Firms reputation is an important management objective, bearing the potential to
create a sustainable competitive advantage, and that’s why many scholars have
studied its impact on firm performance and success.
Meanwhile, people tend to buy on emotion, not logic. The challenge most
businesses face is that when the product arrives on the customer’s doorstep, those
customers are only impressed with the quality of the product to justify their
purchase.
It is essential to build a long-term and stable relationship with customers in
today’s competitive society. As customers are currently more concerned with
service quality received, it is of value to study the effect of service quality on
customer loyalty.
Reputation can stem from one person’s judgment via a negative review or
complaint, and then this can initiate a chain reaction as it negatively sways the
collective judgment of a person or business. This new “identity” (reputation) can
become overwhelming, and be all that consumers focus on.
When dealing with negative reviews, remember that the most important thing to
do is to keep a level head throughout the whole process. Just because someone left
a negative review about you or your business online doesn’t mean that they will
never consider giving you a second chance. It all depends on how you handle the
situation. Go ahead and respond politely and professionally. Consider these tips:
• Keep a level head
• Reply promptly
• Respond publicly, privately, or both (depending on the situation)
• Flag reviews that violate Yelp’s content guidelines
Remember people trust you or your brand, they are more likely to recommend you
to friends, repeat business with you, and can even forgive mishaps or scandals.
– (SpringerLink, 2010)
