Customer reviews in claims: the good, the bad and the ugly

Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People.

Most companies will say that they value all feedback, both positive and negative. But in reality, customer reviews aren’t always used to their full potential. For businesses, reviews are an opportunity to learn what is working well, and what could be improved.

How to collect customer reviews

There are various ways companies can encourage their customers to write a review, including through social media, email and direct mail. Others may prefer to collect reviews through an independent review site.

Customers are looking for reassurance when reading reviews, so it’s a good idea to make your reviews public, either by displaying them on your own website or through an independent review site.

How to respond to negative reviews

While some companies may be concerned about receiving negative reviews, if leveraged correctly, they can be a valuable tool for improving your relationship with your customers.

Whatever the theme of the review, businesses need to respond quickly. Customers want their concerns to be heard, and to see companies demonstrating a desire to learn and improve.

Never get defensive when responding to negative feedback. Instead, confirm you’ve acknowledged the complaint, and show compassion for the problems the customer has experienced.

Next, explain how you plan to resolve their concern. This may be providing the customer with an email address or phone number to discuss the matter further with a team member. Offering suitable solutions makes a company stand out as active and eager to improve.

After resolving negative feedback, follow up with the customer to make sure they’ve been left satisfied. Some customers will even return to write a positive review once their problem has been resolved.

How to use negative feedback effectively

If you’re collecting reviews, you should be actively keeping on top of any new ones that come in. Not every review will require an action, but you should swiftly deal with any that highlight areas for improvement.

Receiving multiple negative reviews regarding the claims process is the perfect opportunity to review and update the process for others. Perhaps customers have complained about the duration of a claim, or were left unsatisfied with a delay in a payout. Look into why the process may have taken so long and start formulating a plan to reduce the likelihood of other customers experiencing a wait of this length.

Perhaps reviews have highlighted that the website is difficult to navigate. In this case, you could look into ways to improve the online user experience. If customers are regularly stating that they can’t get through on the phone, look into what days and times they’re experiencing this. If you can identify any trends or patterns, consider increasing the number of employees who are on the phones during these periods.

The claims process can be stressful for the policyholder involved, so they want their experience to be as smooth as possible. Negative feedback gives the company insight into where it’s falling short, and should always be used as a tool to improve customer experience.

Image: Jacqueline Dewey, CEO of Smart Money People.

Guest Post This post was created just for Claims Media by a guest contributor.