Most business owners understand how important it is to meet customer needs for quality products and a high level of service. But what if, in spite of all efforts, the company still gets a negative review and a solid negative?
In any situation, it is important to maintain calm and neutrality, without taking a position of defense or attack. Otherwise, when trying to protect your favorite business, the result can be completely opposite to what you want: from lawsuits to the loss of business. In this case, it is necessary to respond in a timely manner to negative reviews. An optimal response is considered within 48 hours. It’s better to calm down, gather your thoughts, and only then proceed with actions.
The most common situations leading to customer disappointment and possible ways out of them are below.
Unsuitable product provided to buyer
If possible, it is worth offering an alternative among the company's assortment that will meet the requirements of a disappointed customer.
The company is not able to provide a service or provide the necessary product.
Sometimes a customer expects something that the industry is not able to offer. In this case, it is important to simply explain to the buyer the scope of the company. If this problem arises regularly, there is reason to think about how to adjust your proposals to better meet the needs of customers in the future.
Error / defect due to company fault
This happens, orders are lost, come broken or incomplete. How to act so that the client is satisfied in such a difficult situation? First, apologize.
Thus, the company does not admit its mistake, but shows regret that it disappointed the client. Secondly, try to find an individual approach. You can’t just copy and paste the prepared answer to each negative review, especially if you solve a problem that has affected many people. This can lead to the fact that the buyer feels that in fact the company is not interested in meeting his needs.
Some well-known brands did a fantastic job of responding to reviews with humor, and attracted the attention of the public, providing themselves with free advertising as well. Coming up with smart answers to negative reviews takes a bit more energy and time, but it can pay off: most people appreciate humor. For example, KFC managed to cope with an incident when its restaurants lacked chicken, thanks to the right combination of creativity and openness. Of course, it is important to take into account the industry audience in order to evaluate whether this method is suitable for it.
In fact, it is impossible to fully satisfy each client in 100 percent of cases. It is important to understand that most of them just want their frustrations to be heard. Processing negative reviews in a positive way is important for business success, as people increasingly turn to the advice of other buyers when making decisions about spending money. It should be borne in mind that own clients are the best training tool for finding ways to improve.