Don’t censor online feedback

Yesterday the following 60-second tip from Get to the Po!nt at MarketingProfs.com popped into my email inbox. I was about to write my own post on the power of feedbacks – positive and negative – but this came up and I can see no reason to comment on it or edit it in any way. I absolutely agree with it! It’s why TRUSTcite has both a good and not-so-good feedback facility rather than just positive feedback only. Professional speaker and business growth consultant Bill James is certainly using positive feedback to great effect. The original article on MarketingProfs is here. The email article started:

Nobody likes negative feedback—and in the harsh glare of the Internet, where anonymity often breeds bad manners, complaints left on your Web site can feel especially scathing. It’s understandable to be tempted to block comments entirely or to delete those that criticize your product or service.

Natalie Ferguson, who blogs at Duct Tape Marketing, says you should re-think the value of negative comments. “I have yet to see an example of bad feedback actually hurting a good company.” She explains her position with the following three points:

Nobody’s perfect. It’s only natural that some customers will have issues. In fact, a page full of blazingly happy and unanimous feedback is more likely to raise suspicion than to allay concerns.

It might be the only feedback you get. People who won’t write a letter or make a phone call might leave an online comment. “Embrace it,” says Natalie. Use the input as constructive criticism to improve your business.

Respond with a positive solution. Promptly and openly resolve the issue with a free replacement, a discount or an explanation. You may win back a customer. You’ll certainly impress other readers.

The Po!nt: Allowing negative feedback on your website might bruise your ego, but it’s unlikely to hurt your business if you handle it well. Your willingness to publicly deal with problems might even enhance your credibility and build more customer loyalty.