Reputation can make or break a business. Social media and instant messaging are often used by people to vent their frustrations when they are dissatisfied with customer experience: a negative message on social media or through word of mouth can spread very quickly and deter customers from using a business.

Your brand is what people say about you on social media. Social media reviews can be an effective opportunity to broadcast to a wide audience of potential customers and investors that your business is thriving and – best of all – it is free advertising.

When individual customers or business-to-business customers interact with a company, they take for granted that their needs and expectations will be met. They also expect to be treated with courtesy and politeness at all times. When people are treated rudely or dismissively, they get angry and complain to others on social media and their personal or professional circles. This is how existing customers and potential new customers are lost.

When someone’s needs and expectations are not only met but exceeded, a one-off customer becomes a regular customer that will tell others about their experience with that business. When someone is not only treated with courtesy and politeness, but also they feel listened to, respected and treated as a unique individual they will want to do business with you. At this point, you have a loyal customer and – most importantly – you have someone who is going to speak highlight of your business to others in their social and professional circles.

Customers praising your business are a powerful social proof that your business is a reliable and trustworthy choice. Genuine praise from customers is more effective to attract new customers than any paid advertising because praise from individuals is perceived as honest and dependable.

How can your business capitalise on this free yet powerful endorsement?

• Only employees who are courteous, respectful and polite, as well as knowledgeable and competent, should be in customer service, sales and customer-facing positions. This should be obvious, but how many times have you been treated rudely by customer service staff? And how many times have the customer service representatives lacked the knowledge to help you? Let this not be your business.
• To meet and exceed customers’ expectations, your business needs to know what these expectations are. Well-tailored customer surveys are very useful to understand what customers are looking for and if your business is currently providing it. However, they must be phrased clearly and in a targeted way to elicit accurate feedback. The data must also be interpreted correctly to obtain accurate results.
• One step beyond customer feedback is to let customers know that you have listened to their opinions and have changed the way your business operates thanks to their feedback. If customers have spent time helping your business understand how to improve, they will appreciate to know that you are responsive to their preferences.
• Wherever possible, creating a personal rapport with customers is very helpful to both customers and the business, especially in business-to-business relationships. If customers have a point of reference and someone who knows about their needs, it will be easier for the business to understand what the customer wants, to deliver it in the most suitable way for your customer and to exceed their expectations. A happy customer makes a successful business.