How Negative Comments Can Be Great for Business
Business owners tell us that the number one reason they don’t want an online presence is a fear of negative comments.
“I don’t want my business to have a blog because I am concerned that one bad day could bring a hailstorm of negativity about me published to my own website.”
While it’s a logical conclusion, it’s the wrong conclusion. Here’s why:
1) Negative reviews online are a fact of life for every business. It’s not likely that having a blog will increase their occurance;
2) Online reviews from bloggers, Twitter, forums, or review websites can do a great deal of damage with viral speed. It is impossible to respond to those reviews if you are not already plugged in to the mechanism. Having a blog, a Facebook page, a Twitter account allows your business to respond immediately in the forum where the negative review was made;
3) If the negative review is made to your own website, so much the better. It means you know what’s been said, and the conversation is happening on your home turf. If the negative review has to happen any way, better that it increase your traffic and visibility;
4) The most important part, the golden rule of business: to fix a negative experience is the best way to build customer loyalty. A public bad review is your opportunity to demonstrate to potential clients what a masterful job you do of fixing the problems we all know are a part of business life.
So let’s go back to our example of the Chinese restaurant.
“Worst Kung Pao I ever had,” writes one reviewer. “Waiter was slow, horrible night, and the decor made me nauseated!”
“Really, the Kung Pao was no good?” you write back. “So sorry to hear that! It’s one of my favorite things on the menu. Anyway, next time, be sure to let your waiter know and we’ll be happy to bring you something else. You’re right that the kitchen was slow Tuesday. We got hammered out of nowhere. We talked about it in a management meeting last night and agreed we need an extra floater on days we don’t expect business. I’m sorry we didn’t figure it out sooner. We’d love a second chance. Come on by and let me know you’re here, drinks are on me, and you can tell me what, specifically, makes you want to vomit about our decor.”
People are less likely to slam someone when the anonymity is removed — when you know them and they know you and you are actively trying to solve the problem.
Having a forum increases your chances to turn one negative experience into an opportunity to impress the person with the problem and all the potential customers reading.
Great points you make here!
I just spoke to a group of businessmen and women who greatly fear opening the door to criticism online. They called social media an “electronic picket sign”. It sounded like they have a horrible relationship with their consumers! It was hard to explain to them that the root of the issue is really that they don’t properly deal with negative criticism to begin with, in person, not just online.
But I suggested that simply showing they care by giving consumers a place online to vent would make them look much better than ignoring the situation.
I also wrote about this concept on the HyperArts blog:
http://www.hyperarts.com/blog/social-media-business-negative-feedback/
Thanks!
Analisa — that’s a great point. The issue here is customer relations. If you have a good relationship with your customers — a good product — than you have nothing to fear from a broader communication. You just keep doing what you’re doing and dealing with the natural blips on the screen the way you do. You apologize when you’re wrong, you work to make it right, you take advantage of every opportunity to prove how good you are.
I think there are very few people who will just comment negatively out of spite. Most people are interested in solving the problem and that’s good for business.