When you first start a website, whether for business or entertainment, it can be difficult to deal with harsh critical feedback, especially in the beginning. However, there are positive ways you can respond to it to keep yourself and your reviewers happy.
Here are four simple, effective methods to help you respond positively to negative feedback:
1. Always be willing to ask questions
It would be unwise to assume that anyone leaving negative feedback has ill intentions in mind. They’re not trying to take down your business; they just want to share their experience. With that in mind, do not dismiss their claims. Be ready to ask questions and find out what you can do better and keep them coming back. While a negative experience can colour their perceptions of your site, it’s amazing how much fast, caring customer service can help! They’ll often be eager to share an overwhelmingly successful solution to their problem and this in itself can drive more visitors to your site.
2. Keep your attitude accepting and accommodating
If a visitor has a complaint about bandwidth capacity on your web site, be ready to give them answers and explain that your web hosting package comes with certain limits. Always be apologetic and accepting of faults your visitors may find. While it can seem hurtful at first, this is actually a good chance for you to put your site and its services into perspective and make it a better experience for everyone as much as you can. Try to think of this as your opportunity to show that you are flexible and willing to adapt to meet the needs of customers. Shop around for a more dependable web hosting company to give your customers a better experience. Showing that you are willing to accommodate your customers wishes will allow you to go much farther than you would by ‘sticking to your guns’, so to speak.
3. Don’t take negative feedback personally
Remember that criticism isn’t meant to attack you personally – after all, the reviewer most likely doesn’t know you! They often just want to share their experience so others can be aware of what pitfalls can crop up with ordering a specific product or service. This isn’t to say you should ignore it or be completely detached – you absolutely shouldn’t. However, getting personally attached to every negative word can be damaging to your ambition to maintain a successful website. So, turn energy that can otherwise be spent feeling hurt and defeated into the drive to make amends and solve problems.
4. Maintain a positive outlook
This concept is key to all of the other ideas listed above. A positive outlook can help you not just with customers, but with your own state of mind. Accepting feedback with a smile and being ready to find solutions can rub off on your own customers! After all, by being so ready to handle complaints, you’re showing that you care about your visitors and want to keep them coming back, and that’s something that people value highly in any customer service; being treated with respect and acceptance.
When thinking about it this way, a harsh review isn’t so bad, is it? This is your chance to improve and show visitors to your site that you respond with a smile, ready and able to help with all concerns possible. If you can show people that you care enough to solve any and all problems they may have had, you’ll find that you’ll come across much more success – and personal satisfaction, too.