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Many start-ups are quick to go online and launch their products or services.\u00a0The problem with this is that a successful launch that brings new customers can also bring multiple challenges.<\/p>\nMany start-ups are quick to go online and launch their products or services.\u00a0The problem with this is that a successful launch that brings new customers can also bring multiple challenges.<\/p>\n
One of the challenges is how to handle customers\u2019 grievances when things go wrong.\u00a0The key is to look at online complaints as an opportunity rather than a potential PR disaster and have a robust plan of action in place. A good response to a complaint can actually convert an angry and upset customer into a loyal, raving fan.<\/p>\n
In this article I share some ways start-ups (as well as established businesses) can successfully deal with online customer complaints.<\/p>\n
1. Make It Easy for Your Customers to Contact You<\/strong><\/p>\n This is a basic but essential first step in handling online complaints. Make sure your company\u2019s contact details are clearly stated and easy to find on\u00a0your website.\u00a0Provide your email address as well as a contact form. If possible give your phone number and have someone available to answer rather than a\u00a0recorded voice mail.<\/p>\n Live chat is also worth considering as it enables problems to be resolved while customers are online. It also allows you to build a friendly rapport with\u00a0your newly acquired customer base.<\/p>\n Finally, don\u2019t forget to include your snail-mail address on your website. Serious complainers often like to “put things in writing”!<\/p>\n 2. Be Aware of What Your Customers Are Saying About You Online<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to the above feedback mechanisms, it\u2019s important to know what your customers are saying about you on the social web.<\/p>\n Acknowledge and reply to complaints made about you on twitter, Facebook, industry forums and any website that your customers use to air their\u00a0grievances. If you are in the hospitality business, keep an eye on Yelp, TripAdvisor and Zagat.<\/p>\n A word of warning: not all negative comments are worthy of engagement. If it\u2019s an obvious rude and outrageous attack by someone seeking\u00a0confrontation, you have every right to not to be drawn in.<\/p>\n 3. Act Quickly to Avoid Damage to Your Online Reputation<\/strong><\/p>\n Speed is of the essence when dealing with an upset customers. While happy customers share their experience with 5 people, the average customer who a complains tells 9 to 10 people. You need to act fast to stop the negativity spreading online.<\/p>\n 4. Show Empathy and Understanding by Adopting the Personal\u00a0Touch<\/strong><\/p>\n Whilst responding quickly is important, Showing empathy and communicating in a friendly manner are just as important. Always use your real name\u00a0and include a photo in your online profile if possible.<\/p>\n 5. Identify the Root Cause and Find a Permanent Solution\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Handling complaints effectively doesn\u2019t stop when you\u2019ve satisfied one customer. You need to treat the cause.\u00a0If one customer has had a poor experience, it\u2019s likely that another one will face the same issue down the line.<\/p>\n Meet with people in your organization and share the insights you\u2019ve gained from the customer.\u00a0Share these findings company-wide and gather ideas on how to find a permanent fix.<\/p>\n If that\u2019s not possible right away, record your response on a knowledge base or FAQ page. This will help employees handle the issue and customers will have a better idea of what to expect.<\/p>\n Dealing with online complaints is not rocket science, it just takes planning, empathy, teamwork and an attitude that encourages continuous improvement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Many start ups are quick to go online and launch their products or services. But what to do if things go wrong? Here are some ways start-ups (as well as established businesses) can successfully deal with online customer complaints..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[16,273],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5778"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5778"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5811,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5778\/revisions\/5811"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.customerservicemanager.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}