How to deal with negative feedback Learn the best way to handle negative reviews, and provide your business with valuable customer insights.
Embrace negative feedback Receiving positive feedback from your customers is one of the most effective ways to acquire new customers. Feefo s own research found that a massive 75% of consumers are influenced by positive reviews, but as your business grows, and the volume of reviews that you receive increases, it s inevitable that you ll be faced with negative reviews. While it can be deflating to hear that people aren t happy with your products or services, negative reviews don t have to cause havoc to your reputation. You can use them to your advantage, providing you handle them correctly. Follow our useful guide to help you understand the best practices when it comes to handling negative feedback. #DidYouKnow 95 percent of unhappy customers will return if an issue is resolved quickly and efficiently. [National Association of Retail Marketing] Always have a plan The key to avoiding any disaster is always preparation. Having a plan in place that outlines the procedure for handling negative feedback helps to avoid any emotion fuelled, hasty replies. Make sure that all staff are trained to use the relevant process and are prepared to respond in a calm and effective way. 2
Don't turn a blind eye The initial reaction to receiving negative feedback is often to remove or ignore, until it's out of sight. However there are no hiding places online, and a bad review can and will get found. Unless the negative review is inflammatory, removing it is not something you should consider. Customers trust brands more if they believe all reviews are genuine and will be suspicious of those who only display positive reviews. Ignoring a customer who has taken the time to leave a negative review or complaint is also not recommended and will only make the situation worse. The customer will be left with an unpleasant experience which can affect brand loyalty, or worse, negative word-of-mouth. Use negativity as an opportunity to improve You can t please all customers and sometimes your product may just not be the right fit for someone. However, most feedback will provide you with the opportunity to improve your products or services. Diagnose why the problem occurred and make the necessary changes to prevent the same thing happening again. It is also important to review how you handled the situation and either praise your customer service team or reevaluate your initial plan. Celebrate positive feedback One of the easiest and most effective ways to outweigh negative reviews is to draw more attention to the positive ones. Make sure that you thank every customer that leaves a positive review and promote what they say by adding their testimonial as part of your marketing activity, for example, in social media posts, add them to your website or include within collateral. 3
Respond in a professional way Responding to a negative review is your chance to turn an unhappy customer into a happy one, and for other consumers to see that you take customer service seriously. When replying to negative feedback, it is important to follow our four essential tips: 1 Act swiftly The quicker you contact your customer about their issue, the faster you can respond to their feedback. You also reduce the risk of the customer venting their frustration through other channels such as social media. 2 Be polite A negative review may not tarnish your reputation but the way in which you reply could have an impact. Always respect what your customer has to say, and no matter how much you disagree with them it is important to leave out any feelings of frustration or anger. Be polite towards your customer and try to put yourself in their shoes to understand why they may be feeling that way. 3 Apologise It's important that you acknowledge there's a problem, but that you want to make it right. You have an unhappy customer and they feel that way because of your business, so now is not the time to get defensive. SORRY 4 Offer a solution Your customer will be waiting to hear what you can do to amend the situation. If the problem can be resolved, then do what you can to fix it. If no resolution is available, then use your excellent customer service to help the customer regain trust in your business. 4
Keep moving forward All reviews are essential and an opportunity to learn and improve. Celebrate the positives and embrace the negatives. If you listen to your customer s voice, you will be rewarded with more loyal customers and gain the trust of new ones. Key points to remember: Have a plan Never ignore Respond rationally and with empathy Find the best solution Work out where you can improve Promote the positives 5
Feefo Holdings Ltd, Feefo Barn, Heath Farm, Heath Road, Petersfield, GU31 4HT www.feefo.com sales@feefo.com +44 (0)203 362 4209