The effect of word-of-mouth on a business is as old as the concept of business itself. Customers have long relied on the opinions and experiences of friends and family to guide their decision of which product or service to buy, and from which business to buy it.
Good customer experience has also driven new customers to a business, while bad customer experience will drive potential customers elsewhere.
Before the days of the internet, this effect was self-limiting. A customer with a bad experience could only cause a limited amount of damage to the reputation of a business—usually, this damage was limited only to the range of their message, which was generally constrained to word-of-mouth within a relatively small circle of potential customers.
The rise of the internet, however, changed the ability of customer opinion to shape the fortunes of a business in a dramatic way. Where previously a bad customer experience or customer complaint about a business would only reach a select few, the rise of social media, online communities and business review sites have given customers a powerful new voice with the potential to reach tens of thousands of people who could be prospects.
While every business hopes for only good customer reviews, there will inevitably be a few bad ones posted to these sites. This is especially true in the construction materials business.
No matter how good your materials, or how diligently you work to provide your customers with the best service possible, you will inevitably have at least a few unhappy customers who post bad reviews of your business.
How your business chooses to respond to these negative reviews can play a critical role in your success. Here are a few guidelines on how to handle bad reviews of your company or the construction materials you sell:
Reply to every negative review quickly and courteously:
Your customer deserves to know that you have seen their complaint and that you take it seriously. Resist the self-destructive urge to respond negatively or critically. When posting a response, keep these points in mind regarding the person who posted the negative review:
- They are your customer and deserve to be treated with respect.
- They took the time to post a review, so the issue must be important to them.
- They want to share their opinions publically, so if you respond negatively, the situation will only worsen.
It is also critically important that you keep in mind that other customers—and potential customers–will judge your business based on how you respond to criticism and negative reviews. Striking back against a bad review can cause tremendous damage to your reputation, as can simply deleting bad reviews or burying them with fake good reviews.
Resolve the issue and win the customer:
When responding to the customer’s negative review, note that you value their business and invite them to return to your business to work with you for a solution or to discuss why their customer experience was not up to their standards. If they are unhappy with a product, offer to refund or replace it.
People respond well to a genuine attempt to see their perspective and resolve their issue. Your main job at this stage is building a positive experience for this customer to mitigate their negative experience. Honesty and sincerity can play a critical role in winning over unhappy customers.
Use bad reviews as a learning tool:
Everyone loves getting good reviews. Paradoxically, however, negative reviews are a much more useful tool–you’ll learn more from one legitimate complaint about your product or services more than you will from a dozen gushing reviews.
You need to know where your business is falling short or failing to live up to customer expectations so that you can make improvements and see greater success. Every negative review is a new opportunity to do things better.
The key takeaway is to act not react. Answer promptly and respectfully when responding to a bad review. Don’t get caught up in the moment and realize the opportunity it brings for your business.
