Ignore Online Customer Complaints and Feedback, Right?

Complaints and feedback are a perfect opportunity to engage with your customers. It gives you the opening to start a conversation and genuinely show what you and your business are about. Ignoring feedback broadcasts to customers that you don’t care about them.

This is social media. This is the connection economy, social and connection being the key words here. It is impossible to connect with people if you only talk about your product without taking the time to listen. For the customer, that’s like having a conversation with a person who only talks about themselves…. I am doing this and I did that today and I…I…I. Don’t let your business be that person.

Are customers always right? No. Are they sometimes right, yes. Are there trolls? Yes, but they are easy to vet. Take a deep breath and move on. Great leadership is not about being right or wrong; it’s about engaging with customers and building relationships with real people. If you are thinking you don’t have time, remember that if Elon Musk, who owns six companies, can do it, we can. Check out master Elon handling a Twitter complaint from idea to execution in 6 days.

We are in the people business. Strive to build quality conversations and engagement by using healthy doses of listening skills. Listen to more than just the words; listen for the deeper meaning and address that. And when you do, you will not only have a customer or client who feels heard, but you will have a new advocate in the marketplace talking about a business that listens to them, a business that cares. And they will tell everyone.