The Pessimistic Brain and How to Deal with It

People remember you for the things you do. Sadly, they recall negatives more than positives.

The human brain is programmed to react to bad events more significantly than good ones. To illustrate, in a 2012 study, subjects who lost a certain amount of cash expressed more intense emotions than those who gained the same amount. When applied to a business' reputation, many people will tend to believe negative reviews, and perceive a business accordingly, even when the reviews are unfounded.

How then can you reputation be improved when customers' brains are wired to react more strongly to the bad side of things? This is one of several cases where fighting fire with fire will just make an even bigger fire. The best way to handle negative reviews, according to experts, is to ask what the problem is and offer a solution. While this may sound passive, it gives you a better chance of a turnaround than retorting with gusto.

You would also want to do it as soon as possible. Studies show that a business that takes more than a week to respond will easily fall out of costumer favour. It's during these times that your willingness to work with your customers to resolve issues will be put to the test.