Businesses with an online presence cannot ignore the fact that people from all over the country and the world are watching their every move. Sometimes, even smaller and unknown businesses come under the radar of people globally if they make one wrong move by upsetting a customer.
The button “share” on Facebook has great power to spread the word about any action a business takes towards a customer, and for this reason, you have to be extremely careful on how you interact with your followers. One wrong move and your online reputation will be in tatters. That’s why it is critical for businesses to stay in the good books of people or else the following things can occur:
1. Sales Will Decrease
Would you purchase from a business that responded crudely to another customer when he/she left a negative feedback? You would rather give your business to a business that handles negative feedback pleasantly by hearing the consumer’s complaint, and then do something to resolve it. Good business practices will increase your online reputation and with it, your sales.
2. Loyalty and Trust Will Wane
When a customer voices their experiencing with your business, labeling it as a negative one, engage them in a discussion. Reply to their message on the social media site, and then inbox them privately.
Offer them a discount on their next purchase, a refund, or give away something for free. Once you do, most likely, they will mention your business’s diligence in handling the complaint so quickly. Gradually, people’s trust in your business will increase, and soon, you will have a loyal following.
3. Investors will Not Invest
Investors do not want to associate themselves with businesses with a bad reputation. They want to invest in a business that has more good reviews than bad. If you have a bad online reputation, banks, corporations, and investors will see you as a risk, one that they are unwilling to take.
4. Inside Information Will Leak
Make sure you do not involve yourself or your business in illegal activity or activity people look down upon. If someone leaks internal information on the internet, it can destroy your company.
In today’s age, scandalous information and gossip, once on the internet, does not vanish overnight but stays with your business forever. Make sure you steer clear of anything that can put your company in a bad limelight.
5. Employees Will Not Maintain a Customer-Centric Approach
Give your employees the right to think of strategies themselves to decrease the anger of the unsatisfied customer. Tell about how your business always puts the customer first, and to satisfy them; the employees need to put their best foot forward.
While you work behind the scenes, your customer service representatives will be the temporary face of the company who will be dealing with clients. It is vital for businesses to tell their employees to make sure unhappy customers leave happy at the end of the day.
A negative online reputation can make or break you so strive always to gain and maintain a positive online reputation.
