There’s no doubt that in the world of business, collecting user feedback is important. Criticisms, compliments, or comments, particularly those from users, help you in so many ways, but specifically in gaining insight for business growth. This is in addition to helping you stay aware of your areas of strength and weakness. When I started Ascend Finance many moons ago to help alleviate debt relief for folks who were considering bankruptcy or debt settlement, I realized that user feedback was one of the most important things that I could get.
That said, one of the most intriguing things is that only a fraction of feedback from users is responded to adequately. This is despite the fact that business executives acknowledge the importance of this action. In fact, HBR cited a study that discovered that only 33% of feedback on TripAdvisor got a response.
This fact is disturbing for many reasons. The first is that not responding to user feedback can create a negative view of your brand in the minds of your customers. Failing to acknowledge negative feedback can even end up reinforcing the point made in the review. Additionally, ignoring a good review from a regular user gives the impression that you’re unconcerned of their opinion.
Your bottom line may also be affected when you ignore users’ feedback. In the same publication, it was discovered that user feedback with a response has good ratings. Since customers lookout for ratings and feedback, having a poor rating can result in low sales.
As such, it is important to come up with a process of responding to user feedback. When we receive feedback about our Chapter 13 repayment plan calculator, we have a process in place to determine how to solve that individual’s pain point. If you are wondering how to come up with one, be sure to read through the tips below. Check these points out and then try and apply them to your own business communications strategy.
1. Each response should be personalized to the complaint
If a business is not already responding to negative user feedback, the next most undesirable thing is to respond with a template or canned message. Predetermined messages make the customers feel like they’re mere numbers in your business statistics.
To have a good engagement strategy, ensure that the message is crafted in a personalized and thoughtful manner. Always try to include the name of the customer in the content. And don’t forget to touch on their specific concerns.
Try not to only mention the customer’s name and summarize their concerns, but to also touch on each point raised. Then, offer to rectify the problem if possible. This will make the user feel certain that their opinions and thoughts matter to you.
A more effective way to respond to a bad review that’s a fault of yours is by refunding their order, if they are unsatisfied after the purchase of a product.
Strive for top-notch personalization and sincerity when you’re responding to user feedback. Have a detailed response that is customized to the shopper. Doing this will strengthen the resolve of the customer to keep buying from you. And in no time, you will have satisfied customers that want to continue using your services or products.
2. Defend your business
There is this popular phrase that “the customer is always right.” While this still holds true, as a business you will recognize when it is not. In these cases, make it a point to defend your business if someone leaves an inaccurate account of the event.
Although it’ll be impossible to hide or change their ratings, potential customers will understand what really transpired.
However, while you’re responding to unsavory reviews, try to be courteous and respectful. You might be tempted to respond to unfair reviews harshly, but doing so might affect your business. A harsh response from you will be perceived as rude. And that will in turn affect how your potential customer perceives you.
For example, if a customer claims that their experience with your customer service was negative, or that they were treated rudely or in a discriminate way. Then, you should contact the customer personally because a topic like that is sensitive. If you allow such information to linger untreated, it’ll turn many people away from your business—especially individuals who especially identify with being treated in such a way.
A similar response is effective for other unsavory reviews. Ensure that you remain calm and stick to the facts—have it in mind that a class act is always the best.
3. Breakdown your plan to solve the problem
In some instances, replying with a simple “Thank you for your feedback” is not a perfect response. If the review requires that you take further action, then you should create a detailed breakdown or plan a summary of the actions you’ll take.
If the complaint can’t be resolved right away, explain your action plan to your customer, and give them a timeframe for resolving the problem.
In Summary
While you should collect and monitor customer feedback, making certain to respond to their complaints, as well as other feedback, is equally important.
Above it all, everyone wants to know that they’re heard when they take the time to comment on an issue. Thus, you should craft appropriate and thoughtful responses to feedback from your customers. It’ll give your users a sense of ownership, which will help to further strengthen their resolve to keep using your product or service.
