For many businesses, their reputation remains a key aspect of attracting and retaining their customers. Sure, large organizations like Facebook and Electronic Arts are regularly vilified but continue to thrive. Yet if your business reputation is tarnished, it’s likely to have serious ramifications.
The problem is that a single misstep has the potential to leave your business in tatters. As a result, and in an effort to deflect against any possible public blunders, you need to put together the best offense possible and build a strong business reputation.
To have your audience say the right things about your business, the elements are to produce a highly regarded business reputation.
Keep your promises
Sticking to promises is important for any business. If you’re offering to, say, deliver a product within 24 hours of ordering, make sure it is delivered within that timeframe. Failure to do so will instantly lead to negative reviews from customers.
Also, remember that promises are not necessarily explicit. Customers expect the products and services they purchase to match their perceived value. If they feel they’ve overpaid or received a shoddy product/service, they will make this known via any available channels.
Go above and beyond
Along with keeping your promises, try and make it an aim to exceed expectations. When you go above and beyond, this creates an instant – and memorable – impression on customers. An example of this could be to offer to exchange a faulty product and ensure you won’t settle until they have everything they need. Even adding a small bonus, such as sweets or exclusive discount codes, as part of deliveries can work.
Take care of your employees
Your reputation isn’t built solely on the opinions and feedback of your customers. It’s also important you account for your employees. For instance, if you produce a substandard workplace environment, word will eventually get out. Aside from this, it will also harm your employees’ wellness and productivity, which can lead to issues with providing optimum service to your customers.
Fortunately, there are various ways to take care of your employees the right way. A welcoming and fun environment, flexible working options, and career progression opportunities can all help in that regard. Yet, one of the most effective ways is to provide a healthy benefits package.
This doesn’t just mean a generous wage packet, either. Additional benefits can include everything from additional days off to premium health insurance. Regarding the latter, Zenefits is a marketplace for company health insurance, ensuring you can find the right plan for your employees and budget.
Respond the right way
Communicating with customers is an important element for any business. This is particularly the case in the modern age, where online reviews and your responses are in the public domain for everyone to see. When you respond, you need to do so with a high level of professionalism and compassion.
Even if you’re replying to an overly negative and hurtful comment, remember to keep cool and show you’re the bigger person – it’ll tend to actually make neutral observers see your business in a positive light.
