Negative feedback is only necessarily negative if you do nothing about it. The fact that you’re receiving and listening to feedback in the first place is a positive already. But, what now?
Is there such a thing as negative feedback?
Of course there is, but it’s what you do next that really counts. You obviously don’t want to hear negative feedback but if it helps you to progress, or ultimately improve your product or service it can be a good thing.
The way you go about dealing with negative feedback is vital.
- Treat all feedback as an opportunity. What percentage of your customers do you think say nothing at all to you about your product or service? Of those same people how many might say something about your business to someone else, maybe a potential customer? Whatever is going to come back at you, it’s important that your customers feel that they are able to talk to you about what they have experienced. The fact that people are talking to you is definitely a good thing.
- Listen and act. The act of listening to what people are saying about you is only the start. You have to be ready to act on the information you receive, particularly if a trend is beginning to form. Customers certainly like to know that they are being listened to and will only act positively if they can see that feedback they have submitted have resulted in a change for the better being made. A willingness to listen and change is a huge positive for any business.
- Tracking information. Call centre staff are the front line of your business and can be the purveyors much important information and feedback. If you are serious about taking note of the feedback you receive, your call centre staff need to have the right tools to do the job. A previous blog highlights how call recording and logging software can be key in dispute resolution. Call recording also offers the opportunity to replay exactly what a customer has said, intonation can often be just as important as the words that were used.
- Listen to employees. being on the frontline gives your employees and unique insight into what customers are feeling about your product or service. It’s as important to consult your employees for an opinion as much as it is your customers. A balanced view is always the best view and will lend itself more to a product outcome from any negative feedback.
It’s unlikely that you can ever get to a point where all feedback is positive. But, when customers are prepared to give you information, whether positive or negative, it’s important to listen. Investing in call technology that helps you to become a better listener is inexpensive yet effective. It might just turn out to be one of the best investments you make.
If you’d like to find out more about call recording or call logging software please don’t hesitate to give us a call; we’d be happy to tell you everything we know – which happens to be rather a lot! Drop us a line on 0333 0022 440, or contact us. We’re here ready to help.