Running a business is not easy. As a service provider, you may have to face criticism at multiple levels of business. Maintaining a good social image is difficult as it is, sometimes people may put up negative reviews on social media platforms or your own website, which makes it even harder. Nobody likes to bad customer feedback on something they work hard for. However, if you start fretting over criticism, you may never grow as a business.

Why responding to customer feedback is important?

It is important to respond to customer feedback and stand your ground against any criticism aimed at you.  If left unattended, these negative reviews can fester and may cause more harm than you’d expect. Therefore, it is necessary not only to keep track of the reviews but to also respond to them in a manner that validates the authenticity of your business.

Here are some rules that will help you respond to your customer feedback effectively and gain their trust and loyalty.

The golden rules of responding to customer feedback.

Here are some rules that will help you respond to your customer feedback effectively and gain their trust and loyalty.

1. Respond to customer feedback with a calm mind.

Let’s be honest, we all get angry and frustrated when we receive negative feedback. It’s a very natural reaction. However, true entrepreneurship is reflected when you decide to put your frustration aside and respond to your customers calmly. Put yourself in their shoes.  They are spending money on your products and have the right to know every detail about those products.

If you respond to negative feedback in anger, this may frustrate the customer further and encourage him to defame your business. You can easily prevent this from happening. Be calm and patient while talking to customers. Apologize politely and reassure them that you will try to improve your services and meet their expectation. Ask them how they may want you to assist them, how can you improve or what more could you provide them.

This will show your consideration for your customers and your dedication to continual growth and improvement.

2. Enhance your customer support.

When a customer is not satisfied with your product, they will definitely connect with you regarding the same. If your customer support is lacking and the customer is unable to communicate, he will use his feedback as a means to bring the issue to your attention. In some cases, the frustrated customer may take to social media and defame your business. This can be a fatal blow to your business.

You can prevent this from happening by providing a private communication channel to your clients. In every review response, provide them with some contact information where they can connect with you. It can be an email address or a phone number, but your customers should know that they can reach out to you in case they face any issues.

This way, you can limit negative feedback by resolving the client’s issue on the private communication channel. This will also help you gain customer trust and turn them into loyal customers. Include chatbots on your website to make it easy for your customers to connect with you in case there’s an issue. You can get inbuilt chat and chatbots with Emailwish. These automations will help you keep a track of your reviews and manage your customer reviews in one place. This will make it easier for you to respond to your customers and turn them into repeat buyers.

3. Show that you value your customers.

While responding to a customer review, always keep in mind that your response is not only for the person who submitted his/her feedback. It’s also for the people who visit your website and may want to buy from you. How you respond to your customers will decide how your visitors perceive your business.

Keep your tone very humble and polite. Always speak with a sense of service to your customers. If your customer has provided their first name, address them using his name in the conversation. Once your customer has told your their concern, always restate it and confirm that you fully understand their problem. This will reassure the client that you are paying attention to them and taking their issue seriously.

Once you have listened to the customer and understood the issue, apologize to them gently and genuinely. However, apologizing alone won’t helo the customer. Offer them a solution to their problem and assure them of further assistance if that solution doesn’t work for them. All a customer needs is a good service. It’s natural for them to be angry if they don’t get that. So, try to understand their situation and genuinely help them. This way, you will be able to easily turn negative feedback into positive appreciation..

4. Stay optimistic.

Feedback is always an insight into a customer’s heart. Let them express what they expect and need from a product. This makes your job a whole lot easier. Once you know what your customers want, all you have to do is work on improving your products to fit their needs.

Both positive and negative feedback gives you important insights into how your business is performing. Positive reviews boost your morale and motivate you to keep up the good work. On the other hand, negative reviews help you take notice of the points where your business might be lacking. Sometimes, negative feedback also helps to keep a check on your competitors. A customer compares several products before making a purchase. This gives you an idea of how your products compare against your competitors and how you can improve to be the best.

5. Be thankful for the positive customer feedback.

Just like a genuine apology is necessary for responding to negative feedback, heartfelt gratitude is necessary for responding to positive feedback. Appreciate the time and effort a customer has put in while writing a positive review. This feedback helps you make more sales and accelerate your business. Express your gratitude by leaving a pleasant thank you note as a response to such customers and let them know their opinion is valuable.

Highlight such reviews on your website and social media. When people see that you have given so much value to their opinion, it will encourage them to leave feedback in the future as well. These reviews will also encourage new visitors to your website to buy your products.

6. Try to make amends for the inconvenience a user faced.

Always remember that your ultimate goal is not just responding so that your client stops complaining. It is to convince them that your brand is genuine and your services are reliable. A customer needs to be able to trust that he will be given attention if he faces any issue with your products or services.

This means you should try and do whatever you can to make your clients happy. This does not mean you compromise your own rights and benefits to please your customers. You can always respond and explain the issues that are not your fault and may have occurred due to other reasons.

Most of the time, these small amendments such as discounts or offers, will pay back in the form of loyal customers and good customer relations. These happy customers will help you in the further promotion of your business on social media and other platforms.

Conclusion

Customers are the central component of any business structure. If you value your customers and their opinion, they will value you and your business. Customer feedback can help you gain insights into what will make your customers happy. Utilize this important resource and respond to your customers like a friend. A happy and loyal customer will help your business grow more than your marketing strategies ever can.

Emailwish allows you to collect and respond to your customer reviews directly from your online store.  Learn more about Emailwish automations here