Everyone Has Haters: Use Them To Your Advantage
Customer Service: Key to Success
November 29, 2016
Stay Connected Online
November 30, 2016
With most hate, there is some truth. Take for example a review by Jeffrey Westhoff from Northwest Herald about the movie “The Goonies”. Jeffrey wrote, “I find nothing entertaining about kids screaming for two hours.” The movie does include some screaming, but certainly not for the entire length, or even a majority, of the film. As one can see, there is some truth to Jeffrey’s hate because there is some screaming. When it comes to your business, you’ll encounter people just like Jeffrey Westhoff whether it’s on Facebook, on the phone, or face-to-face. The real problem is not the hater, it is ignoring the hater. So what can you do? Answer complaints!
Why?
If you want to increases consumer advocacy, answer complaints. Answering complaints has a huge financial impact and gives you a chance to turn bad news into good. A company should strive to answer every complaint, every time! Whether there is a bad review on yelp, or a nasty tweet, each should be addressed.
Who?
Who exactly are the haters? There are two main types of haters: those who want a response and those who want an audience. Haters who want a response typically make a private phone call to a company or send a private email. These people are commonly found to be older and less socially savvy. The other type of haters are the ones who want an audience. These people tend to complain with a bold, dramatized story on social media. They are usually young people who make complaints fast and frequently.
When?
Act fast and answer complaints right away! The faster, the better. You do not want thousands to see an unpleasant review of your company before you even have a chance to respond.
How?
Find the complaint, embrace the great opportunity, and respond promptly! In your response, start out by apologizing to the complainer, encourage the complainer to speak to the company privately via email or phone call, offer to make it up to the complainer, and then thank him or her for taking the time to review the company. Easy peasy! A company could even try twisting the punch around on the complainer using polite humor! Just make sure your responses are both appropriate and professional.
In the world we live in today, it’s faster and easier than ever before to complain. Make sure your company is prepared! You really have two choices. You can continue to ignore complaints, or you can step up to the challenge. It’s time to use haters to your advantage. At RPM Online Solutions we offer a Reputation Management Plans that will notify you of online reviews- both good and bad! Call us today for more details!
