Small-business owners work hard to build a brand reputation and get their business steadily off the ground. But what happens when a customer has a bad experience and vents in an online review forum like Yelp? Negative reviews don’t signify the end of your business. Learn how to respond to your critics and seek out positive reviews with these four tips.

1. Relax

When you’re notified of a bad business review, keep your cool. Take time to think about what was said and why the customer may be upset, whether you think they’re justified or not. Treat the situation as you would an in-person conversation, and follow your set customer-service processes. Even if the reviewer is completely off base, avoid the temptation to respond irrationally and immediately. Craft a response and have others review it before you post anything live.

2. Respond

When you (or another member of your team) is ready to respond to a review, do so professionally. On Yelp, you can choose to respond publicly or privately to a user. Do so at your discretion. When responding to a negative review, apologize and offer a solution to the client, and do it publicly so others can see that you care about your service quality. If you need more information from a reviewer, or need to discuss confidential information, respond privately to respect their privacy.

3. Monitor

Consider appointing a member of your team to monitor Yelp reviews, and other online or social media sites for you. This way, one person is responsible for all online forms of customer service, and both positive and negative comments can be responded to in a timely and consistent manner. By being proactive in reading and responding to reviews you’ll not only learn how customers see you and the areas that may need enhancement, but it also shows clients that you care enough about your business to engage with them.

4. Engage