How to respond to negative feedback

Negative feedback can be hard to receive, but often it can be a signal that a customer wants to continue dealing with you, and has hopes that the issues will be resolved if raised.

It may be daunting but the complaint may be an attempt to reconcile their feelings so that they can maintain their relationship with your business.

So, take a deep breath and follow these tips for responding to negative feedback:

Prepare an educated response and solution

Process the negative feedback content. Thoroughly read the comment and use the information provided to research the issue internally.

Then get the right people involved, and verify what solutions you are able to offer.

Show gratitude, take responsibility, be empathetic, and apologise

Thank the customer for their time bringing this matter to your attention. 

Acknowledge what happened and resulted and take responsibility. 

Empathise with the customer's feelings and apologise for what took place. 

Extend an invitation to engage in further discussion.

Offer a solution, unique to the issue

Show effort and commitment to the reviewer by offering a solution that solves the issue at hand.

Don’t get into an argument

Resist the urge to lash back at negative feedback, even if you believe it to be completely unwarranted. Stick to the facts, apologise even if you sincerely feel that you did nothing wrong (“I’m truly sorry you had a bad experience.”).

Remember, the system is designed so you don’t get into a back-and-forth discussion and can close the customer feedback matter in one answer. This means inviting the customer to contact you directly via phone or email, if the feedback is anonymous and requires action. When you do so, the opportunity to resolve the situation is now in your customer’s hands, and a customer that is heard and feels in control is a happy one.