Online reviews and customer feedback are a form of word-of-mouth advertising. People leave these types of feedback to express their satisfaction with your products or services. In turn, others use this to make purchasing decisions.

Knowing the types of feedback that you’re dealing with is essential in addressing them correctly, whether through interactions with customers or your own internal policies. This helps you meet the needs of your current customers.

Thereby maintaining a positive relationship for everyone involved. It also shows potential customers that you are serious about customer service and satisfaction, something vitally important to them.

Here are the four main types of feedback:

1. Legitimate Concerns or Problems

Your company may be amazing, but there may be problems outside of your control that create issues for your current customers, like technical problems or payment issues. If these issues are ignored, it discourages potential customers from doing business with you. The customer with a legitimate concern is reaching out for help.

You are often the first point of contact for your company. Responding to these issues quickly, kindly, and efficiently will strengthen your customer’s faith in your company. They will see that their concerns are your first priority. Responding correctly to these comments assures your customers that you care about them and they are important to you.

2. Helpful Criticism & Critiques

These comments touch on something your company could have done better. You disappointed the customer. They offer suggestions on how to behave in the future, so this doesn’t happen again.

This type of feedback gives you valuable information you need to repair relationships with current customers. Also, it’s an opportunity to improve your company to strengthen future relationships with potential customers.

3. Angry or Hostile Comments

You can’t please everyone. There doesn’t seem to be anything you could have done to upset the customer who leaves negative reviews. It may feel like an attack on you or your company, but don’t take it personally. Sometimes, they just want to vent.

These comments are often filled with lies and half-truths the customer feels will strengthen their claims against you. These customers will not be satisfied with any means of reconciliation on your part, so don’t worry. Instead, focus on helping those who want your help.

If the comments are especially damaging to your company, acknowledging the customers’ feelings and apologizing for any trouble your company may have caused may be your only option for fixing the problem. Offer a solution if one exists, but don’t worry if it isn’t much you can do. Sometimes, you will have a customer that just isn’t happy.

4. Spam & Irrelevant Comments

These can range from promotions for other companies to “chain comments” that clog your feed with ridiculous claims about predicting the future or clever artwork made entirely out of common font characters. The best thing to do is remove these comments if they have no valid place within the community and move on as usual.

Google has policies in place to handle spam and inappropriate comments. They do well to manage these on their own as reviews are automatically processed to detect inappropriate content like fake reviews and spam. They usually take down reviews that go against their policies.

Need Help Managing Feedback?

Understanding the types of feedback and reviews you receive from customers is crucial to maintaining your business’s online reputation. Negative feedback isn’t something that you should fear but use as an opportunity to build your reputation. If you need help with managing your online presence, please contact us for a free consultation.

Links Web Design is a Content Marketing Company in Bangor, ME, and Fruitland Park, FL.