How to Turn Negative Customer Feedback into Knowledge

Not all negative reviews and customer feedbacks are bad. Some of them are actually great sources of knowledge, competitor analysis and even great ideas to turn your competitions on their heads. Negative feedback can be difficult to accept, but they can actually bring a lot of value to the table. Here are a few ways to extract immense value from bad customer feedback.

Performance Benchmark

One of the best ways to measure the overall level of customer satisfaction is by counting the number of negative and positive feedbacks your business receives. On top of that, you can compare the ratio with that of your competitors.

The general rule is to have as little negative feedbacks as possible, but in today’s age of internet and social media, this is easier said than done. Aim for something around 70% to 80% customer satisfaction and stay ahead of the industry.

Product Improvements

Negative reviews are great sources of product improvement ideas. What aspects do the customers complain about? How can you make your products and services better to suit their needs and personal preferences more?

Even better, you can invite complaining customers to test the new and improved products before they are launched publicly. This will help you build a strong bond and increase customer loyalty by quite a long way.

Better Employees

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, dealing with negative reviews can be difficult. Facing them on a regular basis is a good way to prepare your employees for negative feedback. Review the standard responses and operating procedures when dealing with this type of reviews or complaints and continue to offer good customer support.

Keep Up with Customers’ Needs

The market is changing rapidly almost all the time; so do the customers’ demands. The best way to keep up with the changes in needs and wants of the customers is by listening to what they have to say about the product.

A lot of restaurants – especially fast food chains – do this with their menu. Notice how McDonald’s bucket of chicken nuggets is so popular? The product was actually developed to meet the changes in customers’ demands.

Reputation Management

Even a single bad review can hurt your reputation. Knowing how to deal with negative feedback and learning to retain the customers who post bad reviews are great for maintaining your business’s reputation.

You don’t have to devise a complicated strategy to do this. A nice, personalized approach and a genuine will to solve customers’ problems will get you there in no time. Make sure your customer support officers have enough room to move; when they need to comp a service, for instance, giving them enough room will allow them to please customers quickly and effectively.

Competitive Comparison

Last but certainly not least, you can also learn more about your competitors from the negative feedback they receive. There are a lot of information to be gathered from complaints; not using them to your advantage would be such a waste. The information can truly help you make changes to your products and services for the better.