Brand detractors are dissatisfied customers who can adversely affect your business. Customer experience and satisfaction play an important role in brand image management.
Brands must focus on customer satisfaction. As a business owner, your main goal is growth. You need to enhance your product and strive to keep your customers satisfied continuously. Every day, you would have various challenges on your to-do list. One of the most significant ones will be dealing with detractors.
When you request customer feedback, you need to be prepared to receive both positive and negative comments. You need to focus your efforts on obtaining this type of negative feedback that helps the continuous improvement of the brand.
In this blog post, we will explore who a brand detractor is, how to identify them, why they play a vital role in your business’s growth, and how to turn them into promoters.
What is a Brand Detractor?
A brand detractor is someone who has had a bad customer experience with a brand or company and speaks out against it. They can hurt a company’s image and influence others to avoid that brand.
Companies might use Net Promoter Score, which is a survey that measures how likely a customer is to recommend your brand to someone else to detect brand detractors. If someone rates your company 0-6 on an NPS survey, they are a brand detractor.
Top organizations have a system to reach out to unhappy customers quickly. The aim is not only to win back that customer but also to stop them from spreading negative information about the business.
How to Detect Brand Detractors?
Net Promoter Score (NPS) helps you gauge how your customers feel. It’s a number from -100 to 100, and it tells you if people want to suggest your brand to others. NPS shows how happy your customers are and how much they like your brand.
In an NPS question, customers are asked, “On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend our brand to your family, friends, or coworkers?”
Based on the responses and the chosen score on this scale, customers are categorized into three categories:
- Scores of 0-6 identify detractors: These individuals are less likely to recommend your product or service to their family or friends. In fact, they may even spread a negative message by word of mouth.
- Respondents with scores of 7-8 fall into the passive category: They may or may not recommend your brand, but your competitors can influence them.
- Those who score 9-10 are regarded as promoters: They are your loyal customers. Not only are they the ones who make purchases or use your services, but they also recommend your brand to their family and friends. Such customers are less likely to be distracted to go to another brand.
You can figure out if someone is a detractor using methods other than NPS surveys. There are different ways to check how satisfied a customer is, like using CSAT or CES scores.
CSAT or customer satisfaction surveys ask about specific parts of your offer, such as a new feature or design. They help you gather feedback about a particular aspect of your business.
CES, which stands for Customer Effort Score, understands how easy or difficult it is to accomplish something with your product. It reveals how much effort you invest in achieving your goals.
How Can Detractors Ruin Your Business?
Brand detractors can harm your business in several ways. They can hurt your brand and revenue. Here are some important points explaining how they can negatively affect your business:
A brand detractor harms through negative reviews and reputation damage.
A brand detractor is often more vocal about their dissatisfaction than satisfied customers are about their positive experiences. They are quick to leave negative reviews and share their grievances online. This touchpoints are also captured in the customer journey map.
Learn more about why understanding your Customer Journey transforms your CX program.
In today’s digital age, where online reviews play a crucial role in customer decision-making, these negative reviews can seriously harm your brand’s reputation. Prospective customers trust online feedback, and a few scathing reviews can deter them from choosing your product or service.
Detractors directly cause high customer churn and customer loss.
High churn rates can harm any business, particularly for subscription-based services (SaaS). Detractors are more likely to cancel their subscriptions or stop using your product.
This increased churn not only results in lost revenue but also hinders your business’s ability to grow. Reducing churn is essential for sustaining and expanding your customer base.
Detractors can create a social media crisis by publicly airing their grievances on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This can quickly escalate and become a PR nightmare.
The negative attention can not only damage your brand’s reputation but also erode trust among your existing and potential customers. Social media crises require immediate and careful handling to mitigate their impact.
Brand detractors push customers to competitors, impacting profits.
When customers are dissatisfied with your product or service, they don’t simply abandon their needs; instead, they often turn to your competitors.
Detractors may switch to competitors’ offerings, taking their business away from you. Losing customers to competitors can hurt your market share and profitability.
They reduce positive word-of-mouth and discourage potential customers.
Happy customers recommend your brand to others. They contribute to positive word-of-mouth marketing. On the other hand, brand detractors are likely to dissuade their friends, family, and colleagues from doing business with you.
This means not only the loss of one customer but also the potential loss of many more due to their negative influence.
A brand detractor represents missed opportunities for change through feedback.
Detractors often provide valuable feedback that, if addressed, can lead to product or service improvements. Ignoring their concerns means missing opportunities to enhance your offerings and satisfy other customers.
Negative feedback can be a valuable source of insights for making necessary adjustments to prevent further detractors.
What to do with a Brand Detractor?
Did you know that an unhappy customer will tell between 9 and 15 people about the negative experience they had with a brand?
As a business owner, your first step should be identifying those customers who aren’t happy with what you’re providing, whether it’s a product or service. If you don’t give them a platform to express their concerns, you risk losing their loyalty, and they might switch to our competitors.
By neglecting these negative comments, you miss out on numerous opportunities to enhance your offerings and address issues before they escalate. So, your initial action should involve gathering all this feedback to initiate the necessary improvements.
When a customer invests their time in providing feedback, it is often with hope or anticipation. They expect your company to respond proactively to their opinions with constructive actions. When customers express dissatisfaction with their feedback, it presents a valuable opportunity for your company to showcase its dedication to attentive listening and make a positive impression.
Responding to a brand detractor is a crucial aspect of improving customer satisfaction and enhancing your brand’s reputation. Here are some simple initial steps to do this:
- Say Sorry: First, say sorry for the bad customer experience. Don’t argue or get defensive.
- Ask Questions: Find out what went wrong. Talk to the unhappy customers and understand their issues better.
- Make a Plan: Make a plan to fix the problem. Think about how you can make the customer happy again.
- Fix the Problem: Take action to make things right. This might mean giving a refund, replacing a product, or providing a better service.
- Stay in Touch: Keep in touch with the customer and let them know how things are going. Make sure they are happy with the solution.
How do You Turn a Brand Detractor into a Promoter?
Turning a brand detractor into a brand promoter can be a challenging but rewarding process. Here are the key steps you can follow to achieve this transformation:
01. Encourage feedback and make contact easy.
Listen to your clients – they all want that. Your job is to make it easy for them at every step of their buying process. A great way to achieve this is by using survey software to run your NPS campaign.
- Feedback Channels: Ensure you have various feedback channels, such as customer surveys, email, social media, and a dedicated customer support line. The more accessible these channels are, the more likely detractors will reach out with their concerns.
- User-Friendly Feedback Forms: Ensure your feedback forms are easy to use. Keep them short and to the point to encourage detractors to share their thoughts without feeling overwhelmed.
02. Put an end to the Feedback Loop.
When you use surveys to collect customer feedback, that’s just the start. After you find out what’s not right and try your best to make it better, make sure to inform your customers that you’ve solved the problem.
- Acknowledge Receipt of Feedback: When a detractor provides feedback, promptly acknowledge that you’ve received it. This demonstrates that you take their concerns seriously.
- Provide Regular Updates: Keep the detractor informed about the progress you’re making to address their issues. Regular updates show that you’re actively working on solutions.
- Notify When Changes are Implemented: Once you’ve resolved the problem, inform the detractor about the actions taken and any changes made based on their feedback. This helps close the feedback loop and can turn a detractor into a promoter if they see positive changes.
03. Quickly respond to their complaints.
If you have a brand detractor, the simplest solution is to tackle their complaints early to stop any problems from getting worse. Don’t waste time – the longer you take to fix their issues, the more likely they are to switch to a competitor’s product.
- Timely Response: Quick responses are crucial. Detractors often expect swift action. Respond to their messages or feedback immediately to prevent further dissatisfaction.
- 24/7 Support: If possible, provide 24/7 customer support or a clear timeline for when they can expect a response.
- Set Response Time Goals: Establish internal response time targets to ensure a swift reaction to detractor feedback. Use customer support software to automate the process.
04. Pay attention and show empathy.
Don’t just send a basic thank-you message to someone unhappy with you. Let them see that you understand their problem and that you’re working hard to fix it fast.
- Listen Actively: Pay close attention to what the detractor is saying. Understand their perspective and the emotions involved in their experience.
- Express Empathy: Show that you understand and care about their feelings. A compassionate response can go a long way in diffusing negative emotions and building trust. When responding, demonstrate your concern by saying things like, “I understand you’re upset about this situation” or “I know it’s really frustrating.”
05. Do not underpromise or overpromise your abilities.
Make sure to be cautious when you promise something to a brand detractor. If you say you’ll fix a problem, make sure to follow through with your actions. Making a promise you can’t keep will only make things worse.
- Be Realistic: While you want to resolve issues to the best of your ability, avoid making promises you can’t keep. Be clear about what you can do, and follow through on those commitments.
- Underpromise and Overdeliver: If possible, exceed the detractor’s expectations with the resolution. This can lead to a more positive outcome and turn a detractor into a loyal promoter.
By following these steps, you can effectively transform a brand detractor into a brand promoter. It will demonstrate your commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.
Turn Your Brand Detractors into Promoters Using QuestionPro
QuestionPro’s powerful survey and feedback capabilities provide the tools you need to manage and transform detractors into brand promoters effectively. By using these features, you can not only improve your brand’s reputation but also build stronger customer relationships.
To turn your brand detractors into promoters using QuestionPro CX, you can follow a strategic approach that leverages the features and capabilities of the QuestionPro CX platform. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
- Identify Your Detractors: Utilize the QuestionPro CX platform to segment and identify detractors based on their feedback and Net Promoter Score (NPS) responses.
- Create Detractor-Focused Surveys: Design surveys specifically targeting brand detractors to gather detailed feedback about their concerns and experiences. QuestionPro offers customizable survey templates to get you started.
- Analyze Detractor Feedback: Use QuestionPro CX’s analytics tools to analyze detractor feedback. Identify common themes, pain points, and specific issues that are leading to their dissatisfaction.
- Take Immediate Action: Based on the insights gained from the analysis, implement prompt and effective solutions to address the detractors’ concerns. Make sure to demonstrate your commitment to resolving their issues.
QuestionPro CX Detractor Recovery
The top companies act fast when their customers are unhappy. They do this not just to keep customers but also to stop unhappy customers from talking negatively about them. So, it’s crucial to reach out to the unhappiest customers right away.
At QuestionPro, we have a process called “Detractor Recovery.” It’s a tool that helps companies get negative feedback and act on it quickly.
You can make tickets for any negative survey responses. Set up an email alert to go to the group administrator getting the negative feedback.
Gathering this info will help you address customer issues quickly and prevent negative comments or lost loyalty. It’ll keep your team focused on the customers’ real needs and make them more efficient.
Remember, this also improves your organization’s work environment, as everyone will be ready to handle detractors.
If you’re looking for an easy way to handle detractors, check out our detractor recovery solution. Feel free to book a demo of this feature on our QuestionPro CX platform.
