Recently, I got my feelings hurt. Those who know me and have worked with me, know that I am always striving to learn new techniques, technology, increase my communication skills and well, how to love myself.
We all love kudos! I cannot tell you how much it warms my heart to hear someone shreek with thrill of how far they have come in their business through coaching, or listen to their excitement when looking at their website for the first time after we have designed it.
But it all can't be good right? I mean, we learn from our failures.
Well, over the last 3 days, I have learned from mine.
After countless no shows, cancellations and several ghosted emails, I had a client reach out upset that things were not completed and they were not seeing results.
I did voice my frustration via email (which is never a good idea) how difficult it is to build a website when you have asked for content for two months and have not received it. In this very email, I discussed how I would still be happy to work with them, even past the expired contractual period. Guess What? Ghosted again!
3 weeks later, I was lucky enough to open my phone on a Sunday to a bad review
It set the tone for the rest of my day.
I felt like a failure. I ate my feelings and proceeded to wallow in my sorrow.
I reached out to the client and expressed how frustrating it was to work with him due to his lack of follow through and his words were "That is why I hired you"
While I'm not sure how I can fix someone's follow through skills, I am sure I can re-evaluate my own steps and see how I can do better in the future.
Here are the steps I can take to navigate negative reviews
Stay Calm and Objective:
It's natural to feel upset or defensive when faced with a negative review, especially from someone you consider unreliable. However, it's crucial to remain calm and approach the situation objectively. Avoid responding impulsively or emotionally.
Assess the Validity:
Address Legitimate Concerns
Maintain Professionalism
Provide Context (if necessary)
Encourage Positive Feedback
Seek Resolution Privately (if possible)
Focus on Overall Reputation:
Learn and Improve:
Monitor and Respond