focused and calm when you see a negative review. It is challenging, if not impossible, to persuade a review site to remove a negative post unless it originates from a competitor and you can prove it. Most sites will not arbitrate disputes between companies and customers; they will leave reviews up, whether they are good, bad, or indifferent.
3. The sheer number of reviews and reviewers works to your advantage. If you notice a few negative reviews, encourage your satisfied parents to share their perspectives. At least once a year, request that both long-term and new parents leave a review on Google Reviews as well as on your childcare business’s social media sites, like Facebook. Positive reviews from long-term and current parents will help provide the viewer with a more comprehensive overview of your child care programs.
4. Reply to all comments, not just the negative ones. Remember, you are managing your online reputation, not putting out fires. Acknowledging or thanking someone for a compliment is just as important to your overall image as a measured response to a customer complaint.
5. If you are responding to a negative review, ensure your response is polite, constructive, and professional. If this is difficult because you are too angry, delegate the task to someone who can write well without succumbing to put-downs or sarcasm. Approach the criticism as an opportunity to identify a need for change. If you are genuine, helpful, and offer a way to resolve problems, you take the sting out of criticism and demonstrate to other parents or potential parents that you are a caring and respectful business owner.
6. If you discover a genuine mistake and realize that the parent’s complaint is legitimate, own up to it as quickly as possible. Everyone, no matter how committed to customer service, drops the ball occasionally. The willingness to step up, apologize, and offer to set things right publicly demonstrates that your business is committed to providing good service.

Ensure that your employees understand the importance of maintaining an open and honest approach to parent communications. Addressing parent complaints within your child care business helps to prevent parents from leaving negative reviews online.