Negative online reviews
Advice on how to deal with bad online reviews as a company.
An employee is dismissed. An already difficult situation, which is made worse when the former employee decides to vent his anger publicly and then writes a bad review about your company on the Internet. Whether as a Google rating or via social media, one thing is certain: a few unpleasant lines can be enough to tarnish your company’s reputation and deter other interested parties from approaching you. This makes it all the more important to react appropriately. If you can do this, you show professionalism, sovereignty and maturity. Now you get tips on how to act in the two essential phases to achieve just that.
The way of termination
The first phase is mainly concerned with prevention. Because obviously, the best thing is not to get a bad rating in the first place. But a dismissal is always a harsh judgement and an unpleasant situation for both the boss and the employee. However, there are some rules you can follow to make it as pleasant as possible.
The date
First of all the question of the date is important. Show sensitivity here and inform yourself about the personal circumstances of the employee. After all, you don’t want to give him the notice on his birthday, a holiday or any other anniversary. Making an appointment Even if it may seem strange at first, a spontaneous invitation to an interview is a very good method. On the one hand, this saves your employee a sleepless night and on the other hand, you avoid that he calls in sick (maybe he suspects what might come or wants to avoid a conversation with his boss) and you have to find a new appointment.
The location
For the call, do not select a location where other employees might accidentally barge in. Discretion and tranquillity are the top priority here.
Be direct and prepared
To avoid misunderstandings and a bad outcome of the conversation, you must be direct. The words “Dismissal“ or “We have to part with you“ must be said in the first minute so that the employee knows what is happening and does not mistakenly think, that the interview invitation is a promotion or something else. After that, give him time to process the news and be ready for emotional reactions. It is helpful to be prepared and to be able to present your arguments logically at any time.
Show respect and keep the employee’s dignity
In order for a dismissal to be as positive as possible, and so that the person to be dismissed does not hold any grudge against you, a respectful and dignified farewell is essential. Thank your employee for his services so far and wish him all the best on his further path of life. Don’t become abusive or get your employee down.
The bad review is online – How to deal with it
If the poor review of a former employee is already visible online for everyone, then it is now important to deal with it seriously and confidently. In the perfect case, you may even emerge from this situation stronger. No matter whether in Facebook, Google or any other platform. Almost everywhere you have the possibility to react to a bad review. If an employee is very angry and you have been insultet in the review, you have an easy way to put yourself in a better light. Be mature and empathetic to create a contrast to the employee. This makes his words seem rather childish and out of place, while sovereignty is attributed to you. However, you must also not ridicule your employee’s statements and exert further provocation. Be de-escalating and try to write something like „Dear Mr. Smith, while we understand your emotional reaction to past developments, we would like to refrain from discussing this matter in public. Please contact our HR department if you would like to clarify the matter with us. We take this seriously and are naturally there for you“. In this way you create a positive moment for you out of this negative situation. As a result, anyone who has followed this dispute online will see your professional handling of complaints and reviews. This strengthens the overall image of your company in the public perception tremendoulsy.
