{"id":2560,"date":"2020-07-15T09:00:53","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T13:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog3.canny.io\/wordpress\/?p=2560"},"modified":"2024-04-02T11:45:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-02T15:45:22","slug":"encouraging-dissent-negative-feedback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/encouraging-dissent-negative-feedback\/","title":{"rendered":"Encouraging dissent: Why negative feedback is valuable"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cYour product is terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Ouch. No one likes to hear that.<\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s actually something to look forward to. Negative feedback can give you a cold, hard dose of reality.<\/p>\n<h2>Is negative feedback a good thing?<\/h2>\n<p>For many companies, the accepted opinion is the product is great. Everyone has worked hard on it. People are paying for it. We must be doing something right!<\/p>\n<p>Companies who think this way can have a hard time receiving difficult feedback.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\"><strong>When people give you negative or dissenting feedback, they\u2019re giving you something valuable. <\/strong><strong>You\u2019re hearing an opinion that disagrees with the view that your product is great and perfect as is. It\u2019s honesty.<\/strong><\/div>\n<p>The fact is, not everyone will be thrilled with your product.<\/p>\n<p>But take heart! Dissent is disagreement, but it\u2019s also the start of a conversation. It offers you a blunt, clear view of where you can improve.<\/p>\n<p><!--HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><span id=\"hs-cta-wrapper-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" class=\"hs-cta-wrapper\"><span id=\"hs-cta-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" class=\"hs-cta-node hs-cta-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\"><!-- [if lte IE 8]>\n\n\n<div id=\"hs-cta-ie-element\"><\/div>\n\n\n<![endif]--><a href=\"https:\/\/cta-redirect.hubspot.com\/cta\/redirect\/5705808\/e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" id=\"hs-cta-img-e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa\" class=\"hs-cta-img aligncenter\" style=\"border-width: 0px;\" src=\"https:\/\/no-cache.hubspot.com\/cta\/default\/5705808\/e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa.png\" alt=\"Canny free trial\" width=\"1300\" height=\"642\"><\/a><\/span><script charset=\"utf-8\" src=\"https:\/\/js.hscta.net\/cta\/current.js\"><\/script><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> hbspt.cta.load(5705808, 'e1d55d08-a2cf-44a3-a9a0-f3ca5ff21dfa', {\"region\":\"na1\"}); <\/script><\/span><!-- end HubSpot Call-to-Action Code --><\/p>\n<h2>Taking a punch<\/h2>\n<p>Let\u2019s go back to, \u201cYour product is terrible.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>There&#8217;s a visceral reaction to reading something like that. Take a breath. The emotional part of the brain needs time to let the initial reaction subside.<\/p>\n<p>Never respond to negative feedback with your initial reaction. Ten times out of ten, your instinct is to get defensive and argue. As soon as you get emotional, you lose.<\/p>\n<h3>Read through negative feedback a few times and start asking questions:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Is this coming from a user or a random person?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>You should <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/understanding-customer-feedback-why-it-matters-who-is-saying-what\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">always know who is giving you feedback<\/a>. Is this person a solo operation on freemium who complains every Thursday? Or, is this an enterprise user with a legitimate problem?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why did they take the time to write this?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>If it\u2019s an isolated \u201cblip,\u201d most overlook it. This user is so motivated, they took the time to reach out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do they make any valid points?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Ultimately, this is what you\u2019re after. Don\u2019t defend or convince\u2014understand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you don&#8217;t know the answers to any of these, find out.<\/p>\n<p>Once you <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/understanding-customer-feedback-why-it-matters-who-is-saying-what\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">know who the feedback is coming from<\/a>, it&#8217;s time to probe further.<\/p>\n<h2>Engage with the user<\/h2>\n<p>Don\u2019t just stand there. It\u2019s an opportunity! This means you put on a smile and engage the user. Don&#8217;t gloss over their frustration. If all they wrote is, &#8220;your product is terrible,&#8221; then we need to know more.<\/p>\n<p>Regardless of their delivery or tone, they took the time to give you feedback. Thank them for it.<\/p>\n<p>Arguing with a user may feel good, but it doesn&#8217;t tell you why they got so upset in the first place. Own the fact that something didn&#8217;t go according to plan.<\/p>\n<div class=\"callout\">\n<p>Don&#8217;t forget to use emojis in a situation like this. They&#8217;re there to help you define tone, not just make things pretty:<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Hi there! I&#8217;m sorry to hear that. Thanks for reaching out, though. It sounds like something went wrong in your experience here. I&#8217;d really like to know more. What can we do to make Appy less terrible for you? \ud83d\ude42 &#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>The postmortem<\/h2>\n<p>All feedback has at least some value\u2014even if it&#8217;s the value of knowing you need to filter spam more aggressively.<\/p>\n<p>Find the valid points in dissenting feedback. Even if you need to stretch for them. Even if you disagree with them.<\/p>\n<h3>Here\u2019s an example:&nbsp;<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border size-full wp-image-2576 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-2.avif\" alt=\"how to handle negative customer feedback\" width=\"1567\" height=\"333\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-2.avif 1567w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-2-300x64.avif 300w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-2-768x163.avif 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-2-210x45.avif 210w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1567px) 100vw, 1567px\" \/><\/h3>\n<h3>Your pricing may be exactly where you want it, but stop and ask some questions:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Why bother writing this?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>They could have looked at your pricing and decided it wasn&#8217;t for them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>How small is &#8220;small&#8221;?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Can they really not afford the pricing, or is this a negotiating tactic?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>What do they define as &#8220;reasonable&#8221;?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Are they looking at any competitors to determine we&#8217;re \u201cinsane\u201d in our pricing?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do we have something?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Is there a discount they would qualify for?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do I want them as a customer?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Sometimes, it&#8217;s just not a good fit. No one&#8217;s fault.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Interpreting negative feedback<\/h2>\n<p>A good thing to do is literally translate valid negative feedback into actionable steps.<\/p>\n<p>Minimize adjectives here. For example, saying \u201cthis irate user wrote a nasty complaint about our newly-released beta feature\u201d will bias things.<\/p>\n<p>Instead say, \u201cthis user wrote in about X feature.\u201d Stick to the facts and avoid commentary or cop-outs.<\/p>\n<h3>Let&#8217;s take a look at another example:<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border size-full wp-image-2574 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-1.avif\" alt=\"handling negative feedback\" width=\"1141\" height=\"243\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-1.avif 1141w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-1-300x64.avif 300w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-1-768x164.avif 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-1-210x45.avif 210w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1141px) 100vw, 1141px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Even if it\u2019s completely off-base, ask what may have led to their perception. They may not be the only ones who feel negatively, but they may be the only ones who will express that negativity.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Try and see things from their point of view\u2014let&#8217;s translate:<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The new view feels overwhelming. I feel I&#8217;m seeing too many things at once. It is at odds with what I&#8217;ve come to expect. I prefer the old view.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3><strong>Now, it&#8217;s time to ask more questions:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Are they on the right &#8220;new view&#8221;?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>With UI matters, it&#8217;s usually good to ask for a screenshot. Does what they see match what you designed in the first place?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Do they have a point?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Take a look at the UI. What is\/isn\u2019t relevant to the user at that moment? Put yourself in their shoes. Or, better yet, ask them what they do\/don\u2019t want to see!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong>Are they an outlier?<\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li>Have you had positive comments from a bunch of other users, and this user is the only one who doesn&#8217;t like it? Or has everyone else been silent? The latter may be a sign that this user is saying what others won&#8217;t.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Drive forward\u2014on the high road<\/h2>\n<p>When you respond, make sure your emotions aren\u2019t running high. Let your blood pressure come down.<\/p>\n<p>Before you hit \u201csend,\u201d look through your reply for two key red flags: The words &#8220;you\/your&#8221; and any adjectives. Remove them if at all possible.<\/p>\n<p>The goal here should be to show your dissenters that they\u2019ve been heard. It&#8217;s not to defend, accuse, or justify anything. The primary focus is to listen. State facts, not opinions.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"border size-full wp-image-2577 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3.avif\" alt=\"dealing with negative customer feedback\" width=\"1592\" height=\"1292\" srcset=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3.avif 1592w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3-300x243.avif 300w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3-768x623.avif 768w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3-1262x1024.avif 1262w, https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Customer-dissent-3-148x120.avif 148w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1592px) 100vw, 1592px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>If there is an action you can take, then take it! This is where a feedback tool like Canny comes in handy. You can <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/features\/feedback\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">use feature voting<\/a> to add their vote to an issue they care about and thus <a href=\"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/should-you-use-a-changelog-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ensure they get updates on what matters to them<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t expect kudos. Be prepared for further conflict.<\/p>\n<p>And, draw the line if things get truly nasty and abusive. If they&#8217;re more focused on insulting you and your team than telling you about the product, red flag. Stop responding. In extreme cases, it may be best to cut ties altogether and fire them as a customer.<\/p>\n<h2>Keep your guard down<\/h2>\n<p>Don&#8217;t listen to your ego. Negative feedback isn\u2019t as bad as it seems\u2014it\u2019s something to be treasured. It&#8217;s precious, which also makes it difficult to receive. That&#8217;s to be expected.<\/p>\n<p>Bake the process of handling negative feedback into your culture. Dissent shouldn\u2019t just be welcomed\u2014it should be downright <em>celebrated.<\/em> Without disagreement, you won\u2019t know how to make your product better.<\/p>\n<p>Never let a hard piece of feedback go unanswered. Dissenting, negative feedback shouldn&#8217;t be treated like a bad review\u2014it should be the start of a fruitful conversation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Negative feedback is actually something to look forward to. It gives you a cold, hard dose of reality. Here&#8217;s how to handle dissenting, negative feedback from customers, and how your product can benefit from it. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":6355,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2560","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customer-feedback"],"aioseo_notices":[],"modified_by":"Maria Vasserman","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2560"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4268,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2560\/revisions\/4268"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6355"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2560"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2560"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canny.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2560"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}