BBB Business Tip: Why you should answer customer complaints

Milwaukee, Wis. – How thoroughly does your company track comments left by clients? Knowing what to do when a negative review or complaint appears online about your company is important since it may significantly impact your business’s reputation.

Consider the situation from the customer’s point of view: how frequently have you had a negative interaction with a company, and you feel your voice was not heard? How did you feel when you received a personalized response from the business? Studies show that over half of customers expect businesses to respond to negative reviews within a week.

But, according to Womply, over 75 percent of businesses don’t respond to reviews.  Regaining a customer’s loyalty might be as simple as responding to these clients promptly to resolve the issue.

Resolving complaints protects your BBB rating

There are many reasons why responding to all customer complaints is a good practice. Submitting a response indicates a willingness to work with customers to make things right. How a business responds to customer complaints is one of the most significant components of the BBB Business Rating.

BBB Ratings and how they’re derived are sometimes the subject of discussion. For example, how do businesses with thousands of complaints often have an A+ BBB rating? At BBB, we recognize that misunderstandings occur and that the causes of dissatisfaction are not always within everyone’s control. For us, it’s not about how the mix-up occurred but how a business reconciles with its customers.

Businesses that react quickly to customer concerns and work with clients to restore the connection can maintain an A+ Rating. Larger companies with a more extensive network are more likely to have a higher volume of complaints. Rather than focusing on the number of complaints, consider how frequently and effectively those complaints are resolved.

It’s a chance to share your side of the story

Customer reviews are powerful. BrightLocal says 87% of consumers use Google to research local businesses. When there are unfavorable reviews present in that bunch, especially those without responses, it may lead a customer to spend their money somewhere else.

However, reviews may only sometimes tell the complete story. Customers might embellish information in their reviews because they’re seeking compensation. They assume the escalation will encourage your business to react negatively. These circumstances, if left unattended,  can harm your business’ reputation.

Responding to a customer’s review allows you to explain what happened. The steps begin with recognizing the customer’s dissatisfaction, providing insight into what caused the misunderstanding (even if it’s exaggerated), and allowing further reconciliation.

You could save a customer

According to Womply, people spend up to 49 percent more at businesses that reply to reviews. Even unhappy customers may return to a business if they feel their complaints are heard and responded to.

As stated above, customers may be frustrated, but sometimes unfavorable reviews include inflated opinions. Acknowledging the customer’s concerns, working with them, and coming up with a solution together is a great way to repair the relationship and save a paying customer.

However, your answer may save more than just the first customer. You may also keep additional customers who observe how you respond to a challenging situation. Seeing a company professionally work with a dissatisfied client shows future consumers that your company cares about their needs. Taking the time to acknowledge a complaint, even if you cannot provide compensation, can show prospective customers that you care.

Also read BBB Business Tip: How to handle a customer complaint.

For more information

Check out the BBB business news feed and the BizHQ.

Learn more about enhancing your customer relationships.

View the online version

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

ABOUT BBB: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2023, people turned to BBB more than 218 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 5.3 million businesses, and 80,000 times for BBB charity reports on about 12,000 charities, for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States and Canada.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.