How do you handle bad online reviews?

It's not uncommon to receive a few negative reviews, but what's the best way to handle it?

 Here's what you don't want to do: Call online reviewers punks, trash or other expletives on your company Facebook page like the owners of Amy's Baking Company did last spring. Their outrageous behavior became a story in and of itself -- and escalated the negative feedback far beyond where it started.

 While most business owners probably aren't tempted to call commenters "fat, disgusting losers" and threaten legal action, it's easy to make a misstep. Here are some tips on how to respond to negative reviews.

1. Don't post fake positive reviews

"Fake reviews happen everywhere," says Giorgos Zervas, a Boston University marketing professor who analyzed reviews of thousands of Boston restaurants. About 80% of the restaurants had at least one "filtered" review, which means Yelp (YELP) software found it suspicious. "[It] might be real or it might be fake," he says. "But Yelp finds it suspicious enough to avoid publishing it."

2. Address negative feedback personally -- but carefully

Lockbusters, a New York City locksmith, is approached often by companies offering to craft reviews, according to owner Jay Sofer.

He turns them down, preferring to connect with negative reviewers personally. In a phone call or email, he asks questions, lets them vent and if the company didn't meet expectations, offers a discount or even a refund.

3. Move conversations offline

When it comes to Facebook (FB, Fortune 500) and Twitter vents, it's often more productive to have conversations in private.

"It gives us the flexibility to find the best solution without multiple fans jumping into the conversation or making the customer feel like we've forgotten about them," says Donna Faust, Hayneedle's director of brand management. Once the problem is solved, the company asks the customer to write a follow-up post.

 4. Be proactive

Houston-based Blinds.com takes a more proactive approach. The company sends customers an email asking how they did -- hopefully catching complaints before a person vents publicly. The positive feedback has landed in marketing campaigns, and the gripes have helped identify problems at the company, says Daniel Cotlar, the chief marketing officer.

"We've uncovered a lot of stuff that is broken," says Cotlar, such as software glitches, vendor problems, misleading product images or customer service holes. "For every customer who will tell you something is wrong, there are 10 people who don't bother. So you're fortunate to get that information."

Source: http://money.cnn.com