Why Having Customers Complain Is A GOOD THING ! | Small Business #Marketing Tips

Regardless of who you are or the product you offer, there are always going to be people who don't like what you do. Websites like Yelp, G2, and TripAdvisor exist as much for people to complain about your business as to compliment it. Of course, every business has its fans—regular customers who love what, how, and why you do what you do. You wouldn't be in business very long if you didn't have such evangelists. But what separates good businesses from great businesses is less about how they treat their fans, but more about how they treat their critics. So how easy do you make it for your customers to complain? What touchpoints do you offer that give customers the chance to provide feedback? It could be someone coming up to you during the meal to check everything's okay, or a phone call to confirm the client's looked over the contract terms, and is happy to sign on the dotted line. Or maybe it's a survey sent out to the buyer after they've made their purchase. With the popularity of review sites and social media, making a complaint is easier than ever. And that's a good thing, because addressing a customer's complaint in a public space is an opportunity. Customers recognize that no business is always going to be perfect, and people love organizations that show they care about their customers. How you address complaints from existing customers helps and respect reputation and trust with future customers. In fact, a customer complaint isn't actually a complaint at all. It's a cry for help or an expression of disappointment from someone who really wants you to be better than you are.