How to Counter Negative Feedback
It doesn’t matter what your business does. The entire foundation of a company revolves around how happy your customers are with your product. Keeping them happy is important but not more than making sure customers aren’t unhappy. An unhappy client goes on to Twitter, Yelp, Google My Business, and literally every other platform they can find to bash your company endlessly. Such incidents are bad for your company’s image and require some reputation management. If you’re wondering how you can counter such negative reviews and get out of the situation without looking like a bad guy, you’re at just the right place. Here are three ways to respond to negative feedback.
Start Your Investigations Immediately
One of the worst things you can do to an angry customer is making them wait. So, when you notice that a customer left a negative comment anywhere, start off by replying to them. You don’t need to provide any details. You just need to tell them that you are looking into it. A simple message saying, “We’re sorry. We’re currently looking into your issue and will notify you as soon as we have some news,” goes a long way. Not only does it calm down the frustrated customer, but it also tells your audience that you’re quick at responding to problems whenever they come up.
Admit Your Mistakes
Let’s be honest; mistakes happen. Cyberpunk 2077 is a brilliant example of an amazing company making mistakes. They released an unfinished product with tons of bugs that rendered the video game unplayable. What did the developers do? Well, they started off by releasing a 10-minute apology video explaining that they made a mistake and are currently doing what they can to fix them. It was shallow, and no one really believed it, but it was an apology, nonetheless. If you know someone from your company made a mistake, own up to it. No one likes petty excuses and arguments coming from an organization. If you don’t admit your mistakes thinking that it’s bad PR, the one negative comment is going to turn into a dozen.
Offer Refunds, Exchanges, and Gift Coupons
So, the deed is done. You made a mistake, and you owed up to it. That’s progress, but the customer is still unhappy. They spent money to purchase your product/service and didn’t get their money’s worth. Well, in such a situation, you need to offer refunds, exchanges (where applicable), and gift coupons. These may seem like a waste of company resources, which they somewhat are. However, such measures ensure customer retention and are one of the best reputation management strategies in the market. Tons of fortune 500 companies, especially fast-food chains like McDonald’s, are using this trick to ensure customers keep coming back.
Closing Thoughts
A lot of companies think reputation management is a waste of time. We’re here to tell you it isn’t. Having a bad reputation on the internet is enough to kill your entire business. People go online and research before buying a product. That’s basic consumer behavior. If all they see are angry customers, the probability of them still purchasing from you drops down to zero.