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Adam is CEO of Gladiator Law Marketing. He’s an Afghanistan veteran, outdoor enthusiast, husband, and dog parent to two German shepherds.
If you’ve been in business long enough, your law firm will likely get a negative review. Even if you have a hundred 5-star reviews, there will come a day when someone who’s dissatisfied will post a less-than-flattering review of your legal services. It’s the nature of the world we live in. When this happens, your reaction will make all the difference.
First, diffuse the comment online with politeness. If a negative review about your law firm is posted on Google, Facebook, Yelp or another third-party platform, it’s important to address it right away. Don’t let it linger, causing other potential clients to get a bad impression of your firm. Lay it to rest promptly and professionally.
Here are five tips for handling negative law firm reviews:
1. Confirm that the person was actually a client.
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2. Acknowledge a poor review with a prompt and respectful written response.
3. Create a plan to rectify the reviewer’s issue.
4. If there’s a chronic problem inside your law firm, fix it.
5. Get lots and lots of reviews.
Let’s take a closer look at each of these tips.
1. Confirm That The Person Was Actually A Client
Check your files to quickly confirm that the reviewer was actually a client. If they were, note the type of case, the date and the resolution. Briefly familiarize yourself with the matter in question.
If the review was a mistake and was left by someone your law firm never represented, then there are a few things you can do. It’s unpleasant when this happens, but there are hundreds of thousands of law firms out there—some with similar-sounding names—and sometimes a frustrated person leaves a scalding review about the wrong firm.
2. Acknowledge A Poor Review With A Prompt And Respectful Written Response
If the reviewer was a client, acknowledge their complaint respectfully and offer to have a conversation offline. Don’t get involved in a debate online. It’s important to always respond professionally and politely, even if you think the criticism is unfair. You might write something like the following:
“Thank you, Edward, for taking the time to share your concerns with us. I see that we represented you in 2021. We regret the disappointment you feel because client satisfaction is very important to us. If you would like, we can have a conversation offline to see if we can resolve this matter.”
If the reviewer was not a client and the review was left mistakenly, then you might reply with something like this:
“I appreciate your concern, Edward. After reviewing our files, I see that we don’t have a record of representing you as a client. There appears to be some mistake.”
Unfortunately, it’s very hard to get most third-party platforms to remove a negative review. But if you’re determined to try—especially if it was left by someone you never represented—most review platforms offer options for disputing reviews.
Again, it’s notoriously hard to get a bad review removed, but you may get lucky, especially if the review was a mistake.
3. Create A Plan To Rectify The Reviewer’s Issue
If the reviewer’s issue is easily rectified, take action to do so. For example, maybe they didn’t receive a return phone call, maybe correspondence was sent to the wrong address or maybe they felt like they weren’t getting the attention they were promised. All of these complaints can be resolved with client service and outreach.
If their complaint is valid and more complicated, devise a plan to contact the client and resolve the issue to their satisfaction, if possible.
4. If There’s A Chronic Problem Inside Your Law Firm, Fix It
If you’ve gotten multiple negative reviews about the same issue, then you likely have an internal staffing or process issue that needs to be fixed. Perhaps staff members need better training on how to answer the phones. Perhaps your client intake software or case management system needs updating. Perhaps you’re accepting cases that you don’t have the staff to handle effectively. Whatever the issue, it’s important to address it promptly. Otherwise, you may continue to get bad reviews, and these will hurt your online reputation for years to come.
5. Get Lots And Lots Of Reviews
The best way to handle a bad review is to prepare for it before it happens. The impact of a bad review is lessened if you have many, many reviews. So be sure to ask satisfied clients for reviews on a regular basis. Find a way to automate the process for requesting reviews and/or ask clients for reviews when you hand them their settlement checks. The more reviews, the better.
When you have only a handful of positive reviews, a negative review will carry more weight. But when you have 50 positive reviews, one negative review will be just a blip on the screen. Imagine seeing your star ratings on Google. Let’s say you have five reviews—four are 5-star ratings and one is 1-star. Your average score is 4.2. However, if you have 50 reviews—49 of which are 5-stars and only one is 1-star—then your average score is 4.9. That’s because of the power of dilution. Lots of positive reviews dilute the impact of a negative review. So, the best remedy for a bad review is to get more good reviews.
Look On The Bright Side
Remember that in marketing, everything is an opportunity. Even a negative law firm review can be handled with aplomb and professionalism, and it can spur you to continually focus on asking for lots of reviews. This will ensure that your law firm has a strong online presence and is top-of-mind among potential clients.
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Author: Adam Draper, Forbes Councils Member
