Negative Customer Experience Spreads Faster Than Wildfire

When customers have a terrible experience with your brand, the result is quite grim. According to a study by Zendesk, almost 54 percent of customers share negative experiences with more than five people, while only 33 percent of customers share good experiences.

At any point in time, unhappy customers can share their opinion with the world through social networks and the Internet. Sharing negative comments about your brand or services can severely affect your brand image and reputation.

While no business desires unhappy customers, there is a silver lining to customer criticisms. They can help you identify and address problems that you would not see otherwise. Your customers’ comments are valuable because not many customers even bother to complain. In fact, according to a report, only 4 percent of dissatisfied customers will tell you what they are unhappy about. The majority of customers will just stop giving you business if they are not satisfied with your products or services. Worse yet, a disgruntled customer will tell a minimum of 10 people how bad his or her experience was, and some customers will even spread their disappointment by posting on social networks and review sites.

However, here is the opportunity. Every day you have the chance to convert your mistakes into happy customers – the kind who will tell their friends good things about your brand and services. Here are five ways to help make your customers fall in love with your business.

1. Treat your customers right: Customers who are happy with your services will share the positive feedback with family and friends. This is an effective way to spread good word-of-mouth about your business. It is essential to stay in touch with your customers and understand their expectations from your business. You must ensure all customer concerns are resolved in a professional and timely manner.

2. Always listen to your customers: When listening to your customers, take note of what changes your business should make from their feedback, and then follow through. Your customers are the lifeblood of your business, and not being able to meet or exceed their expectations could cause a backlash. You can use surveys, customer service, social media or email forms to gather customer opinion.

3. Ensure excellent customer service: The biggest reason for customer displeasure is poor customer service. Do everything in your power to ensure excellent service to your customers. You must respond quickly and politely, and offer special discounts and deals in order to please the customer. Take your customers’ comments seriously and act upon their requests as much as possible.

4. Build trust: According to research, it takes 12 positive customer experiences to erase one negative experience. This is how sensitive faith is between your business and your customers. Regardless of the size of your business, keep your customers informed if you are making any changes to your products and services that impact them. It is crucial to exercise caution when making changes to your offerings because your customers have become accustomed to what they have been using. If you plan to make any changes, you must be methodical in the way you communicate the changes to your customers. Healthy communication will give your customers a transparent look into your business that cannot be imitated.

5. Follow up on commitments: Your word is your promise. Following up on your commitments will show the transparency of your business and foster a feeling of trust with your customers. Be sure to manage the expectations of your customers so that realistic goals can be set and met. By communicating a clear message through the right medium, your customers will understand what they can expect from your business.

Customer experience is all about nurturing a bond between the customer and the business. It is about understanding how your products impact the lives of your customers and looking for opportunities to maximize those benefits. Your customers want to have a positive experience when they interact with your business, and they are willing to tell you how you can improve your products and services. All you need to do is to ask and listen.