Personal interaction with potential clients has been a game changer for all levels of business. From corner stores to corporations, correspondence between customers and owners has become increasingly more public - and therefore more crucial to one's brand reputation. As an owner of any kind of business, reviews can make or break your success and are an integral part to expanding your brand. Reviews are the first thing people want to know about your company, and oftentimes are the only impression that potential customers receive in the midst of research. For these reasons, interacting with customers via reviews is one of the most important aspects of maintaining a modern and digital business.
Some business owners become defensive in their response to reviewers that leave negative feedback. This is the last thing you want to do, since other potential customers will see this and judge your brand by your responses. This behavior only serves to drive business further away from your company when you respond in an unprofessional manner. Reviews are important, but in many cases, it is not the reviews that speak about the company so much as how the owners respond to it. In fact, sometimes negative reviews can serve as insights into your business on how to improve, because you will learn how to respond better to customer complaints and concerns. Customer service plays a huge role into how you respond to complaints and concerns, and is a great opportunity to win customers by responding well to the unhappy ones and their problems.
Learning to take criticism and respond positively to negative feedback from unsatisfied customers is crucial in reflecting your integrity as a professional. When a former customer expresses displeasure, it is your duty as a professional to ask what could be done differently in the future. Fighting back or ignoring what someone has to say about your company is a surefire path to failure.
In fact, a survey sponsored by ZenDesk concluded that 95% of people who had a bad experience with a mid-sized company told someone about it. That’s reason enough to respond in the most respectful, constructive way possible to negative reviews, because people have the power now more than ever to share their experiences immediately with peers.
Responding to positive reviews is equally important. Showing others that you acknowledge their opinions is rewarding for all involved. Your happy customers feel fulfilled and heard, and you appear inviting and grateful for their feedback. Saying something as simple as, "Thank you!" or better yet, "We value your opinion, thank you for taking the time to respond to us!" can make all the difference. Including the name of the customer also adds a level of sincerity and acknowledgement that many businesses are taking advantage of in the modern age.
At the end of the day, customer reviews, whether positive or negative, do influence your potential customers and their decision to do business with you. How you respond to these reviews shows a lot about the character of your business and how important customer service is to you, and your current and potential customers are watching. For more information on customer interaction and the value of social media for businesses, please contact us to learn more.
Image via Pixabay
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Work Habits & Productivity
Jay, the CEO of StringCan, oversees strategy and vision, building culture that makes going into work something he looks forward to, recruiting additional awesome team members to help exceed clients goals, leading the team and allocating where StringCan invests time and money.
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