Techniques for Reputation Management
As a business owner or manager, you may often rely on customer feedback to gauge the success of your operations. The common belief is that a lack of negative feedback implies that everything is running smoothly. However, this assumption can be dangerous, as it overlooks the silent complainers – customers who may not express their dissatisfaction but still harbour negative feelings towards your business. Recent research indicates that only one out of every 26 unhappy customers will complain, while a staggering 91% will silently walk away.
This article explores the danger of silent complainers and offers tips on managing your reputation to avoid losing customers.
Why are Silent Complainers a Danger to Your Business?
Unsatisfied customers who express their negative experiences through private social media channels or word-of-mouth can threaten a company. In fact, for every individual who complains, ten others hear about it. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as the Customer Complaint Iceberg, highlighting the existence of underlying concerns that may not be immediately apparent.
To safeguard a business’s reputation, collecting data and addressing these issues promptly is crucial. Monitoring your Social Media channels enables you to gauge customer sentiment, trending topics, and mentions of your brand. By actively using these insights, you can obtain an almost real-time view of current opinions regarding your company and identify if negative comments and remarks are being made from any particular channel.
Due to privacy settings, you may not be able to see all mentions of your business, especially if the poster doesn’t use hashtags or other easily searchable data. However, you will be able to get a general idea of how your audience is feeling and which areas of your business you can improve to provide a better all-around experience.
If you have an engaging and professional Social Media presence and someone starts making silent complaints to their friends, who then come to your page to see what your business is like, they may be swayed away from the negative opinion when they see the quality of your interactions.
According to SproutSocial, 88% of consumers trust written online reviews from customers just as much as they trust recommendations from their peers.
Best Practice for Handling Difficult Customers
Customers expect companies to handle their ethical and moral responsibilities responsibly, so transparency and honesty are crucial – even when dealing with complaints and difficult customers. Having a general strategy and plan in place can help companies react swiftly when issues arise, and it should include advice on dealing with difficult customers.
It is often tempting to ignore difficult customers, but this can be a mistake. Companies should always take the approach that their product does not meet the customers’ expectations and their concerns need to be addressed. Some customers may deliberately set out to be as difficult as possible, but companies should still take steps to address their concerns.
If a customer complains through social media, companies should never treat their business channels as if they were personal ones. They should keep their language and engagement friendly but professional at all times. Complaints or rumours of complaints should be taken seriously, and the correct tone should be used to engage with the aggrieved party.
Companies should also set up social listening streams to monitor the usage of their brand name, products, and logo so they can see who is talking about them and where. This can help them identify potential issues early and take steps to address them before they escalate. By owning up to past mistakes, making targeted changes, and being transparent, businesses can boost their reputation and receive positive customer feedback. This can ultimately lead to increased profits and a positive online reputation.
Consistency is Key
Consistency is key when it comes to engaging with customers both online and offline. Establishing a unique company persona with a consistent voice can help customers identify with your brand. By presenting a more open and appealing persona, customers are more likely to bring up concerns or complaints, knowing that they will be taken seriously and receive a satisfactory customer service experience. Maintaining the same quality service level is important both within your venue and online. This alignment of values and experiences can foster customer recognition and engagement with your brand. As Free Spirit Resorts suggests, it’s impossible to identify and resolve every silent complaint, but aiming to save even one piece of business is better than none.
Take-Aways
You cannot afford to ignore complainers, be they silent or otherwise, and you cannot afford to be without a dedicated social media strategy. Long-term growth and success will largely depend on Customer Experience, and Social Media is now a huge part of this. You will automatically be at a disadvantage if you do not have a Social Media strategy. You must decide how you want your business to be perceived — then you need to make it happen!
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