Doing business and gain positive compliment from customers is definitely every business owner wish for. However, as the business grows and more customers come to us, we need to prepare how to handle IF some of them give us negative reviews.
Once when we decided to open a business, we must understand that complaint is a part of it and we can not run or avoid this unprecedented event as we commit become professional in the field that we choose. Like a phrase say, "You can not enjoy the soup without salt in it." Running a shop, a company, etc is not easy peasy as we think because we will deal with and face numerous issues in our daily work. Yes, it is the same when we work for a company, we encountered lots of stressful stuff relentlessly. The question is, "Are you ready to face it when you dedicate yourself to business?" If we want to be a success in the business, we have to embrace it. In another word, the complaint is part of the business and it is our job to hear them out and get better.
Despite the label "negative reviews" it does not mean this kind of feedback is bad for the business if we can think positively about it. "How come, it will damage my reputation, bla bla...?" You know, right, that there are companies who take a customer survey in order to improve their business and we call it "Marketing Survey." Those companies spend money only to get criticized from the survey about what customers think about the products, services, packaging, et cetera. Hence, when a consumer makes or writes a review directly to us it means free counsel people give us. As a professional, we can convert it into a good thing, for instance, we can improve our business far better than before. For example, the customer writes an online review that the product is bad because of the material we use. We should thank this "negative review" as we can improve our product into the best one by taking care in each step of the production carefully especially the material. Remember, those who give this feedbacks is the customer who purchases the product and they have their right to make a complaint about the business we are in it could be the products itself, the services, shipment, how you respond and solve the problem, et cetera. Just think about it, making the negative comments to push the business surge in the stage by improving the quality in each sectors.
The negative reviews occur when the consumers feel unsatisfied which means not only products but also services, delivery, how we solve issues, one or some of them do not meet their expectations. For this reason, complaints or negative feedbacks emerge on the surface. Although we claim our business is the best in any element, by the end of the day the customers are the ones who decided, not us or the business owner. In other words, we can not lead consumers' opinions. "No, I do not accept negative and neutral feedback, I do not deserve this. I only expect positive feedback." Well, what kind of business owner if you tell this to your customers? If any business owner tries hard to avoid this particular event (do not accept negative reviews), I am suspicious if I am one of their customers. What they are hiding behind? It is clear that something has gone wrong with the business.
Based on my experiences both as an online business owner and a customer, these are the best way to approach negative reviews:
1. Make an apologies
Back in the place where I come from, there were many small home industries around. I, myself, worked since I was 11 years old to earn money in order to save my education. I often heard this, "Customer is the king." What does it mean? it means no matter what happens if something went wrong, the owner would the first one who made an apology to the customer directly without hesitation, regardless of who is at fault. Do not ever finger point the customers as we will handle it professionally by making an apology. That is how the best customer service would do.
Apologize is crucial in the situation when we get bad feedback. Remember, a customer who makes a complaint is not personal. Therefore do not take it personally, we have to keep cool and professional instead. As I mentioned in the paragraph above, the consumer leaves us a negative review is because the products or services do not meet their expectation. For example shipment issue, why the delivery time takes longer than the seller promise. At this point, we have to respond by making an apology for example, "Hi dear customer or Dear sir or Madam (if we are not sure the customer gender) I apologize that you encountered this situation bla bla bla bla... This gesture will show our positive manner and make the customer feel that we respect them as they are a part of the business.
2. Do not take personal and work as professional
I have believed that every business owner wishes for the only positive comment. However, we are not live in the perfect world and we will get negative reviews eventually. And that is the truth, bad reviews happen as your sales grow. For this reason, do not take it personally and we must handle it professionally. Remain calm is the key to respond by apologizing. Pull away your emotion and do not involve it in the situation when we must solve the issue. Otherwise, you might provoke the customer with bad communication. In my opinion, I would choose peaceful communicating with the customers and not aggravate the situation because the irritating response will lead the customer to end business with us.
Sadly, some business owners ignore this crucial part (number 1). Instead of giving positive gestures, some of them choose to make a defence or act defensively. For instance: "I am shocked by your feedback. I do not deserve negative feedback as I work hard to build this business. It is not my fault why the delivery time takes longer and do not meet your friend birthday. It is damage my reputation, remove your feedback." Very defensive seller. It sounds suspicious when a seller hides the negative comment. What they are hiding and afraid of? If the seller listens and hears what the consumers say, it will help the business better.
3. Positioning yourself in the customer shoes
In this point 3, imagine that we are a customer who feels frustrated. We come and buy something from a brand with a great expectation service, but it is far below our expectations. As a result, it ruins our beautiful day, isn't it? positioning yourself in the customer's shoes will help us to ease up the following conversation.
A good brand is where they try to understand what the customer is going through and the impact on their side. For instance, someone buys a brooch from us for a birthday present. But the shipment takes more than expected. As a result, the customer complaint about the service. At this point, we must deliver empathy to feel what the customer has been through just like when you want to give something on your friend's birthday, and the gift has not come yet until the day passed by. Make sure to tell the customers that we understand their feeling.
Positioning what IF we are the customer, what we feel about it. Again, do not finger point the customer and said, "It's not my fault!." Number one rule: apologize to the customer. Although we try hard to become a perfect business, an accident happens eventually and we must be ready to embrace it not avoid it. The benefit is that we can learn from the mistake so in the future if we find the same issues, we know what to do.
4. Identify the issue and solve it
Once we find out what the consumer complaint about, it is the brand's job to figure out how to solve the issue. We can ask nicely with a polite manner and gesture as the customer wants someone from the organization to hear their obstacle. Take responsible as all those a part of the business. You must know that as a professional business owner we do not leave our customers behind. For example, selling shoes; customer purchases the shoes, we send them, then we do not responsible for any lost package, why taking longer than the promise, or anything about the process of delivery. In another word, people buy something from us, they pay for it, we dispatch them out, then we walk out? This is a bad attitude as a business owner.
As we discover the issue, as soon as possible solve it so that the consumer does not wait for the solution. By offering a hand to help the reviewer, it is a good sign that we care about them and it leads us to minimize negative impact. For instance: shipment problem; the package has not arrived at its destination address. What would you do as the seller when the customer makes a complaint? This is what I did when I encountered this negative review about this problem:
a. First of all, I made an apology. Afterward, I checked where the package was as I had always used registered post so that I could check the process of delivery and I know where the exact package position
b. Inform the customer with the screenshot of the post office update. Let the customer know. And because I choose a registered post for my business, both my customer and I know where the package position
In my case, I would not let my customer face the issue alone. For me, shipping is an important part of my business. My job was done when my customer got the package safely. Otherwise, if any damage I am prepared to offer a gift or something else. That is what we call giving the best services.
5. Offer the gift
Next is to offer gifts to the consumers who give us negative reviews. What, seriously? In the digital world, in this case, online business, many face a bunch of issues it could be the shipment, the item damage, the products low below the customer expectation, et cetera. Like the delivery issue above, what if as a seller we are not able to check the package because we only use standard post? The solution is to offer something to the frustrated customer. First, we inform that we can not check the parcel and we do not know when it arrives. Be honest with your customer in a polite and good manner. In return, while the customer is waiting for the parcel, we offer gifts it could be a free item that the customer can choose from the shop, a 50% discount for the next order, or coupons.
Many times I have experienced a bad event as a customer. However, the brand has always given me something when they deliver late such as coupons for my next order. It helps me to grow my trust in the brand stronger. Believe it or not, I am still a customer of this product until now even if sometimes I was disappointed. But, how the brand handles the issue is excellent. Instead of finger point their customer with the issue, this brand offers something to solve the problem.
6. Thank the reviewer
Are you kidding me? We should thank reviewer who give us negative comment? YES! As I mentioned before that we need to keep calm to face any issue and do not take it personally and emotionally. For this reason, we should respond to negative reviews by saying thank you after doing consecutive steps above. What does it means? It means those feedbacks give us opportunity to upgrade our firm to make it better than competitor. How? Look and read the reviews, analyze what we can do and apply those as a new strategy in the business. Therefore, answer the bad feedbacks with grace and state that with it will help to refine the business services and serve customer better next time. It is clear that negative feedbacks can help the business grow mature in the future.
7. Face the negative reviews
To be honest, in my point of view, I do not recommend business owner to ask customer to change their negative reviews. Why? The reason is simple, we can not control public opinion. Even though today we are succeed to change their mind from negative to positive review, someday we will face the same issue for sure as the organization grow we would get more customers and more complaint. Complaint about the style, price, or bad experiences, all those issues is a part of the business journey and we can not do anything about it. For that reason, we can focus on developing and spending time to advance the business in order to meet customer's desires. If we could, we should surpass what the consumer wish for. That is the great goal.
In the business world, no one is perfect. Although we claim that we are the best one in the specific industry, by the end of the day, the customers is the one who decide where your stage. The negative reviews they give us are our opportunity to upgrade the business far more better than the competitor and show you care about customer satisfaction. In conclusion, a negative review does not have to ruin your brand if you can minimize it by learning how to respond negative feedback in professional way.
Note:
- Written by Acik Mardhiyanti
- Do not copy this article without permissions
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