Embrace the bad to improve your business and win more clients

It’s every business owners’ worst nightmare. That alert saying you’ve received a new client review, feeling that wave of excitement, then subsequently crashing right back down to earth when it turns out to not be the 5 stars you expected. You immediately think, “I’m ruined!” “What if my other clients see? My business will be done for!” Well, believe it or not, you can actually use that negative review as a tool to grow your business even more, and even score yourself new cleints. Don’t believe us? Let us explain...

Clients find humanity in the negative

The simple fact is, there is not a business in the world that has 100% positive reviews, and there can’t be – because businesses are run for people, by people.

Humans by their very nature are flawed, and it is only by embracing and working on these flaws that we can hope to grow, both professionally and personally. Although nobody wants a bad review, clients will see legitimacy in your business far more than someone with a million glowing comments.

Use a bad review to showcase great customer service

We’ve all been there. Someone leaves a bad review and your first reaction is a defensive one – you want to tell your side, argue your point, fight your corner. Which, quite frankly, we’ve seen plenty of business owners do online before.

Instead, why not use it to your advantage? Tackle their bad experience with exemplary service. Make contact in a professional, friendly manner, address their issues head on and see how you can fix them. You’d be amazed how appreciative clients are to have their concerns acknowledged and met with a human, helpful response. And, even more importantly, a solution.

Guarantee more positive feedback by focussing on aftercare

One of the biggest reasons for not getting enough, or positive, reviews is a lack of aftercare for your cleints. It’s all very well and good providing good service up until they make their purchase and you get the money in your pocket, but unless you continue this beyond the checkout, then repeat clients are going to be few and far between.

Catching up with your clients post-sale, offering further help where needed, then kindly requesting reviews to continuously build on your service, will build their trust and make it far more likely that the review they then subsequently leave will be a good one.

Don’t get defensive – get creative

It’s natural to feel many things when in receipt of a negative review. Disappointment, frustration, even fear. Instead of fixating on the negative, use the feedback to address the genuine issues they have highlighted.

Take a good, hard look at how your business is running and the user experience for your clients and channel their thoughts and opinions into consistently growing and adapting, to continuously provide the best service possible and gain even more long-term clients (and those all-important stars!).

Use social media to your advantage

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – powerful tools with the ability to grow a business in minutes, and equally destroy one in seconds.

We’ve all seen those viral posts of companies with one particular, social media-savvy employee getting their clients laughing with their humorous, helpful responses. So, what stops you from doing the same? Utilise the visibility of social media and respond to their likes, comments and direct messages quickly, informatively and with a touch of humour, and watch them come back again and again.

By focussing on the positive, embracing criticism and promoting change throughout 2019 and beyond, you can help your business to continue to succeed for a long time to come.