It’s every entrepreneur’s dream to see his or her idea become a reality, especially if it becomes a hit product or service that’s widely used.
When you hear stories of founders and CEOs who say that the growth of their business is beyond their wildest dreams, that’s likely because their idea transformed an entire industry.
For many, this was never the intention in the early days, back when they were bouncing around business ideas or hacking together a minimally viable product. A business that takes off requires the entire team to hold on for dear life when opportunities and challenges arise.
While I advocate that startups have a business plan, the contents rarely cover circumstantial challenges faced on a day-to-day basis. There are challenges that aren’t mentioned in business plans, such as overcoming missed deadlines, bouncing back from a failed project, or handling negative criticism online.
Having worked with several consultants, crisis management experts, and even lawyers, I’m offering a framework we’ve used internally that will be helpful to CEOs, brand managers, and public relations reps when their company faces criticism.
Separate fact from fiction
When storms start swirling around you and get stronger by the minute, discernment is the watchword. Despite how ridiculous the accusations are, you must be diligent and investigate their validity. Disrupting entrenched industries will certainly result in someone saying that what you are doing is “illegal” (consider accusations made against Uber and Airbnb). Just because a business is disruptive doesn’t make it illegal. Anticipate that you’ll get your fair share of threatening remarks that frankly are completely baseless.
Response #1: Be armed. Consult a lawyer to gain the confidence that you’re on the right side of the law. Ask for language to be drafted, and if possible, reference previous case law clarifying that you’re operating on the up-and-up.
Response #2: If you know you’re in the wrong, fix it. Your response should be in proportion to the severity of the issue, ranging from an apology email to an in-person reconciliation to set the record straight.
Distinguish between critics and customers
Knowing who is saying what matters a lot. The critic holds the belief that what you’ve done is wrong. True, there are professions where people are paid to be critics (stock analysts, sports commentators, and movie critics). But the critic I’m referring to has no such mandate. For whatever reason, these critics are compelled to inform the rest of the world of their opinion, regardless of how objective it is. The credibility of such a critic is greatly reduced when they have limited or no experience whatsoever interacting with your organization. Perhaps you worked together years ago, but now you’ve implemented improvements, changed a process for the better, and gained further recognition for doing the right thing.
Response #3: Resist getting pulled in. In my view, a critic that’s kicking the hornet’s nest just because they can should be ignored. Responding publicly in the middle of a fierce debate among critics just makes you more of a target than you already are. Sadly, the best response is no response.
A customer is someone I’d define as a person or an organization that is paying you money to deliver a product or service, be it online or off. Simply put, a financial transaction has occurred. It’s the customer that you absolutely need to pay attention to, respond to, and have a do-whatever-it-takes attitude to resolve a situation.
How do you know if you’re doing it well?
Ask. That’s right: after your customers have contacted you for anything ranging from a password reset to a shipping tracking number, send a brief 60-second survey asking them to rate their experience. At Voices.com, we consistently receive 9s and 10s. Our average this year is 93.58%.
Response #4: Matters of fact, expressed by an actual customer, absolutely require a response. The faster, the better. At Voices.com, we have a customer service standard of replying in 12 hours, which in most cases translates into a same-day response, even if you’re on the other side of the world. Respond quickly and professionally, and ask how you can right the situation. It’s that last part that’s key. To the best of your knowledge, ensure that you’ve brought the situation to a close. Well done!
Recognize the vocal minority
As we climb the decision tree, there is an important truth you should learn (if you haven’t already). You can’t please everyone all the time. While you may try to be all things to all people, you just can’t please everyone all the time. Consequently, there will be a vocal minority that dislikes change, no matter how small.
Response #5: If a majority of customers express concern or frustration, you definitely need to be paying attention by monitoring overall sentiment, customer satisfaction scores, customer loyalty metrics, and yes, speaking with customers on the phone or meeting in person. Have the humility to undo a failed product launch or communicate needed updates to your terms of service. We’ve had to do this a handful of times over the years. Be careful not to be too willing to backpedal. Only consider this option if the vast majority of your customers are unified in their opinion that change is needed.
Response #6: For those customers in the vocal minority, they need to understand that you’re trying to meet the needs of as many people as possible. Engage this group to discover what the root of their concern is and how to best to address it going forward. Oftentimes, this group of customers just needs to be heard.
Repel personal attacks
Have you ever heard that the pioneers are the ones with the arrows in their backs? The people who step out in front become targets. Have you also noticed how some arrows hurt more than others? That’s because the ones that hurt most are personal attacks, such as name-calling, and questioning personal values or religious beliefs. It’s happened to me and my co-founder, and yes, it can be hurtful. But is that a reason to respond? In my view, those who resort to name-calling and religious hatred do not deserve a response.
Response #7: If you are experiencing this kind of attack, members of your team are likely being affected as well. The most effective response in this case is an internal one. Support your team as best you can, and continue to live out your values. Encourage them in the good work they are doing, and stay on mission to accomplish the goals you’ve set out to achieve. They are following you for a reason and will be strengthened by your indomitable spirit.