4 Reasons Why You Should Embrace Complaints

The vast majority of those unanswered complaints are online, where it is available for anyone’s viewing

Social media is a communication channel for customers. More and more consumers are turning to social media to express their feelings towards brands. They get to interact with brands they love, but it also acts as a forum to complain when they are disappointed.

It is important for business owners to understand that answering complaints increases customer advocacy, while ignoring complaints decreases customer advocacy. It’s time your company understands how powerful connecting one-on-one with customers can be when they take the time to comment or post about your brand.

Here are four reasons as to why you should embrace those customer complaints:

1. Record and organize meaningful complaints to embrace change

Multiple messages from multiple customers with recurring concerns is the beginning of a narrative. The volume of a certain complaint only raises the red flag, you as the business owner have the final say of what to do next. Learning how to embrace complaints and find solutions, allows you to make positive changes to your business with your customers in mind.

However, as a business owner you need to weigh the value of each complaint. Trying to change every aspect of your business to make every customer happy is not suitable for long-term growth of your company. Make note of recurring complaints and those that have meaning behind them to ensure you have next steps in place.

2. Identify the type of customers who complain to capture trends

There are different types of customers who could complain online including the modest customer, the aggressive customer, the high roller and the chronic complainer. Capturing which customer types generally complain on social media or other online platforms, can help you understand why those complaints are happening.

Future marketing campaigns can be directed at the different types of customers, helping build relationships with those customers. Many business owners and employees fail to realize the true value of negative customer feedback. Those who take advantage of these opportunities for growth have the ability to enjoy long-term, sustained business success.

3. Learn how to respond without being passive aggressive

Receiving negative feedback can take anyone off-guard, causing them to respond in a passive aggressive manner. This is why planning of time for situations where negative feedback is given is critical.

Your business having created and maintained proper processes and procedures prior to receiving “constructive” feedback will ensure a quicker road to a positive outcome. Do not wait to get your response team and processes in place and trained.

Making everything right with the customer is your number one priority, which is how you stay in business successfully over the long-term. Secondly, having that internal quality improvement process, will help you avoid repetitive missteps and create efficiencies within your business.

However, if you prefer not to offer full support via social media or online, redirect complainants by responding with other contact information, such as email or telephone number.

4. You can turn a negative into a positive

Angry customers want to be heard. Even if you can’t solve their problem entirely, the fact that you are reaching out goes a long way and can change the customer’s experience.

In all, when you ignore consumer feedback on social media, you miss the opportunity to make positive improvements to your products and services, make a real connection with actual people, and most importantly, you can lose customers entirely.

If you find your company struggling with any of these issues, we at Big Marlin Group would love to help you gain back your business and steer you in the right direction when it comes to embracing customer complaints.

We believe our clients are more like partners because we take the time to understand the company and their needs in order to achieve their strategic and marketing goals.

If you need help with getting started with a marketing campaign, contact our marketing experts at Big Marlin group today.