Can you think of reasons why customer feedback is important to your business? If so, how can you be sure your customer experience strategies are working? And how certain are you that customers are happy with the experiences they are having with your business?
An important area to consider is the feedback your customers are leaving behind after they’ve had an experience with you. Fully understanding why it is incumbent to collate the voice of your customers and an even vital step is how you are responding to them.
Customer feedback is the most pivotal tool that businesses can use to help build, sustain alongside prioritize their products and services. In this latest post, we’ve compiled a list of tips that delve a little deeper into how it is you should be responding to the reviews your customers leave you.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #1
Irrespective of how bad or untrue a negative review is, avoid responding in an aggressive or antagonistic manner. Your reviews and your responses are publicly available, therefore getting into a debate is not the way forward. Make sure they are sincere and show that you genuinely care about resolving the matter. Good responses to bad reviews show that you are a great company as you strive to fix problems as they arise. A bad review is not that bad after all.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #2
Traditionally, only people who care provide feedback based on the encounter they have had with your business. Addressing negative feedback can often result in turning a complaining customer into a loyal customer. People who share their negative reviews want to be heard and more importantly, want their issues resolved, and unless a customer tells us we may never learn about certain issues that arise.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #3
Your course of action should be to RESPOND! Ignoring the comment will only make your company seem as if you do not value the feedback you receive, and could further create an impression to prospective customers who might stumble upon your page in the future. You should not be deleting or hiding the comments when a negative review is written. More often than not, a negative reviewer can and will screenshot it, as a measure in case the company decides to delete it. The last thing you want is to be publicly chastised for deleting a review posted by your customers, which could raise question marks surrounding what else you are hiding.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #4
There are three VITAL steps to responding. First, LISTEN. Yes, it might be painful, but don’t disregard the feedback. Second, apologize. This simple gesture can go a long way as most customers can sympathize while taking into consideration that you just didn’t have a good day. Third, take accountability and resolve the problem. If you respond with an attempt to make things right, customers are likely to remain open-minded about the situation and forgiving.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #5
Truly fine-tune into what they are saying – to uncover what the CORE problem is. Offering some form of incentive whether it’s a gift card to recover the cost of a poorly delivered meal or a free stay at a hotel. The goal should be to retain the customer you already have as you will end up spending a lot less money trying to earn that customer back as opposed to acquiring a new one. Despite it costing a little more to win them back, the point would be to nurture the relationship you already have. It may also be that you just might not be the right fit for them, and you can still apologize, offer to resolve the matter, and move forward. Even the best companies can’t win them all over, but it is essential to remain professional and authentic.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #6
Think of your response as an opportunity to market what your business stands for. Avoid oversharing and instead focus on making your company look as professional as possible by thanking the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. Apologize for what happened and offer them a solution. Lastly, thank them again for allowing you to resolve their issue. We can often get a consumer to remove a negative review as time passes and even better continue doing business with you.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #7
Say thanks. Irrespective of the review, the reason you have reviews in the first place is to receive feedback from the people who matter most—your customer! A bad review may prove to provide you with value because it should be a springboard for growth within your company. Good feedback has its benefits but negative feedback is crucial. By remaining genuine you can communicate directly with your customer by showing they get to see that you’re a real person, not just a product. Avoid all the industry jargon and take the opportunity to connect with them – with empathy and solutions!
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #8
When a setback happens like receiving a bad review or being shamed via social media that goes viral, your management and employees are on the front lines of rage and displeasure from customers. Businesses must be prepared for that and the possibility of being shamed on social media is to prepare a crisis management plan. You want to be prepared, in advance, so your response will be planned and not handled under impulse.
The best way business owners can protect themselves from negative reviews and social media shaming is to offer an immediate public apology, without delay irrespective of who is right or wrong; the mindset of the customer is to always think that they are right. Just Apologize.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #9
The best way to respond to a negative review, irrespective of which forum and form it has been posted, is for a brand to swiftly apologize for the experience and to make amends to further provide support, telling the reviewer that they’ll do whatever they can to resolve the situation. There is simply no need to provide additional context on the matter, as we often see businesses on google shaming customers for speaking up or even revealing private information about the situation. These strategies prove to be ineffective.
Customers may opt to avoid a brand because they witnessed the drama in the review section or they might not like the brand’s nasty attempts at resolving the issue. At all costs, brands should aim to hold the high ground by promising to resolve negative experiences and attempt to turn around poor reviews.
Customer Feedback ⭐ Tip #10
Respond promptly. The time you have to respond is dependent on the platform. If a negative review was posted on Twitter, you should respond within minutes – for Google, your response should be posted within days. Posting a timely reply shows your customers (and others that read your response) that you respect, value, and are committed to making things right. Don’t just respond to their review – Solve the customer’s problem!
