What could be better for your brand than a satisfied customer? – A satisfied customer who is willing to share their amazing experience. Today’s customers are vocal about their experiences, and they will not hesitate to take to social channels to praise or bash your product or service.
Actively listening and responding to customer feedback has become a priority for many companies, as it provides invaluable insights. Unfortunately, negative buzz can be quite damaging to your brand, and in many cases more enduring than positive reviews. Social media is an excellent venting board – and it’s viral.
Struggling with Negative Customer Feedback? Mobile to the Rescue!
Mobile can be a powerful ally in managing negative customer feedback and harnessing its power to enhance your market position.
Customers are more than ready to provide feedback straight from their mobile device at a moment’s notice. A recent survey by Apptentive and SurveyMonkey found that 51 per cent of customers expect companies to ask them for feedback directly. Among mobile app users, that proportion is greater: 64 per cent of customers who prefer to leave feedback in a mobile app expect companies to ask them for it directly.
1. Offer a “Complainer” Mobile App
An explosion of negative buzz can be a cathartic experience. Remember Domino’s Pizza’s “humble pie” campaign of 2011, which helped the brand turn the tables in public opinion and quickly improve sales?
If your organisation is struggling with negative customer feedback on social channels, offer them a dedicated mobile channel – a user-friendly app allowing them to enter immediate feedback in the context of their customer experience.
By offering your customers a feedback-ready mobile app, you are telling them, “We are listening. We are ready to address your problems.” Your customers will appreciate the opportunity to vent directly to you, as well as the certainty of receiving a prompt response. Your app can allow users to take pictures, enter comments, and select a topic or category from a drop-down. But don’t forget to ensure that all complaints are promptly responded to and addressed!
2. Include Context-Aware Feedback Options in Your Branded Apps
Today, nearly two-thirds of American adults own a smartphone, according to Pew Research. Offering a portfolio of targeted mobile apps is a must for any organisation looking to improve its competitive advantage and customer engagement.
So, why not include feedback options in all of your customer-facing apps? Interactive, context-aware functions can make these options unobtrusive and timely. Here are just a few ideas:
- Use geofencing to pop up an exit survey when a customer leaves your facility.
- Use Low-Energy Bluetooth beacons to track dwell times in your waiting rooms or customer service areas; have your app pop up a “vent board” if a user’s dwell time exceeds a certain limit.
- Pop up a coupon for a free coffee or a discount if the wait time exceeds (n) minutes.
- Respond to entered feedback with an immediate message of gratitude.
Testing these functions with a real focus group is critical to the success of your strategy. Use rapid mobile prototyping tools to quickly design and test different feedback functions in your branded apps. As you test your prototype, you can modify content and functionality dynamically and ensure that your use case gains traction with your customers.
3. Use Mobile to Target the Root of the Problem
Mobile can be your best friend when it comes to managing your organisation’s online reputation and social buzz. But if customers are genuinely unhappy with service, some of this frustration and negative customer feedback will inevitably spill out on social media. Mobile apps are not a cure-all.
Fortunately, mobile can help you target the root of the problem – be it long wait times, lack of communication, or high cost of services. Identify areas where introducing mobile tools can improve the quality of service and customer engagement, and get cranking on that prototype!
[Source: It proportal]
