How to Turn Customer Complaints into Positive Growth
Whether you’ve just started selling your crafts online or you’ve been in the business for a while, you need to expect a wide variety of customer comments. Sometimes they are positive while others are not so nice. It can be very stressful to get a negative review of your company and the products you worked so hard to create. It’s easy to lash out and be defensive, but doing so would be a mistake. After all, you have goals for your business, and you don’t want your dream to be over before it starts.
Whatever stage you’re in with your crafting business, it’s important to handle complaints properly and to learn from them so you can see your company continue to succeed. Let’s talk about how to do so.
Build Rapport With Customers
The secret to keeping both the happy and upset customers coming back is by providing great customer service. You can do that by building rapport from the very first interaction you have with them. You can build rapport regardless of your communication method with the customers. If you are on the phone, using email, or an online chat, introduce yourself, be polite and honest, be eager to assist, and ask for their name so you can use it throughout the conversation.
Always Assume the Best
One of the ways to juggle complaints is to always assume the best and that customers, just like you are doing their best on that day. We never know what has been happening in their lives and perhaps it's not completely about your products, but by assuming the best in others it allows us to start by open listening.
Avoid Jargon with Customers
When you speak to customers, avoid using jargon that they may not understand, as that can make them feel dumb or out of touch. Instead, always speak to customers on a human level so you can understand their desires and concerns. By following these steps, you will be able to sell more merchandise and help more customers with their issues later on.
The same positive communication should occur when a customer comes to you with a complaint. Your first instinct may be to get defensive, but that will likely only make the customer angrier, and in turn, they may write an unfavourable review that could sink your business. Instead, actively listen to the customer and then work to remedy the situation through a refund, replacement, discount, or another strategy.
The other important part of dealing with a complaining customer is to show empathy. If they received their purchase and it was damaged, then apologise and work on a solution. Even if an item broke and it was the customer’s fault, we still want to show empathy. Your customer will appreciate it.
Use Complaints As Constructive Feedback
When we say that you should actively listen to a complaint, we mean that you should be silent and let the customer vent their frustrations. Then, repeat back your understanding of the issue, so the angry patron knows you were listening. In addition to showing that you care, active listening will also allow you to learn what went wrong so you can improve your products and your business, so the issue doesn’t happen again and you can make better crafts.
“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates.
If a customer is complaining because your return window is too short, then look at your data and determine how many other folks have complained about the same thing. If it is a common trend, then you may want to consider making a change. Or, if you have several customers complaining that they received broken merchandise, then you may want to talk to your shipper and see if the boxes and packing materials could use an update.
Studies show that for every customer complaint, there are 26 other customers who may think the same but remain silent. You should not need to hear the same issue repeatedly in order to make a change. If you hear a complaint more than once, then see if there is any merit to their claim. After all, the only way to grow your business is to evolve with the times and learn from your mistakes.
Negative Comments On Social Media
If you want your crafting business to succeed, then you need to market and advertise your products wherever you can, and since 59% of the world uses social media, it is a good idea to jump on the bandwagon. While you can list and market your products on just about every social media channel, it is a good idea to start on a site like Instagram, which is all about sharing photos and videos. Create a high-quality image of your product, add a few attention-grabbing and descriptive hashtags, and people who search for similar items may see what you are selling.
There can be a negative side to social media, and that is if a customer is upset or angry, then they can write a response to your post, and the rest of the world can see it. While it can be daunting to see a negative public comment, it is how you respond and deal with the criticism that people will remember. So, if a customer says that they received a broken item, respond publicly with a comment where you express empathy and propose a solution.
Make it a point to respond to the customer right away.
Don’t wait, or other customers may believe that you don’t care about their needs. Sometimes, the customer won’t respond to your solution, but other times, they can come back and publicly state how helpful you were, and that will show others that you are an entrepreneur who truly cares. Under no circumstance should you start a public argument or tell the reviewer that they were wrong or others may see that as hostile and go to your competitor.
As you can see, receiving a customer complaint may sting, but it is not the end of the world. Use the tips described here, and you can flip that negative review into a great moment for your crafting business.
Written By Indiana Lee
Indiana is a writer, reader, and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast from the Pacific Northwest. An expert on business operations, leadership, marketing and lifestyle. You can follow her on Twitter.
> Article updated by the Madeit Team June 2023.
