Why You Should Crave Negative Customer Feedback
Finding strength in humility.
You’ve failed – a customer is livid, ranting, and talking about going elsewhere. Convention demands a calm, non-defensive, humble exterior; after all, the customer’s always right – even when they’re wrong. Handling criticism functionally might be the most difficult aspect of conducting any type of business; it’s also the most crucial.
The beauty of discomfort
Being receptive to criticism is a fundamental difference between failure and success. The trick is to balance taking it personally with taking it emotionally.
Conventionally, taking something personally is considered a bad thing, a sign of weakness, or unbridled sensitivity – for all intents and purposes, synonymous with taking it emotionally. Maybe that’s because people tend to respond emotionally to criticism – taking something to heart hurts, but so do pushups.
When you work out, muscle fibers tear. The rebuilding process makes them stronger and more defined – fielding an irate customer is like your company doing a thousand pushups. While the flurry of emotions triggered by harsh criticism can be agonizing, the best of the best learn to revel in it.
How far do you think Michael Jordan would have gone if he’d let himself become offended every time a coach yelled at him? Your company needs to be confident, and driven enough to succeed to hold angry customers in similar esteem as a hard-balling coach – all the fire they throw at you really is for your own good.
Show your strength
How your company responds to criticism is a defining characteristic. Absorbing harsh feedback thoughtfully and sympathetically is a sign of strength even the angriest of customers will recognize. Furthermore, it gives you an opportunity to earn a lifelong customer.
The more your employees respond positively and effectively to negative feedback, the more passionate your current, and future, customers are going to be about your service. Unfortunately, if you only gauge customer satisfaction on those motivated enough to reach out on their own, you’re likely to miss a significant amount of valuable criticism.
Establishing a process for collecting and responding to both negative and positive customer feedback empowers your employees to find areas of improvement, and grow your business. Crewhu’s 1 click survey lets you get that feedback easily, and its reporting and tracking tools allow your team to get to the bottom of customer issues quickly to bring about both short-term and long-term solutions. Sign up for a free trial and start getting your company into shape today!
Topics: employee engagement, crewhu features, managed service providers, Customer Service
