Customers nowadays have an immense influence over businesses, and therefore, their opinion matters a lot. Companies do their best to be customer-centric to sustain themselves in a competitive market. However, complaints are inevitable since no business can satisfy all its customers.
Positive feedback is essential, but there is a silver lining in negative feedback. Experienced businesses know that even bad feedback is a golden business opportunity.
Research shows that only 1 out of 26 customers complain while the rest stop doing business. The stat shows that a complaint highlights an underlying problem in a company that needs to be investigated and solved.
Below are five reasons why customer complaints can be important for a business:
1) They Give the Business a Reality Check
Businesses are often inconsiderate about negative feedback and brush it under the carpet. As a result, they struggle to make loyal customers and create sustainable revenue.
It is critical to keep track of feedback since it can help a business plan future strategies and growth. Addressing customers’ concerns can drastically improve customer service and business.
Customer complaints can help a business identify loopholes in its operations that need attention. Moreover, they can also gain insight into consumers’ perceptions about their brand.
Such feedbacks also enable businesses to improve their final product and capitalize on their room for improvement. They give companies a reality check that not everything is going perfectly.
2) Improve Customer Communication
There are many reasons that a business can get negative feedback. One of them could be due to a delayed response from the company or a lack of interaction from communication touchpoints.
These complaints help businesses realize the importance of customer support and brand reputation. They can now choose omnichannel support to adopt a proactive approach. This way, firms will provide excellent customer service and touch customer support touchpoints.
Businesses should always try their best to make customers feel important. And when brands fail to do that, buyers feel like they are not concerned about their opinion.
Hence, companies should focus on solving issues proactively and responding to feedback. The interaction will help businesses to increase customer loyalty.
3) Businesses Get to Understand their Customers
The more a business knows about the customer base, sales and marketing efforts will become effective. Therefore, many firms make it a priority to know and understand their customers. And there is no better way than feedback.
Understanding the customer complaints help business in getting to know about customers’ interests and expectations. Moreover, it helps them realize consumer psychology which is integral for improving products and services.
Any minor or major customer issues should be adhered to quickly. By handling such challenges, customers would feel valued. Which also increases the chances of retaining the customer.
4) Help Improve Online Reputation
Figures show that 93% of customers get influenced by online reviews before purchasing. And therefore, what the customers say about a business online, directly impacts their bottom line.
Managing online reputation is not about removing the negative reviews from social channels. But it is about responding right away to solve any issue they are facing.
Below are a few ways how businesses can manage online reputations:
- Instantly responding to a complaint or any negative feedback.
- Addressing their issue in a polite and disciplined manner.
- Never take the words personally.
- Issue a sincere apology and a quick solution where applicable.
- Gain insights and look for areas for improvement.
5) Increase Business Opportunities
Customers often complain about the missing elements in a business. They can be a valuable source of exploring new businesses opportunities that bring more revenue and sales.
Moreover, by appropriately dealing with customers, businesses can leverage these complaints. If a company responds nicely, customers’ minds will create a positive image for the brand.
It will also help increase word of mouth, which is an immense boost for any company. By giving a friendly outlook, businesses can convert prospects into buyers.
Final Thoughts
Customer complaints are a part of the business that needs addressing. No Company can keep every customer happy and avoid criticism. Therefore, the complaints are used as tools to upgrade and improve.
Businesses find a way to understand the feedback and incorporate them into their future decisions. If used wisely, complaints can improve the brand value and performance.
