BAPIA’s social media expert Jade Fraser (Massimo Media) outlines the most effective way of dealing with online complaints and why businesses shouldn’t let them worry you.
Dealing with online complaints
“One of the things many business owners fear most about having a social media presence is unfair customer complaints. The customer isn’t always right and it may seem that few things would be more detrimental to your business than a disgruntled customer out to destroy you. Worse still is the threat of a competitor posing as a customer for the same reason.”
At your service
“First of all, a customer complaint is a great opportunity to show your superb customer service…. Accidents happen, from faulty balloons to communication errors, but if potential customers can see that you will be proactive and go above and beyond to put things right every time, they’ll feel reassured that they’re in safe hands, whatever happens.
Rectify or reassure
“If you’ve been given a negative review, don’t be afraid to ask the customer if they would mind going back to update their comments to reflect this once you’ve rectified the situation. Most customers leave reviews simply to help other customers know what your business is like so, if you’ve turned things around and ultimately left them feeling satisfied, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t want to spread the word. As long as you ask nicely.”
Focus on the positives
“Instead of worrying about the odd negative review, focus on the potential business from the positive reviews. A business with no reviews will rarely do better than one with even 4 out of 5 stars. Each time you have a happy customer, don’t be afraid to ask them if they would take the time to write you a quick review. Focus on building these positive reviews and any negatives will be buried in no time.”
Learn and improve
“All reviews, good or bad, are an opportunity to understand your customers and improve your business. Online reviews allow customers to be honest, which means really getting to understand their needs so you can serve them better. Is there a recurring issue that you could easily clear up? Reviews help you to learn what people appreciate the most about your business so that you can highlight your best-selling points on all your pages.”
