5 Tips for Dealing with Negative Reviews: How to Improve Your Customer Communication
“Absolutely useless. Never again!” This is how negative reviews from some dissatisfied Amazon customers unfortunately look. They are frustrating – even devastating. And even worse: At Amazon, they contribute to the overall rating of a product. It is only natural for a seller to want to speak up and defend themselves. However, in the anger that follows such a possibly unjustified criticism, one can quickly talk or write oneself into a corner. Yet in such a situation, it is difficult to remember the intention to improve one’s customer communication.
So it's better to just ignore it? Not necessarily. After all, customers research products and refer to reviews to get an idea of the product and the seller. They also pay attention to good customer communication in negative reviews.
A study by Bitkom in 2017 found that more than two-thirds of consumers rely on reviews from other customers when shopping online. Many of them could understand that sometimes things don't go perfectly.
Source: bitkom.org
A carefully chosen communication from the Amazon seller would be advisable at this point. Those who are not yet able to do this should improve their customer communication. After all, many studies show that customer loyalty can even benefit from successful problem-solving.
Experts found that 45 percent of authors of negative reviews even retracted their reviews after a personal apology from the sellers.
Source: impulse.de
The keyword is therefore "Support". Help your customers and assist them in solving problems. But this is only possible if you are constantly interested in optimizing your customer communication.
5 Tips on How to Improve Your Customer Communication on Amazon: A Guide
Professional customer communication and excellent service – essential in both retail and online business. It is all the more tragic that many companies stand out due to failed communication. Instead, the rule is: Respond kindly and openly to negative reviews and make this type of communication the company standard – this way, other (potential) buyers will also see that you care about your customers' problems and that they can feel well taken care of with you.
We have summarized the most important dos and don’ts for negative reviews that can help you improve your customer communication on Amazon.
#1: Don't wait and hope that time will heal the situation – respond promptly.
Understandably, you may want to take some time to calm down or perhaps even hide under the blanket. That's not a bad idea to improve the quality of the upcoming customer communication. Marketing and sales will thank you for it.
But don't wait too long! Late or even no responses quickly create the impression that the seller does not care about the concerns of their customers and is therefore simply ignoring them. In the worst case, this encourages further negative reviews, and you will be overwhelmed by a shitstorm. So show your customers your interest immediately, speak up, and take care of your customers. Because successful customer communication thrives in retail just as it does online from an open ear.
At the end of 2020, Amazon discontinued the comment feature for reviews, which led to frustration among sellers. Since June 2021, sellers in the USA can respond to negative reviews using pre-made templates from the online giant. Whether and when this feature will spill over to the German market is still unknown.
Update June 2021
#2: Do not counterattack, but respond thoughtfully.
Even if the author of the review has been inappropriate in tone, you should maintain your dignity and act professionally. Poor customer communication in response to negative reviews can make everything even worse. After all, you are the face of your product, and the public image should be positive under all circumstances. Express yourself carefully and pay attention to a friendly tone in interpersonal interactions. Communicate on equal terms. Your response will not only be read by the author but also by many other (potential) buyers.
Consider that you have made a mistake from the author's perspective and they are counting on your understanding. An unfriendly reaction will drive customer loyalty to a low point. In contrast, good problem-solving skills on the part of the seller can even elevate customer loyalty to a higher level than it was before the incident. Therefore, it is particularly worthwhile to reflect on one's own behavior and improve customer communication.
Even if it seems like the last thing you think of at first glance: A "Thank you for your feedback" not only soothes in many cases, it also shows the customer that you take the criticism to heart and see it as added value for your business. This is not to say that you have a bad profile or should even doubt it.
To err is human, and almost everyone understands that. What is much more important is that you learn from mistakes and avoid them in the future. According to this motto, you should also improve your customer communication. Be open about your mistake and emphasize that any constructive criticism is helpful. This makes you human and the interaction authentic!
#4: Don't write a generic response, instead focus on modern customer communication – individual and personal.
Show your customers that you mean business and are listening to them. Almost everyone has read customer reviews and has also come across the feedback from sellers. If you were to respond with an impersonal, pre-made answer, many readers would likely wonder why this text sounds so familiar to them.
Aside from the embarrassment of being caught, it conveys a certain disinterest in your customers' concerns. So take a little time and respond to the review. Answer individually and thoughtfully. This shows your interest and strengthens customer loyalty. To improve this aspect of customer communication, it can also be helpful to draft the response and read it again before sending it to the customer.
#5: It's not enough to have an answer – Go on a problem search!
If you have now made it clear that you take your customers seriously and want to improve, then do it! Otherwise, you will appear untrustworthy. You might get away with it a few times. But if complaints about a specific problem keep recurring over a longer period, despite your promises of improvement, customers and potential buyers will be deterred.
So, it's better to go on a problem search yourself. Ask yourself what exactly the problem was, whether there were any subsequent difficulties, where the origin of the problem lies, and most importantly: How you can fix it! And then it's time to get to work! Make sure that the problems do not recur. Because for a successful business, it is not enough to merely improve customer communication – all other business processes must also be continuously monitored and optimized.
Delete reviews?
It is possible to have an inappropriate review removed by the sales portal, but it must demonstrably violate Amazon's guidelines or laws.
It is therefore not possible to simply remove every bad review. However, that is not necessary at all. If a product or a seller has received only good ratings, it quickly gives the impression that not all reviews (or in the worst case: no reviews at all) are genuine. Nowadays, one can quickly buy a few good reviews, ask friends to write something positive, or even take action oneself. So, it is better to leave negative reviews as they are and get in personal contact with the author: Show with your response that you are a reputable company that your customers can rely on.
Conclusion: Optimal customer communication on Amazon is important!
Always use your communication skills in a friendly and professional manner, thank them for their feedback, and show your customers on every communication channel that you care about their issues. Standard responses or counterattacks are out of place here. Instead, ask yourself what you can do to resolve the issue to the satisfaction of both parties.
Because nothing destroys the customer relationship faster and more effectively than a lack of problem-solving skills of the support staff. When this is lacking, marketplace sellers must do everything possible not only to improve customer communication measures. Because, as in retail, the ability to communicate in customer conversations is decisive for whether a customer returns or not.
Interpersonal misunderstandings due to the lack of nonverbal body language are also more likely in online customer communication. Therefore, read your message again before sending it. Pay attention to your choice of words in customer contact and ensure that you communicate on an equal level.
Bildnachweise in der Reihenfolge der Bilder: © olly – stock.adobe.com
