Contending with Negative FeedBack

I was asked to assist a customer who felt their B2C products had been unfairly bad-mouthed by a few bloggers and correspondents. This may be an unpleasant situation, but ignoring criticism or directly responding to attacks with verbose remarks are hardly the appropriate solutions.

POSITIVE RESPONSES TO NEGATIVE REVIEWS

Too often, people respond to negative comments by lying. They think they must protect their company’s good name at all cost. The truth – even the painful truth – can be more effective than these small lies. In the end the facts are always exposed.

The best way to address negative reviews is to embrace them with a real bear hug. If your product gets a adverse write up or review, or even a reader’s response expressing a lack of satisfaction with functionality, the best thing to do is add a reply promising that you will address the issues raised. Provide general explanations about how you will resolve the problem and give some kind of time frame. Thank the writers for their constructive comments and let them know you are giving top priority to handling the situation. A positive response that concretely deals with a complaint can help establish a relationship of trust and respect with readers, improve the image of your product, and even advance sales.

I helped a customer respond to negative remarks posted on several blogs and web posts. We worked out a strategy that encompassed the major subjects and also decided to post thank you notes in response to several compliments, as well. The negative responses ran at the eight percent level, a rate we felt was acceptable, especially since we could provide practical and effective responses to many of the issues.

Several of the bloggers were delighted and even commented on the company’s responses. This probably made a major difference in the way the product was viewed by readers who, obviously, are potential customers.

THE DECISION TO IGNORE EXAGGERATED COMMENTS

I learned a bit of smart marketing strategy from an experienced B&B owner in Massachusetts. She had received one really caustic review about her lodgings which she had not responded to. Trip Advisor – by far the best source of travel information – is based on travellers’ assessments of locations and, when relevant, responses to these comments. I asked her why she has not reacted to these nasty quips. Her answer was straight to the point. It is not worth the energy and aggravation to get involved in confrontations with people who are looking for trouble. You only bring attention to the offensive review and most readers appreciate the fact that a single negative assessment is probably based upon a personal vendetta or written by an unstable individual.

We can learn from this. Scathing comments should simply be ignored. Readers will appreciate the fact that the writer is not typical of the general atmosphere. And you certainly do not want to attract unwarranted attention to negative statements about your product.