StepByStepMarketing.com: Why it’s OK to Let Customers Gripe on Your Website

Lessons from Meathead Movers
Why it’s OK to let customers gripe on your website
By: Ken Beaulieu

Step by Step Marketing.com – Did a customer just post a negative comment on your website? Were you taken aback? If so, relax. If you treat negative comments the right way, they can become powerful tools for winning over customers. That’s the lesson from Meathead Movers, in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Meathead, which staffs its moving crews with clean-cut college athletes, lets customers say anything they want on the comments page of its website.

A lot of the feedback is positive, like this: “This moving experience was the best we’ve ever had… What we liked best about the whole experience was the combination of exceptional communication at every stage, plus total quality and reliability.”

When a love letter like that arrives, Meathead doesn’t reply, but the company is quick to respond to complaints. Consider this gripe: “Eddie was very nice, but I felt he was a slow starter… I had to ask him to re-pack 2 glass kitchen items because the top flaps were not even, flat nor closed together in a tight seal. To me, that is a basic packing principle.”

Here’s how the company responded on its website: “Thank you so much for your detailed feedback. We strive to fully satisfy every single customer, and sincerely apologize that we were unable to do so for you. Please rest assured that we hear everything you said and are implementing improvements immediately. We will be in contact first thing tomorrow to confirm how we can satisfy you. Thank you, Meathead Movers”

So make it a habit to always welcome negative comments and respond quickly and in a positive way. And be sure to use your website to tell people what you did to make the problem right.