How many times a day does the topic of online toxicity and cancel culture come up? That boils down to reputation management and how a comment can be an asymmetrical attack– an attack with no adequate defense. Some business have spiralled and crashed thanks to a spate of negative online reviews. This isn’t uncommon for the B2C market, but business-to-business is not immune. Customer feedback is essential for B2B businesses for a number of reasons:
- Product or service improvement: Customer feedback can provide valuable insights into what works well and what could be improved with a company’s products or services. This can help businesses identify areas for improvement and make necessary changes to better meet the needs of their customers.
- Increased customer satisfaction: By actively seeking and considering customer feedback, businesses can show their customers that they value their opinions and are committed to providing high-quality products and services. This can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Enhanced reputation: Positive customer feedback can help improve a company’s reputation in the industry and attract new customers. On the other hand, negative feedback can highlight areas of concern that need to be addressed to maintain a good reputation.
- Increased sales: Satisfied customers are more likely to continue doing business with a company and recommend it to others. This can lead to increased sales and revenue for a business.
- Competitive advantage: By actively seeking and using customer feedback, businesses can gain a competitive advantage by continually improving their products and services and providing a better customer experience.
Customer feedback is essential for B2B businesses because it can help improve products and services, increase customer satisfaction, enhance reputation, increase sales, and provide a competitive advantage. By actively seeking and considering customer feedback, businesses can gain valuable insights and make necessary changes to better meet the needs of their customers.
Review Venues
There are a number of places where people can leave reviews for a business, in addition to Google Business:
- Yelp: Yelp is a popular review website that allows users to rate and review local businesses. Many people use Yelp to find and learn about local businesses in their area.
- Facebook: Many businesses have a Facebook page where customers can leave reviews and ratings. These reviews are visible to other users who visit the business’s page.
- Trustpilot: Trustpilot is a review website that allows users to leave reviews for businesses in a variety of industries. These reviews are visible to other users who visit the business’s profile on the website.
- Consumer Reports: Consumer Reports is a well-known consumer advocacy organization that provides ratings and reviews for products and services. Many businesses are reviewed on Consumer Reports, and these reviews are visible to users who visit the organization’s website.
- Better Business Bureau: The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is a non-profit organization that aims to promote trust in the marketplace. Businesses can be reviewed on the BBB’s website by consumers who have had a positive or negative experience with the business.
- Glassdoor: Glassdoor is a website that allows employees to rate and review their workplaces. Many businesses are reviewed on Glassdoor, and these reviews are visible to users who visit the website.
In addition to these review websites, customers can also leave reviews on a business’s own website, on social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram. It’s critical to nurture good reviews. Ask for them when possible. In marketing copy, devote a little space to call for a review. With the above sites, build a profile first. These are high authority websites and it’s important to have a link there. Some of them will try to upsell you on expensive services. Usually, that’s not in your best interest.
What About Bad Reviews?
If you receive a bad online review of your B2B business, here are a few things you can do:
- Respond to the review: It is important to respond to negative reviews in a timely and professional manner. Thank the customer for their feedback and apologize for any issues they experienced. Offer to address their concerns and find a resolution. Give them a point a contact: an email address and a phone number. Talk with them. In some cases, the bad review is driven by keyboard courage and the direct approach may weaken their resolve. In some cases, the customer has bad news about your business and it’s important to hear that directly.
- Investigate the issue: If the review highlights a specific issue or concern, it is important to investigate the matter and determine if there was a problem with your product or service. This can help you identify any issues and take steps to prevent similar problems in the future.
- Make necessary improvements: If the review points to a problem with your product or service, take steps to address the issue and make necessary improvements. This can help prevent similar problems from occurring in the future and improve the customer experience.
- Monitor your online presence: It is important to regularly monitor your online presence and reviews to identify any issues or concerns that may arise. This can help you respond to negative reviews quickly and prevent similar problems from occurring in the future.
- Encourage positive reviews: In addition to addressing negative reviews, it is also important to encourage your satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. This can help balance out any negative reviews and improve your overall online reputation. Honestly: no one is perfect. A business with nothing but glowing reviews sounds a little fishy. Remember: pearls come from sand getting into an oyster.
It is important to remember that negative reviews are a natural part of doing business, and it is not possible to please everyone all of the time. However, by responding to negative reviews and taking steps to address any issues or concerns, you can improve your online reputation and the overall customer experience. We have a number of clients who get reviews both good and bad. We coach them on how to turn around even a negative situation to make the best of it: as a learning experience; as a way to reach out and rebuild bridges; and a way to show the human side of your business online.