What should you do when someone posts a negative review about your company or your products or services?
Shep Hyken interviews keynote speaker and author Mason Duchatschek on steps you can take to protect your online reputation.

First Up:
Shep Hyken’s opening comments focus on why it is important for any business, not just a retail or online business, to protect their online reputation. There are now online review sites for virtually every industry (even B2B businesses), which although they may not be as visible as Yelp, TripAdvisor or Amazon, they are every bit as influential within that industry. People within each niche can now consult these sites before making a buying decision.

Featured Interview:
Shep begins his interview by asking Mason Duchatschek, “What should you do when a customer posts a negative review - a rant - about you and your company on the Internet?” Mason refers to this reviewer as an “Internet Boogeyman.”
Mason’s response is that the goal is to not have them rant in the first place. The best way to solve problems is stopping them before they occur. And you do that by implementing a four-step process:
1. Hire good employees.
2. Train them in customer service.
3. Have good policies and use good judgement in the absence of policies.
4. Be nice and do what’s right.
If (or when) an Internet boogeyman rants online, the first step is to respond immediately, either by direct message or by phone. Mason points out that you should never discuss the issue with the Internet boogeyman in a public forum, although you should update the progress toward a resolution on that forum, so that others can see the positive actions you have taken.

Top Takeaways:
• Business owners can’t solve problems they don’t know exist. Go to Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts) to set up a free, early warning system for your name, company name, and product or service names – any text consumers would type into a search engine to find your company, products, or services. Any time something is posted on the Internet about those items, Google will send you an email alert along with the link so that you can check it out. If people are saying good or bad things about you, you’ll know it, almost in real time. You can monitor and then respond quickly to circumstances, before they cause unnecessary harm to you or your business.
• If companies don’t get their online reputation right, customers won’t buy from them, no matter how good their products or services are.
• Online reputation is critical; it creates credibility and builds trust. In the absence of a personal relationship, few things (if any) are more important. When people did business face-to-face, they would use their own judgement to determine if they liked and trusted you. Now, in the absence of that personal encounter, they now look to see what others have said online before making a buying decision.

About:
Mason Duchatschek is a #1 bestselling author, entrepreneur and professional speaker. His ideas have been featured in Selling Power, Entrepreneur, The New York Times and Fox News.
He is the author of Defeating an Internet Boogeyman: Simple Secrets of Reputation and Crisis Management Using Social Media and Web Marketing Strategy.

Shep Hyken is a customer service and experience expert, New York Times best-selling author and your host of Amazing Business Radio.
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