We are big fans of customer complaints at StyleBlueprint. Is that surprising to you? To clarify, we don’t enjoy when our clients are upset, but we do appreciate the fact that they’re telling us why they’re upset and providing us with the opportunity to fix the problem.
When a customer complains, they’re dropping honest feedback right in your lap — without any effort on your part. Since 96% of unhappy customers don’t complain, don’t waste the opportunity to fix things with those who do!
Here are a few tips for turning negative feedback into a positive experience for you and your customers:
1. Don’t take it personally. First, take a step back from the complaint and make sure you’re able to assess it from an objective point of view. It can be hurtful to hear negative feedback about your business. Make sure you’re able to put yourself in the customer’s shoes before replying or resolving the issue.
2. Respond, respond, respond. No matter what the issue is, you must respond! If you don’t abide by the mantra that the customer is always right, then at least let the customer know why their review was unfair. Offer a way to resolve their issue or to come back in and experience your business again. If the customer is rightly complaining about something, then own the mistake and offer to make things right immediately.
3. Take action. Depending on the complaint, you may need to take action to rectify the problem. Don’t just solve one person’s issue — take the learnings and communicate or apply them to your company as a whole.
4. Follow up. Do you want to really impress your unhappy customers? Follow up with your customer to get more feedback after the issue is resolved.
5. Ask your customers to leave you reviews. Don’t be afraid to ask for honest feedback! Send a survey or post on social media to ask your followers what you can improve. You may be surprised by what you hear!
RELATED: Why Online Reviews Matter
Speaking of asking for honest feedback … do you have any issues, thoughts or ideas that you want to chat with us about? Feel free to send them to [email protected] and we’ll follow up with you!
Liza is Founder and CEO of Blueprint.Inc, the home of StyleBlueprint.com