Consider your resume for a moment. Have you ever reached out for a reference simply because it will look good and back up your experience? Of course not! It would be a risky move to make, especially when trying to make a good impression. The same principle applies to obtaining and acting on reviews.
Today, let’s dive into why the way you approach customer reviews can lead to a happy, healthy company!
Asking for Feedback and Using it
First of all, is your business encouraging customers to provide their feedback? Anybody can leave a blank one or five-star review on Google, but it’s not going to help you understand what you’re doing right or wrong. Therefore, it’s best to reach out and ask if your clients would like to leave an account of their experience. Constructive feedback should remain just as much welcomed as the praises of a five-star review; both can help your company understand what’s working and what needs improvement!
Acting on Authentic Negative Reviews
It’s human nature to act on what we see with our own eyes, but it might not always paint a complete picture! This is especially true with reviews; it’s not that an upset customer is wrong, but rather that they are dissatisfied and unable to look past their own perceptions. Therefore, several negative reviews that detail similar problems can cast your company in a bad light, and it’s best to reply to them with a clear indication that you want to help. Emotions can make people lash out when stressed, and when that frustration is there for the world to see, it’s best to go into full damage control mode and show that you want to make things right. Everybody makes mistakes, but it’s how we own up to them that makes all the difference. The trick is ignoring the feedback laced with insults that doesn’t help you find a solution.
The Art of Listening
It takes years of practice and experience to operate a business professionally, and that extends to how you listen to feedback. If someone had a bad experience but has suggestions, be willing to jot them down and discuss them with the team! Or, if you’re noticing trends of issues in your organic reviews, work with others to identify the cause and address it. Responding to reviews also helps in this regard as it makes the company more approachable.
How do you treat reviews? Do you actively ask for them and apply their suggestions? The key to growth is figuring out which voices matter, and when it comes to constructive customer feedback, there’s plenty of potential for success if you approach them the right way.