A good investment in understanding dissatisfied customers and improving customer satisfaction is an opportunity to create value for your business.

In addition, it is critical to properly address not only customer retention, but also reputation management. Turning over a disgruntled customer can be one of the best ways to turn a potential lost sale into an exponential profit. Such situations often create the most loyal customers who share their positive experiences with others.

As evidenced by more than 2.4 million consumer reviews on PissedConsumer.com, the causes of customer disappointment generally fall into these categories:

• dissatisfaction with the quality or value of the product or service provided;
• dissatisfaction with service and customer service.

Understanding the nature of complaints and what to do about them is one of the most important business challenges you will face. So if you haven’t already covered this important consideration, now is the time to do so.

Learning from review websites

The specifics of customer complaints will of course be broader than the above categories and of course even overlap, but in most cases they will apply. Individuals respond differently, although it remains important to recognize patterns in negative feedback.

In this connection, online review websites are a useful tool in solving business problems. The popularity of consumer feedback sites means they can be an excellent resource for interpreting your customers’ wants and needs as they collect hundreds, even thousands of unique consumer reviews, present the spectrum of grievances, and provide actionable data on what else would be a mystery.

This rich source of customer experiences can help you better understand how to reduce and avoid customer disappointment, and develop strategies to address specific issues that may be relevant to your business.

The types of dissatisfied customers

It is widely recognized that the majority of disappointed consumers will not speak out directly (to the company they have done business with) or even publicly (reviews of websites) about alleged bad business practices; they just move on and put their business elsewhere.

Quantified, we’re talking about 5%. This may not sound like much, but given the audience that can get even one review, not to mention the negative word of mouth, the potential impact becomes apparent.

With this in mind, it’s pertinent to distinguish between disgruntled customers who share their experience and customers you’ll never find out about.

While the former can be tackled using both reactive and proactive strategies, the latter can only be tackled with a proactive approach.

What can you do?

Of course, with care and effort, you can turn the situation around and turn a dissatisfied customer into a happy, loyal customer. The first step to achieve this is to address complaints with a positive, goal-oriented attitude.

Don’t be afraid of complaints, be prepared

Knowing that your customer is dissatisfied is the first step. Customers rarely bother to leave feedback, but when they do, the majority are negative. Satisfied customers get on with their day and don’t have to think any further; some may be upset but simply don’t see the benefit in expressing their displeasure.

So your strategy here should be to encourage feedback by making the process simple and not time consuming.

Collect online reviews and take them on board. Reflect on what is being said and how you can address it. Such an approach can provide you with problem-solving examples, which you can use to train yourself and your employees.

The more communication channels open up here, the better. A wide social media presence, as well as responsive, Well prepared e-mail and telephone support, it will seem less of a hassle for the customer. A quick call or email can easily clear up a minor problem or misunderstanding before it escalates into a public dress-up party.

Find out what happened and why

Direct feedback or communication from customers is a reward. If they have decided to contact you first, then this is an opportunity for you. From this point you can collect the following:

• Why is the customer dissatisfied? Bad product or bad service?
• What can be done to correct the problem? Is the damage done or can you get things back on track?
• How can you regain their trust? What reasonable expectations have not been met?

You can ask a variety of questions designed to identify the issue, incorporating previous customer feedback; so known issues can be fixed quickly and with confidence. Known issues can be resolved with a known solution, or if you are still looking for a solution, confirmation that the issue is recognized and that it is being worked on.

regain confidence

It is estimated that for any negative experience or consumer review, twelve positive are needed to bring things back into balance.

People need to feel recognized, let alone satisfied. So let your customers know you have time for them and listen to what they have to say. It is almost always appreciated.

Communication can be followed up with a courtesy email, asking if the customer was happy with the response, whether the issue was considered resolved or not. Doing so demonstrates that the dialogue is still open and that the customer should feel free to contact you in the future about any related issues.

This also lets your customers know that you value their feedback and appreciate the value such insight brings to your business.

Anticipate and prevent

Addressing known issues is imperative, but it also pays to be proactive and anticipate future bottlenecks. Keeping your existing customer base happy should be part of a broader approach that also seeks to attract new customers.

Keep in mind that, as mentioned before, you will never hear from the vast majority of your customers, so it is vital to put yourself in their shoes and avoid any foreseeable complications as this unknown negative reaction can impact your business. will still affect.

A customer oriented outlook, with forensic focus on the customer experience and what you can do to improve it, is essential.

Be aware of the current trends

Hear market and consumer trends, business practices, current needs and demands, and feedback on the things that work. This is the best way to perceive, anticipate and implement changes to your customer’s changing demands to avoid being left behind in a changing market.

All cases of customer dissatisfaction must be addressed or at least given due consideration. Again, a dissatisfied customer is more likely to express their experience than a happy one. So if it’s not fixed, the bad word of mouth could spread, possibly without you even realizing it, damage your brand and wipe out all the time and effort you’ve put into making it work.

Joanna has been interested in journalism from an early age. Her work at PissedConsumer.com gives her the choice to analyze consumer experiences. In her articles, she provides consumers with useful information and tips to avoid annoying problems and scams.