The Internet has made word-of-mouth advertising more important to businesses than ever and can be extremely important to small businesses. A small business often lacks the national recognition of corporations and can be more easily damaged by negative customer comments. As such, it is vital that you keep an eye out for negative customer feedback online. In particular, it is vital to keep track of comments on business blogs, websites, and social media profiles.
Why It Matters
While a negative comment or two may not seem like a big deal to your business, the unfortunate truth is that people are more likely to vent online about one bad experience than to post words of praise. These comments have exceptional power with other consumers as well, and a study by Cone reported that 80% of consumers have decided not to make a purchase based on negative reviews by other customers. It is clear that negative comments can seriously hinder the growth of your business, it is therefore vital that business owners respond quickly and professionally to any negative comments.
How to Respond
The way you respond to negative customer reviews can make all the difference in how potential customers see your business. Follow these tips to minimise the damage and to keep your business on track
- Use a personal touch. When responding to negative reviews and comments, introduce yourself and address the problem in a way that shows that you and your business consider customer satisfaction to be of the utmost importance.
- Act quickly. It is vital to respond to negative input immediately. If not, you leave the window open for other people to jump in and escalate the situation. By responding quickly and efficiently, you can head off additional trouble and keep the damage to an absolute minimum.
- Be honest. Instead of making excuses, honestly analyse the customer complaint and see if there is indeed a problem. If so, address it and make sure to let the customer know what steps you are taking to make things right. This will instill much more confidence in your business and will let potential customers know that you truly want to provide the best service.
While you are addressing negative comments, make sure you also respond to positive feedback. Keep customer expectations high and make sure the staff at your business are willing and able to meet those expectations. The way you handle customer feedback can make a world of difference to your success. Make sure you are doing everything in your power to keep things on a positive track.
About the Author
This article was written by Jordan. Jordan is an expert in small business growth and management and is a content writer for business.com.au.
Originally posted on August 8, 2012 @ 6:47 am