Responding to customer feedback: What not to do
There are plenty of things that separate successful companies from good companies. One of them is the way in which they respond to customer feedback and reviews.
Good companies are aware of how important it is to maintain a positive relationship with customers. Their responses are polite and to the point, and their objective is to always offer a solution. They make it a point to make the most of the feedback they receive, regardless of whether it is positive or negative.
In other words, they do everything it takes to protect their reputation and brand image.
On the other hand, there are companies that are still trying to figure out how the whole “two-way conversation” thing works. If you’re one of them, we think it’s only right to supply you with a few tips.
Never be rude
This is something basic we should have all learnt as individuals. It does, however, apply to businesses as well. If you think businesses are incapable of being rude to their customers, you are terribly mistaken. There are an infinite number of stories where companies have willingly landed themselves into a PR disaster, simply because they hadn’t had the patience to see things from the customer’s perspective.
So, no matter how unjust the feedback or review might seem to be, it’s always wiser to hold back and take some time to analyse the situation. If you feel the need to defend yourself, be professional. Be gentle when you explain to the customer about what could have gone wrong at their end, and never, under any circumstances, should you be rude, no matter how right you may be.
Don’t fail to respond
Escapism is a bad thing – seriously. Ask any psychologist and they’ll tell you why. Unfortunately, some businesses believe they can try the whole escapism act when reacting to feedback. Ignoring a customer’s feedback, hoping that he/she will forget about it, is very unwise.
If they do happen to forget about it, which does not happen so often, consider yourself lucky, but if they don’t, you could be looking at a very irate customer who just might ruin your reputation.
We live in the world of social media, where the simplest mistakes can be made public. All it takes is one customer connected to plenty of friends on Facebook to make a serious dent on your company’s reputation. So do the wise thing: always respond and be nice.
Don’t forget to solve the problem
Half done is as good as incomplete. Perhaps you apologised to your customer – in that case, great! – but did you actually bother to fix the issue?
You’d be surprised how many businesses fail to follow through with a complaint or negative review. Again, this is an expensive mistake to make.
It shows how indifferent your business can be to a customer’s needs, something you will truly want to avoid. So don’t just apologize; make sure you solve the actual problem. If there’s no solution, the least you can do is offer a refund or a discount on the next purchase. It’s a small price to pay in order to show that you value and care about your customer.
So now you might be asking yourself what the easiest way to play it safe is, right?
A customer service management application such as Zendesk can effectively help you to improve customer satisfaction levels and brand loyalty. Invest in Zendesk and you will definitely be able to reap the benefits.
Interested yet? Get in touch with us now and we will guide you through the whole Zendesk implementation process, together with consultancy, training and support services.