In the world of online business, you just cannot help but have negative feedback. You cannot, after all, please everyone. A single negative feedback can spread like wildfire and ruin your online reputation within a short period of time. Consumers today hold that kind of power in influencing other consumers’ opinion of any business online or offline.
The only way to come out unscathed by negative feedback is to know how to properly manage and preserve your reputation. Needless to say, if you do not have any idea of how social media and the blogosphere work, you have to start getting into the groove to find out what your customers are saying about you.
There are a few things that you have to know to turn negative feedback into a positive experience:
1. Don’t take things personally. Getting irritated and fuming about a negative comment will not help your business recover. Being confrontational will only ruin your reputation further. Do not fan the flames so to speak. Try to see where your customer is coming from and find reason in what he is saying. No consumer takes the time to say bad things about a company just for the heck of it. When you understand the reason and motivation of the person for his negative feedback, you will be able to figure out how to satisfy that person enough to snuff out the fire of negativism.
2. Get personal, in a positive way. Consumers are still “high-touch.” They want to get the kind of products and services they need. They are drawn to companies that serve them well and satisfy their need to feel “special.” Talk to your customers, even to those who say bad things about you. Engage your customers in positive and friendly discussions. In today’s online marketing world, relationships matter. Forming relationships with your customers is the best way for you to grow a loyal following of customers who will serve as your word-of-mouth endorsers and defenders against negative feedback.
3. Ask for professional advice. There are professional consultants that specialize in online reputation management. These professionals are trained and experienced in dealing with turning negative feedback into positive experiences. This is done by managing your online content and your social medial presence as well as monitoring what the online community is saying about you. The services offered by these companies also include advertising and promotional campaigns geared towards ensuring positive imagery and reputation for their clients.
It is hard to give negative feedback and even harder to accept it. It requires a bit of maturity and people skills. Not everyone is equipped