If you have received a bad review for one of your Teachers Pay Teachers product, congratulations! No, seriously! Everyone gets one, maybe more. It will feel like a punch in the gut or a stab in the chest, but don’t PANIC! Many of them will be false reports and they can be removed, BUT, let’s look at a few tasks you can do. If you would rather watch the video, then read the blog post, you can watch, “What to do when you get a bad review?”
Number 1: Do Not Panic! Give Yourself Time
Have you heard of the knee-jerk reaction? Now is not the time for that! I remember my heart pounding because I thought this would be the end of me and my little store (and my review wasn’t horrible). But, we get very emotional. Our temperature is high (or rising). STOP!
Do not respond when you are feeling this way. You need to calm down. If you can, do not respond for at least 12-24 hours. Time provides a better perspective. Your emotions will calm down and you will be able to think straight.
Number 2: Do Not Offer A Refund
You are a nice person. When you see someone frustrated, you want to help. But offering a refund isn’t the best answer for most of your bad reviews. Sadly, there are some buyers that are looking to get your product for free. If a review states they want a refund, contact TpT (both of you). Let TpT make that call. They are aware of the scammers!
Number 3: Re-read the Bad Review
Now that you are calmer, reread the review. Listen carefully while you read it and take notes.
- What is the actual complaint?
- Is it a tech issue?
- Are they complaining about something that isn’t in your product?
Give the reviewer the benefit of the doubt in this moment, but scrutinize the review.
- Is it justifiable?
- Did they elaborate on the issue?
- Is it unrealistic – meaning, did they expect something that wasn’t promised?
- Is the complaint fixable?
Number 4: Respond Professionally to the Bad Review
Regardless of the tone you think is coming from the buyer’s comment, be cordial, polite. Stick to the facts. Be objective. I received a comment that said, “It was hard to use”. I responded that if they were having technical issues, to contact TpT technical support or could they elaborate on issue? The buyer never responded.
If a product has typos, inaccurate facts, old dates, you need to fix that. I know this is hard, but try not to take the bad review personal. Yes, it could hurt. But if you can respond politely and professionally, then say it and move on.
As a TPT buyer, I look at reviews. If I see a bad review, I will read it, but I am more interested in the seller’s response. Why, because I want to know if that is a seller I want to do business with. How did they handle the response? Was the response snarky? It is hard to interpret tone in words but sometimes it is easy to spot anger. Don’t be that seller!
Be a TPT seller that welcomes feedback and looks for ways to service their buyers. You can do this! If you would like to read about more Teachers Pay Teachers sellers tips, read this blog post on Getting More Views On Your Products next.
Until then,
Happy Selling!
Lori-Anne
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