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Constructive feedback please


Sometimes when we give feedback, we can seem harsh. This can make us look bad. Speak wisely here.

As a business owner, how you conduct yourself personally reflects who you are professionally, and vice versa, especially in terms of feedback. Communication should be honest, yet tactful. Feedback should be constructive, not destructive.

Even though negative feedback can be just as effective, it comes at what cost - lost opportunity. Is it worth it?

More often than they should, product / service feedback posts simply include “I will never do business with this company again”. Such post leads me to two conclusions: 1 - what on earth did this company do to deserve such a lashing?, and 2 -  this person cannot be in their right mind to give such negative feedback without the hope and option of how to fix the issue, thus leaving the real issue unresolved for another customer to suffer through.

On the opposite side of the coin, when we are giving feedback to our peers (the competition), I believe it to be professionally ethical to do nothing less than to give honest feedback with tact and courtesy. Again, the option to right a wrong must be made available. Doing so will allow you, as the professional, to look like someone others would want to do business with.

Burning of such potential relationships is needless and furthermore, senseless. Be careful with what opportunities you let go for they may come back to haunt you.

Rob Shurtleff
The Website Guy