Customer feedback has a significant impact on your business. It can either make or break your company in the long run. Companies with glowing reviews often attract more customers and build better relationships with them. Meanwhile, those with negative ones are often sidelined by consumers.
In fact, a study by Spiegel says 95% of consumers would look up for reviews on a product or brand before they decide to avail of its products or services. To avoid turning away potential customers, you should monitor and manage your customers’ feedback.
With that, here are 5 tips on how to handle negative feedback from customers.
- Respond to each review immediately
While you might be tempted to sweep negative reviews under the rug, you should acknowledge each one to show how much you care for your customers. One way of dealing with negative customer feedback is by responding to them as quickly as you can. Making them wait unacknowledged would only give them more ammunition to criticize your brand.
Your company will often be judged based on how you address concerns and feedback. Being responsive is a sign of good customer service. This lets your customers know how reliable and helpful your company is. It might even reel in new customers in the process.
- Be respectful and humble
There’s a difference between responding and reacting to negative customer feedback. Reacting would mean becoming emotional—to the point of being defensive—towards a customer’s review. It would only add fuel to the fire and make your company look bad.
The tone of your response also plays a huge role when it comes to handling negative feedback and criticism. It is important to keep a respectful and professional attitude towards such reviews. Acknowledge any mistakes on your part and apologize for it. After all, these are still your customers. Their satisfaction should remain your top priority.
- Address and resolve the issue
Aside from knowing how to respond to negative feedback from customers, you must also learn how to settle conflicts and address their concerns. You can do this by assessing the situation carefully before taking action. Ask questions and invite your customer to have a chat with you so you can sort things out.
Figure out the root of the problem and suggest possible solutions to it. If you think the issue needs more time to resolve, be honest with your customers about how long they need to wait. However, be sure to come back to them as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want to keep them waiting for days since it might give them more reason to be disappointed with your company.
- Remember to follow up
One of the benefits of having a reputation management software is simplifying following up on your customers after responding to their feedback and resolving their issues. It proves your commitment to your customers and to your brand. You can also use it as an opportunity to transform a negative review into a positive one if you play your cards right.
Call or send a message to check in on your customers after your initial interaction. Make sure everything is going smoothly on their end and show them how much you valued their feedback. Notify them of any changes in your product or service as proof that you listened to their comment.
And finally, ask if they can leave another feedback on your company to let other customers know how well you handled the issue. You can use a tool like WikiPro to request a review from your customers. By simply using texts, your customers can easily rate your business.
- Use it as a learning experience
It is normal for any business to receive negative reviews at one point or another. What’s important is how you handle it and learn from it in the end. In fact, negative reviews may even be good for your business growth. It tells you what you need to focus and improve on to better serve your customers in the future.
Receiving negative feedback might just be the wakeup call you need to closely examine your business processes. It helps you identify which ones need optimizing and which ones need a major rehaul. Likewise, you can use past experiences as responding to negative reviews examples in case you encounter yet another bad review in the future.
Shedding some light on the negative
Online reviews—whether good or bad—matter for your business. A lot can be said to a company that knows how to handle negative customer reviews. It shows their dedication and their commitment to improving their brand and satisfying their customers. If you can handle it graciously and professionally, it might even boost up your reputation to consumers.
So keep these tips in mind the next time you encounter a negative review on your brand. Instead of letting it get through to your head, use it as stepping stones for your business growth.