Both negative and positive reviews online is something companies should pay big attention to. You gain great creditability when your company or product has a lot of good reviews, and it can drive traffic to your site organically due to SEO. When you do receive a negative review (and I say do because it is a reality that you will at some point) you need to take action, rather than ignore the situation and hope it goes away.
There are a few good tips how to take action that will rectify the situation while not making a big ripple in your online reputation:
1) Your happy clients are your biggest secret weapon. Ask you most loyal clients to write a review, this will saturate the bad review and push it to the bottom.Also, the more positive reviews on the site, the more a potential client will dismiss the bad review.
2) Join the conversation. Reply to the review addressing the issues while maintaining a professional tone. It is best to make it short, sweet and in a tone that shows understanding of the issue. Long-winded explanations and excuses are not going to sway a customer.
3) Send a private message to rectify the complaint. Private messages are a great way to get to the bottom of the issue (it may be cost, it may be quality, it may be a one off) and then you can decide the best way to react.
4) Decide if it is worth investing in the reviewer. Not all bad review require more than a quick response. Some people are only out there to review in a negative way and if you give those people the extras they will only do it again. It is best to assess the reviewer to see if an extra (a new product, a discount on the next purchase, free shipping, an invite to an event) is going to turn into a positive. Many people who take the time to give a well thought out review that is on the negative side, will once they receive the service level and quality that is positive, will also share this experience.
5) Have a company strategy for reviews. To be consistent with the way you and your staff react to reviews (online and in-person) it is best to have a strategy with different tiers for the types of reviews. This should be tracked and can be reviewed frequently to see how effective your responses are.
Reviews are a great thing, and without them you are missing out on the positive powers of peer persuasion.