Businesses in every industry rely on forging meaningful relationships with their customers. And their feedback is vital to enabling your company to grow and improve your service. However, customer reviews shouldn’t be the alpha and omega in regard to forming a business plan. Instead, companies should adopt a measured approach when examining customer reviews. Savvy companies strike a delicate balance between lending a sympathetic ear to their customers’ concerns without making knee-jerk reactions. Fortunately, you can develop a sound plan for dealing with customer reviews by following these four simple steps:
Don’t React –– Be Proactive
No one likes to handle negative customer feedback. The good news is, if you decide to be proactive, you don’t have to. Staying in front of a problem can eliminate the need to deal with awkward or uncomfortable situations down the line. That’s why it’s vital for every business owner to have their finger on the pulse of their company. A drugstore couldn’t operate very well without a fully functional pharmacy point of sale, for instance, nor could any other customer-based enterprise work without having the appropriate resources. Some problems you won’t be able to anticipate; but replacing outdated or broken tech isn’t one of them.
Listen and Learn
A useful customer review doesn’t have to be effusive in its praise of your company. Rather, if a customer voices a legitimate concern or raises a valid point, it’s in your interest to listen to them. Ignoring customers’ advice can be akin to throwing money down the drain.
Pick Your Battles
It’s an unfortunate by-product of the internet age, but people can be especially nasty in online reviews. Sometimes those types of reviews simply aren’t worth responding to. Don’t get sucked into a prolonged battle with a customer on social media –– it’ll only make you look petty and small. And never –– ever –– argue with a customer in-person in front of your staff or in front of other consumers. Nothing will sink your reputation in your market quicker than making a scene in public.
Reward Feedback
At the end of the day, you want to know what your customers felt about their experience at your location. So it’s always a sound idea to thank people for taking the time out to review your business. Plus, you can go the extra step and offer them a gift card in return for their review. Even if the feedback was less than positive, making amends with a disgruntled customer can do wonders for improving your client relations as a whole.