Guest post by Megan Totka, Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com
Every small business owner wants to believe that they’re a good listener. They want to be able to say that they put their customers first, listen to each and every concern and always have time for constructive criticism. Most importantly, all small businesses want to believe that their website and web presence is well-equipped to handle their customers’ needs.
Yet the reality is something else entirely.
While the web has opened up many channels for feedback in regard to SMBs and their customers, there are also plenty of distractions available to keep us from getting down to business. We want our customers to engage us, but do we always give them our attention? We want our customers to leave feedback, but do we actually take it to heart? Consider the following:
- On average, today’s small businesses only reply to 30% of their social media fans’ feedback and interaction
- 72% of consumers trust online ratings and reviews as much as they’d trust a personal recommendation from a friend (and 90% are influenced by them in some way, shape, or form)
- Many SMBs ignore the “comments” section of their blog or website, either out of negligence or the recent uptick in spam commenters
Are these statistics shocking, or simply a reflection of the modern SMB’s plight? We want to give our customers our undivided attention, yet our attention is constantly elsewhere given our duties and responsibilities both online and off.
Regardless, there’s no good excuse for leaving customers out in the cold, especially those taking the time to provide a piece of their mind. Whether or not you truly believe that the customer is always right, consider the benefits of being a good listener and how handling customer concerns may boost your web presence and bottom line.
Leave a Comment (Or Leave Comments Behind?)
The “comments” section of our websites and blogs have often represented a window into the minds of our visitors and customers. Unfortunately, times seem to be changing. With the growing presence of spam-bots, off-topic comments and users looking to leave abusive comments, the aforementioned section seems to have lost some of its luster. Of course, brands that decide to forego their comments section are stuck in a sticky situation; they’re closing themselves off from their visitors, yet perhaps defending themselves from libel or needless hours of policing comments.
When used properly, a well-managed comments section can prove as a great source of feedback and insight into what your customers want. Yes, commenters get the benefit of anonymity (if they choose), yet such comments may also result in brutal honesty. A dose of such honesty isn’t always a bad sign; many of us would rather face harsh criticism through comments versus a nasty phone-call or real-life confrontation. Always take comments with a grain of salt, but give them your full attention. In the case of ratings and review sites, tread lightly with your responses. Online comments often force us to go on the defensive; however, it always pays to respond in a professional, respectable manner to such criticism.
In an ideal world, most business owners would prefer to receive complaints and concerns via email. This allows for situations to be defused, dealt with and understood in private. Yet such comments should never be ignored simply because they are unpleasant; businesses that don’t learn and understand their mistakes will never grow to their full potential.
The Social Network
Of course, the natural alternative to the traditional comment system comes in the form of the social network. Again, interaction through platforms such as Facebook and Twitter are both a blessing and a curse. We may receive questions, comments and concerns in real-time, meanwhile we also allow ourselves to respond to such inquiries at a moment’s notice. The curse, of course, is the fact that these interactions are often public. If we don’t deal with negativity in a positive way, things can quickly go sour.
That said we shouldn’t solely focus on the negative when it comes to comments and social interactions. We should also take time to respond to the positivity and praise that we receive. Again, if a visitor is taking the time out of their day to interact with us, they deserve the same courtesy.
The Bottom Line
It may not always feel like the customer is always right; however, they deserve our attention regardless. Build your business on a foundation of positive feedback and engagement. The sooner you achieve such a climate for your small business and your website, the easier it is to manage feedback in the future.
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Megan Totka is the Chief Editor for ChamberofCommerce.com. She specializes on the topic of small business tips and resources. ChamberofCommerce.com helps small businesses grow their business on the web and facilitates connectivity between local businesses and more than 7,000 Chambers of Commerce worldwide.