Bad online reviews are bad for business. Whether it’s a customer service complaint posted on the brand Facebook Page or an ugly comment submitted to Yelp, negative online reviews can damage a company’s reputation. But you can stand up and say, in the words of that Twisted Sister song, “We’re not gonna take it!” Here is one must-have tip shared by Lisa Barone on Small Business Trends:

• Develop a crisis plan to handle bad social media PR. When a complaint goes viral, you may not have time to formulate a reasoned reaction. Lisa advises identifying what steps you’ll take in a social media crisis as well as pinpointing who will do what during the crisis.

Check out Lisa’s full article for all 15 tips for handling bad online reviews. No matter which of her tips you implement, the most important thing to understand is that you need to plan now. Being proactive reduces the chance of finding yourself in a stressful defensive position. What’s more, a well-done bad review that goes viral, like United Breaks Guitars, will force you to play serious public relations catch up.

Don’t let bad reviews mire your brand reputation in mud. To learn what customers are saying about you on review sites, contact Social Strategy1, the team that combines best-in-class monitoring tools with expert business analysis to protect your online reputation.

Image Courtesy of Zazzle.com