Turn Bad News to Good News
In my blog, “Testimonials and Elder Care Marketing,” I discussed how client testimonials and customer feedback are powerful tools when marketing to seniors. Allowing potential clients to read that others are satisfied with your elder care service may boost your company’s credibility and image. But what happens if the feedback you receive is not positive? As professionals in the field of elder care services and senior marketing, you must be aware that a negative opinion has the potential to be damaging.
So what should you do if you receive negative feedback? The answer to this question is simple: address the person who wrote the feedback immediately and make sure that you use the follow-up opportunity as a way to turn the customer’s negative reaction into a positive experience.
Act promptly when you receive a negative response from a customer. Never minimize the importance of it. There is a great deal of truth to the old adage “bad news travels faster and farther than good news!” If you learn that a customer, client or patient has had a poor experience with your business, call or contact that person quickly and ask them what you could have done to improve their experience. In addition, ask them if there is any way that you can serve them again.
Alert your staff or team members immediately about what has happened. Discuss how you can work together to prevent similar experiences from happening in the future. Remind your staff just how damaging an angry customer or dissatisfied client can be to the reputation of your elder care business.
It is important to be aware if negative feedback about your business has spread to other professionals, referral sources, clients or even the social media sites. If so, use this as an opportunity to let colleagues and clients know that you have made changes to your senior care business to prevent the occurrence of similar situations. While nobody wants to receive bad news, one thing you can do is to turn the bad news into good news!
Using testimonials and feedback in the elder care business can help you influence potential clients and their decision makers. Even careful use of negative feedback can result in positive opportunities for improving your company’s image and increasing your business. If you would like additional assistance on using feedback when marketing to seniors, contact Focus on Aging.
Marla Levie, BSW, MA, President and Founder of Focus on Aging, has successfully been providing marketing consulting, social media and recruiting services to the elder care market and to other service-related professions in the Chicago area for more than 20 years. Use the contact tab to email Marla for additional information about her services.