Bad Review Tactic 3: Stay completely positive, if possible

Generally, the best solution is a private, offline response to a consumer that offers a concrete solution to his or her complaint and essentially turns a negative customer experience into a positive one. And if your business is in the wrong, own it and make authentic amends.

“On Yelp, a business owner can respond privately or publicly,” Yelp’s Lowe says. “We recommend starting with a private, diplomatic response.” Specifically, Lowe recommends using this script:

• Introduce yourself. (“Hi, It’s Bruce, the owner of ...”)

• Thank them for the review. (“Thank you for sharing your feedback...”)

• Apologize. (“I’m deeply sorry you didn’t have a 5-star experience...”)

• Acknowledge the customer’s complaint and explain what you’ve done to address the problem.

• Don’t be too defensive. As tempting as it is to try to convince reviewers to see things from your vantage point, it’s easy to come off as dismissive of their accounts.

• Invite them to return. (“We hope you’ll consider joining us again…Here’s my direct contact information if you do...”)

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