Are your customers brave enough to tell you the truth?

I was reading some posts in a business forum recently that really got me thinking about how honest people are to one another in the business world. The forum was for online business professionals. One woman was known for doing interviews with people who were related to her niche. She would then post them on her website for free, and give a link back to the interviewee’s website.

All seemed to be well until she interviewed one particular lady about a week ago. This lady was kind of blunt, but she thought the interview went just fine until she got a fateful email a few days later. Apparently, the interviewee thought she was emailing her own husband, but had accidentally emailed the lady who did the interview.

In the email, she recounted the “stupid” questions she thought the lady asked during the interview. She also talked about how her website was the ugliest one she had ever seen and wished she had looked at it prior to doing the interview.

Now, I have to say that the story was slightly amusing. We have all sent an email or two that we wished we could reel back in like a fishing line. But, this lady was totally missing the point. While she was upset over what the woman had said (or thought she said) to her husband in confidence, the real lesson should have been about taking criticism constructively.

Even though it was “business”, she got highly defensive when others tried to tell her that her purple and black, depressing looking website is, in fact, ugly. She fought with people and told them that looks don’t matter, it reflected what she liked, etc….

Instead of using the criticism to better her site and her business, she found fault with the person who criticized her. The real truth was that the interviewee did not demean her in public or try to slander her name. She was simply relaying her private thoughts to her husband. Instead she apparently hit the wrong button and gave this woman some much needed, yet not well received, advice.

So, how does this apply to you? Well, we all need to be open to change and listen to our customers, so ask yourself these two questions:

1. Do your customers and clients know, without a shadow of a doubt, that they can criticize your business, processes, products and services without you going crazy about it? Do they know that your only desire is to be better so you are willing to listen with two ears and a closed mouth?
2. Are you always open and willing to listen to the advice of others and implement changes, even hard ones, when needed? 

We should all take a long, hard look at how we accept criticism within our businesses. We are all human and these comments can sting, but you should always be wondering what your customers are saying about you in their private moments when they are being totally honest. Then, you should invite them to “accidentally” email you too.

 
Dedicated to your success.

Greg Pitstick & Bill Brown