What tone should we use to reply to customer complaints?
We recommend avoiding corporate phrases such as:
· We apologize for the inconvenience
· We remain at your disposal
· We apologize sincerely
You can opt for a conversational tone such as:
· We're sorry this happened
· We're here for you
· We're really sorry about this
They sound friendlier and more natural so people feel they're interacting with another human being, not a faceless company feeding them corporate lines.
What should we do if someone leaves a negative review with incorrect or exaggerated details?
Depending on what they said, you can:
· Acknowledge their negative feelings if they expressed any. Validating people's feelings goes a long way to show them they're being heard. This doesn't mean you agree with their account of what happened.
· Describe what happened in a neutral, friendly tone.
· Depending on whether their situation was resolved or not, encourage them to reach out to support for more help.
How honest should we be in our reply to a negative customer experience?
We recommend:
· Being honest about the reasons behind what happened, without sharing any legally sensitive information.
· Taking responsibility if your company made any mistakes.
· Explaining the steps you will take to resolve the issue or prevent it from happening again.
Yes it can be scary to share bad news or admit your company made a mistake. But besides following a high ethical standard, customers have access to a lot of information these days and stories spread fast on social media. Any excuses or half-truths will usually be exposed and your company could end up looking worse than if you just owned up to it in the first place and took control of the narrative.