How to Handle:
“I saw some bad reviews about you”
When prospects bring up negative reviews, they're giving you a chance to address concerns. How you handle criticism says a lot about your company's integrity.
Why Prospects Say This
They may have genuine concerns about what they read. They might be testing how you handle criticism. Sometimes they're looking for reassurance that those issues don't apply to their situation.
Best Responses
The Transparent Acknowledgment
“Thanks for bringing that up—I appreciate that you're doing your homework. Which reviews caught your attention? I'd like to give you context and be transparent about what happened and what we did about it.”
Why It Works
Shows confidence and willingness to address concerns head-on.
Best For
When you know the issues and have fixed them
The Context Provider
“I've seen those reviews too. Here's the honest context: about a year ago we had growing pains during rapid scaling. We've since hired a dedicated support team and our recent reviews tell a different story. Want me to share some recent feedback?”
Why It Works
Acknowledges the issue while showing improvement.
Best For
When bad reviews are outdated
The Fit Qualifier
“That's fair to bring up. Some of those reviews come from customers who weren't the right fit for our solution—usually companies trying to use us for something we're not designed for. Based on what you've told me, that's not you, but let me explain what went wrong in those cases.”
Why It Works
Explains negative reviews without being dismissive.
Best For
When reviews are from poor-fit customers
Do's and Don'ts
Do This
- Ask specifically which reviews they saw
- Be honest about any legitimate issues
- Explain what you've done to address problems
- Offer recent references who can speak to current experience
Don't Do This
- Get defensive or dismiss the reviews as fake
- Blame customers for their bad experiences
- Pretend you don't know what they're talking about
- Badmouth the reviewers
Follow-up Questions to Ask
“Which specific reviews or concerns stood out to you?”
“Would it help to hear from a customer who joined recently?”
“What would reassure you that those issues won't affect you?”
“Is there a specific aspect of our service you're most concerned about?”
Industry-Specific Variations
“I saw complaints about your customer support”
“You probably saw reviews from last year when we were scaling too fast. We've since tripled our support team and our average response time is now under 2 hours. I can show you our current support metrics if that helps.”
“There are complaints about your deliverables”
“I appreciate you sharing that. A few of those were from projects with scope creep that neither side managed well. We've since implemented clearer SOWs and check-ins. Can I walk you through our current process?”
Pro Tips
- Monitor your reviews and know your critics' common complaints
- Prepare honest answers for your worst reviews—don't be caught off guard
- Recent positive reviews can offset older negative ones
- Sometimes the best response is to own the mistake and show what changed
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