Simple Ways to Handle Negative Feedback
Putting a positive spin on negative reviews is a crucial skill that will help you and your business grow
Whatever type of business you run, it’s likely that you’ve received some kind of negative criticism or comments from a client or customer at some point. Although we all like to think we’re robust and thick-skinned, some of these disappointing reviews can really sting and have a detrimental effect on our confidence.
“There are always people you’re never going to please and jobs can take a turn for the worse however hard you try,” says Chris Read of Read Interiors. The secret is to turn this experience into a positive one that you can learn and benefit from. With some handy hints from our community of pros, we have some suggestions on how to best assess criticisms and respond accordingly, so everyone walks away a winner.
Pause before you react
It’s natural to want to instantly react to negative feedback and defend yourself, but a heat-of-the-moment reply may result in a response that you later regret. However, if you pause and take time to reflect on the comment, you’ll remain calm and composed so you can deal with the feedback more rationally. “I think it’s important not to take it personally,” says Monique Sartor of Sartorial Interiors. “You don’t know what’s going on in other people’s lives, so negative feedback may not be about you and your service at all.”
It’s obviously easier to spend time on your response if the feedback has arrived by email or online. If the criticism is in real-time, it’s also important to take a few seconds to process the feedback and form an appropriate response. “Whether face-to-face or on the phone, I will ask for time to look into it as this gives me space to think of the best way of addressing the issue,” says Read.
How to Encourage Your Client to Write a Positive Review
It’s natural to want to instantly react to negative feedback and defend yourself, but a heat-of-the-moment reply may result in a response that you later regret. However, if you pause and take time to reflect on the comment, you’ll remain calm and composed so you can deal with the feedback more rationally. “I think it’s important not to take it personally,” says Monique Sartor of Sartorial Interiors. “You don’t know what’s going on in other people’s lives, so negative feedback may not be about you and your service at all.”
It’s obviously easier to spend time on your response if the feedback has arrived by email or online. If the criticism is in real-time, it’s also important to take a few seconds to process the feedback and form an appropriate response. “Whether face-to-face or on the phone, I will ask for time to look into it as this gives me space to think of the best way of addressing the issue,” says Read.
How to Encourage Your Client to Write a Positive Review
Listen to the feedback and find the trigger
It’s important to identify your client’s key concerns and what has triggered this reaction, so you can assess if their negative feedback is correct or not. Put yourself in their shoes and evaluate why they have responded in the way that they have. “I’ve found that the best (and often hardest) thing to do is to just listen, let them say everything they want, even when it’s repetitive. Sometimes that’s enough to sort the problem,” says Read.
Negative feedback can be hard to swallow, but you may find the criticism is totally justified, and therefore you can act appropriately with an apology and a suggestion of how to improve your client’s business experience. “I do believe negative feedback can be used to improve your business, especially if there’s an element of truth to the complaint,” says Sartor. “We can become complacent about our service or processes over time and sometimes an independent review can help us improve or adapt.”
It’s important to identify your client’s key concerns and what has triggered this reaction, so you can assess if their negative feedback is correct or not. Put yourself in their shoes and evaluate why they have responded in the way that they have. “I’ve found that the best (and often hardest) thing to do is to just listen, let them say everything they want, even when it’s repetitive. Sometimes that’s enough to sort the problem,” says Read.
Negative feedback can be hard to swallow, but you may find the criticism is totally justified, and therefore you can act appropriately with an apology and a suggestion of how to improve your client’s business experience. “I do believe negative feedback can be used to improve your business, especially if there’s an element of truth to the complaint,” says Sartor. “We can become complacent about our service or processes over time and sometimes an independent review can help us improve or adapt.”
Seek objective advice from other colleagues or friends
It’s easy to see how negative feedback or criticism can be taken personally, particularly when it’s your own business that you’ve worked tirelessly to set up and succeed. However, this personal involvement can cloud your judgement, so asking friends and family to offer an objective view can be a useful way of seeing the situation from both sides. “I know how hard it can be for a small business owner who puts their heart and soul into their work,” says Sartor. “Try to move forward and move on. Don’t expend any more emotional energy on it.”
Ultimately, however, it’s down to you to consider how much valuable time you should spend rectifying things. “You need to judge if your time and emotional effort is worth the outcome” says Read. “If not, then apologies and possibly recompense are needed to draw a line under the issue. If you do want to engage with the issue, starting out with saying ‘I’m sorry you feel this way’ can help without you taking responsibility. Never blame the client, just state the facts.”
It’s easy to see how negative feedback or criticism can be taken personally, particularly when it’s your own business that you’ve worked tirelessly to set up and succeed. However, this personal involvement can cloud your judgement, so asking friends and family to offer an objective view can be a useful way of seeing the situation from both sides. “I know how hard it can be for a small business owner who puts their heart and soul into their work,” says Sartor. “Try to move forward and move on. Don’t expend any more emotional energy on it.”
Ultimately, however, it’s down to you to consider how much valuable time you should spend rectifying things. “You need to judge if your time and emotional effort is worth the outcome” says Read. “If not, then apologies and possibly recompense are needed to draw a line under the issue. If you do want to engage with the issue, starting out with saying ‘I’m sorry you feel this way’ can help without you taking responsibility. Never blame the client, just state the facts.”
Learn from negative feedback and grow from it
Use this experience as a learning curve that will encourage you to improve your business and up your game. Then, once you’ve rectified the issue or made improvements, be sure to respond to the client who made the comment in the first place and explain how you’ve turned the issue around.
Measured and professional responses to a negative review will be seen by other prospective clients as a positive thing and show that you offer a good service. “Learning from these experiences will definitely improve your service or processes, and even help you recognise when to say ‘no’ to a project,” says Read. “I think it’s important to know when to turn down work, too – not all clients or projects are going to be the right fit for you and this can open the way to a negative experience (for both parties).”
Can it Actually be a Good Thing to Lose a Potential?
Use this experience as a learning curve that will encourage you to improve your business and up your game. Then, once you’ve rectified the issue or made improvements, be sure to respond to the client who made the comment in the first place and explain how you’ve turned the issue around.
Measured and professional responses to a negative review will be seen by other prospective clients as a positive thing and show that you offer a good service. “Learning from these experiences will definitely improve your service or processes, and even help you recognise when to say ‘no’ to a project,” says Read. “I think it’s important to know when to turn down work, too – not all clients or projects are going to be the right fit for you and this can open the way to a negative experience (for both parties).”
Can it Actually be a Good Thing to Lose a Potential?
A good tip is to ensure your satisfied clients write a positive review to counterbalance any negative comments. On a final note and to cheerfully lift any dampened spirits out there, we’ll leave you with these insightful words from Will Smith – “Failure actually helps you to recognise the areas where you need to evolve. So fail early, fail often, fail forward.”
Tell us
How have you turned negative criticism or comments into a positive business experience? Tell us your tips in the Comments below, share this article with your staff or colleagues, and join the conversation.
Tell us
How have you turned negative criticism or comments into a positive business experience? Tell us your tips in the Comments below, share this article with your staff or colleagues, and join the conversation.