Debunking 6 Most Common Myths About Receiving Client Feedback

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Are you hesitant about receiving feedback because they might be all complaints? Do you just accept the positive ones? This article can help you shed light on the common misconceptions about client feedback!

Let’s face it: Receiving client feedback is a crucial part of improving your business. Imagine the thrill of receiving a 5-star Google Review!

It’s of course, worth feeling proud about. Your hard work pays off, so give yourself a pat on the back!

However, some business owners are holding back on receiving reviews and feedback. 

Why does that happen?

Because there are several myths or misconceptions about client feedback that are ingrained at the back of their minds. 

The thing is, if you are shying away or if you give very little regard on what your clients and customers are saying, it can hamper your progress!

It can also hurt your business reputation in the long run.  That’s how important impressive customer service is!

So, let’s set things straight, debunk some common misconceptions about client feedback, and uncover the truth behind them.

Want to be consistent in receiving that 5-star reviews in your business? Download our free resource, The Art of WOW! The Ultimate Guide to Five-Star Customer Service today!

6 Common Client Feedback Myths

On the other hand, if you understand the importance of client feedback and reviews in every shape that they come from, you can leverage this resource as a tool to improve your products and services.

Your business success hangs in the balance!

Let’s discuss and debunk the myths, shall we?

Myth 1: I should focus only on positive (or negative) feedback

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Some business owners have this personal preference to focus on either just positive of negative feedback from customers. 

If they’re paying more attention on just the positive customer feedback, they shield their world and tend to be too focused on the good things they do. Doing this lead to the ignorance of the points the business need to improve on. 

On the other hand, considering the negative feedback is useful because it highlights areas for improvement. But being too focused ONLY on the negative ones can lead to negative thoughts about the self and the business!

Leaning too much on just one side of customer feedback can lead to business blindness, hampering your growth.

So what should a business owner do? 

Welcome all of the feedback! Study each review you receive in your business!

Embrace the positive feedback and continue what you’re doing right, reinforce good practices and boost your team morale. 

Assess the negative ones (should they come), and discuss in your team what needs to be changed to improve your services.

Remember that appreciating both positive and negative feedback can help you maintain strengths and address weaknesses.

Related read: How to Achieve Five-Star Customer Service Experiences in Your Business

Myth 2: Only collect feedback when something goes wrong

In connection to focusing on negative feedback, there are business owners who often think feedback is only necessary when there are problems.

A dispute or complaint arise? Let’s collect more feedback. 

But here’s the best practice: have regular, proactive feedback collection.

This will help you stay ahead of potential issues in the business and continuously improve. You can easily spot the points you need to polish in your systems and act upon them as soon as you can. 

Remember that when you engage with clients consistently, you can enhance your offerings and build stronger relationships, raising your customer satisfaction rate.

Myth 3: Feedback is just about complaints

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This third myth is possibly the biggest reason why most business owners are hesitant to receive client satisfaction feedbacks: They think these reviews are all about complaints.

And who’d like to receive complaints continuously, right?

But there’s the truth: feedback from customers comes in various forms!

These include suggestions, compliments, and questions. 

When you gather all these, you will have a better understanding of your client experiences and expectations, guiding your business toward comprehensive improvements. 

So be sure to welcome them all, and in time you’ll see that your business’ customer feedback and satisfaction are achieved.

Remember that listening to your clients, making them feel heard, is integral to your business growth.

Myth 4: Client satisfaction is all about the product

Are the products effective? Are they packaged well? 

Do they have the capacity to change lives for the better?

It’s easy to think that client satisfaction hinges solely on the quality of your product. And that’s an infamous myth we need to debunk.

Here’s the reality: Client satisfaction is a collective effect of the product, service, communication, and clarity. 

Ever been in a store or cafe with rude or inattentive staff, but people say the products there are good? Even if the food or the products are good, they might still get not-so-satisfied customers at the end of the day. 

Most of the time, it’s the nice feeling which translates to excellent customer service that makes the experience so much better!

So as much as you focus on your products and services, remember that transparent communication, and clear instructions or information can significantly enhance the client experience.

It’s the key to making them feel valued and understood beyond the product itself.

Myth 5: I have to please everyone, and that’s impossible.

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The second mistake is not properly doing due diligence through research. Just because someone recommended a tool to you doesn’t mean you won’t do any research at all!

Remember that it is in the research that you’ll clearly know which tool is the right match in your business. This is closely tied with the first and the third common mistakes we’re discussing in this article. 

In our scenario, doing a thorough and comparative research between the CRMs in the market will enlighten you of each of their features, pricings, user interface, and even customer feedback. 

With these information at hand, you will get a clearer view of which tool is aligned with your business goals.

Remember: If you skip this crucial step, you’re most likely to be led to misguided strategies, wasted resources, and missed opportunities, ultimately hampering your startup’s growth. (And we don’t want that, don’t we?)

So, to avoid this mistake, be sure to do thorough and comparative research, so you’ll know the perfect fit tools for your business!

Ever felt this one? The pressure of trying to please and satisfy every single customer can be overwhelming!

We can’t blame business owners who are feeling this. At some point, especially when a business is starting up, this might be a main focus. 

Let’s debunk this myth with reality: It’s impossible to please everyone, and trying to do so can dilute your brand and exhaust your resources. 

Instead, focus on your target audience and strive to meet their specific needs and preferences. That’s why we need to do market research and define our client personas!

Accepting that not every client will be fully satisfied allows you to concentrate on those who matter most to your business. 

And when you begin to understand this principle, you’ll be able to let go of the pressure and push through your business growth. 

Fight the pressure and find out how to focus on impressing your client persona with our free resource, The Art of WOW! The Ultimate Guide to Five-Star Customer Service.

Myth 6: Acting on Feedback is Optional

And last but not the least myth: Some businesses treat acting on feedback as an optional task.

This misconception is dangerous. If you’re thinking about customer feedback this way, this is your sigh to change mindset!

The reality is that responding to and implementing feedback is crucial for demonstrating that you value your clients’ opinions. 

What’s the good of gathering feedback if they’ll simply be tossed aside? The best practice here is to utilise what your clients are saying by using them to leverage your business game plan.

Remember that businesses that act on feedback can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, leading to long-term success, and more loyal customers!

Are you ready for more client feedback?

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Now that we’ve debunked 6 of the most common myths about customer feedback and satisfaction, here’s the question:

Are you ready to let go of the misconceptions and embrace more client feedback for your business?

Remember that client feedback is your compass to better understand your market. Their words will help you know if your products and services are effective and are bringing positive impact in their lives. 

After all, you’re in the business because you want to help THEM, so keep focusing on THEM!

If you need extra help on how to have that consistent 5-star reviews in your business, our free resource, The Art of WOW! The Ultimate Guide to Five-Star Customer Service can help you out!

In this guide, you will:

✅ Define the importance of always aiming for a 5-star customer service experience.

✅ Know the 5 phases that transforms a lead into a loyal customer.

✅ Discover how to foster meaningful connections with your customers and cultivate a loyal base of clients and networks.

✅ Actionable self-assessments to know how your current customer service process is in your business.

✅ Understand why testimonials are not everything we’re hoping to gather after a deal.

So, as you go on with your marketing efforts, remember that the power to WOW is in your hands! 

Need more guidance to grow your business? Reach out to our Growth Strategist!