I don’t want this blog to seem negative but I noticed I have slammed some big companies lately for poor customer service. Like this one about Google and this one about Taco Bell and MetroPCS.

I like these companies! I continue to do business with all of them. But I think real-world examples of the big guys dropping the ball can illuminate how the rest of us can do better with our own businesses.

And today I read a great article called Screaming users considered good by Dan Russell of Creating Passionate Users. In it, Dan tells of a time when he was given some very harsh criticism.

She told me that my software, my baby, the thing I’d been working on for the past 2 years was “..the most white male fascist tool I’ve ever had the misfortune to use…”

Sometimes we don’t see negative reviews coming. But we should be grateful for them when they occur.

Negative feedback teaches us how to grow and improve. Negative feedback from your customers is especially important as they are telling you exactly what they want from you so that they will be satisfied.

Some tips for accepting criticism:

• Be open-minded
• Listen
• Don’t respond until they are done talking
• Don’t take it personal
• Give the person talking your full attention
• Don’t apply value-judgments to what they are saying until you have time to think about it
• Be gracious and grateful
• Take it seriously

Your customers don’t have to take the time to let you know where you are slipping. And if you don’t fix the problem eventually your competition will.

Next Article: What is Search Engine Optimization? Previous Article: Shockingly Simple: Get ANY Adsense account banned

Leave a Reply