Does your heart sink into your stomach at the thought of your business receiving a public negative review? While that’s a totally normal response–one that most business owners know well–the world doesn’t have to end if you receive one here and there. Believe it or not, there can actually be some upsides to the occasional bad review. But don’t just take our word for it, here are a few good reasons to not let a bad review ruin your entire day:

1. You can tell your side of the story- Though we try our best to do everything to make our customer’s experience go well, despite what we’re told, the customer is not always right. For example, I used to work at a restaurant and every day (not exaggerating) an elderly woman would come in to order the same meal: vegetable soup. Regardless that she was a returning customer who ordered the same thing daily, she would also complain about how horrible the soup was every day and would subsequently make a scene and demand a refund. Though she sometimes frazzled new waitstaff, the managers knew this older woman was suffering from dementia and were always prepared to deescalate the situation.Moral of the story: customers and staff who didn’t know this woman was a returning customer that had these daily fits may be inclined to believe her side of events (IE. the vegetable soup sucked). Everyone else knew that she was just a totally unpleasable customer. They do exist.

   However, not all of us in business are aware of our customer’s personal problems, nor are we prepared to deescalate these situations at the moment they present. Thankfully, when it comes to publically posted negative reviews, you are often given the opportunity to articulate a reply canvassing your version of events–and let’s be honest, in cases like the above, most people would certainly be inclined to take your side.

2. It looks more legitimate than a business with only 5-star reviews- Thanks to scammers and dishonest businesses, most of us on the internet have a healthy amount of skepticism when we see businesses and products with nothing but 5-star reviews. A bad review here and there isn’t the worst thing in the world: at the very least, it proves that you do business with people that you didn’t pay off for a nice review.
3. You can try to make it right- Sometimes we have bad days too, and sometimes that can affect our customer experience. If for some reason you believe your business or someone representing it was genuinely to blame for a bad review, you should always try to offer your sympathy and reconcile with the reviewer. At the very least, it proves that you (or your business) has compassion and is trying to improve!
4. You can learn from the experience- Last but certainly not least; bad reviews sometimes offer a great opportunity to learn. Sometimes the problem lies in our inability to properly communicate our services with customer expectations. When this happens, you should update your clauses to be clearer to avoid the same mistake with future customers. And of course, you will just have to accept that owning a business is a continual learning experience.