As the old adage goes- “news travels fast, bad news travels faster.” User-generated content websites currently allow customers to direct their approval, and disappointment, towards specific businesses easier than ever. A company’s reputation can be negatively impacted by online comments and a poor review on a consumer based website has the ability to cancel out years of great service.
Maintain and improve your company’s reputation
The good news? Smart businesses can also use the user generated content websites to their advantage and by assessing and improving upon negative customer feedback, you can turn potential and former customers into their biggest fans.
An increasing number of potential customers are turning to websites to make decisions regarding which product to buy or service to use. The comments left by prior customers, both positive and negative, start to influence the customer’s decision regarding your company.
Businesses should encourage conversation from their customers in an attempt to obtain new clients. Interaction should be a two way street and you should thank customers for their feedback, be it positive or negative. Customer complaints or negative reviews should be addressed honestly, compassionately and openly. By addressing customer feedback, you are able to find what needs to be improved with your company.
Companies need to apologize, own up to the problem and take responsibility to prevent the problem from reoccuring. You will need to explain to customers what happened, why it happened, and what you are doing to prevent the same situations from reoccuring. Even if your instinct is to go into defense mode, that can be remarkably bad for business. Avoid the urge and do not pick a fight with an unhappy customer. When it comes to the digital blame game, you will lose.
Using secret shoppers to prevent negative experiences
Utilizing a customer’s perspective is of vital importance and in order to improve your business you must take customer feedback into consideration. However, if you want to take preventive measures, a mystery shopper provides a partner in gathering information and trends to assist owners/managers to improve their guest experience and their revenue potential.
Braymark’s Niagara mystery shoppers are personally recruited and trained by us and are assigned based on their fit to the demographics important to your business, setting us apart from other mystery shopping services. You’ll get the information you need to reach your goals and grow your business.
