The best source of information about the quality of your products, service delivery, and processes is, of course, your customers. So you create a voice of the customer program to ensure you get that valuable insight. Sometimes, however, what customers tell you isn’t always easy to hear. Pardon the cliché, but that negative feedback is a gift. Customers who value you enough to tell you the hard truth are ones who will stick around—and most likely become evangelists—once you’ve addressed their concerns.

Here are two examples of how constructive negative feedback can be, directly from the people who received it:

Product Woes
A user of our software commented, “I just can’t find any value in this product” on our online user community site. Of course I was disappointed. Then other users chimed in and helped the person to find the value, how they use it, why they use it and so forth.

It’s the best feedback I’ve received, and here’s why…

1. I learn from others how they explain the product
2. Because people have choices, they defend their product decision and help others
3. It demonstrated that even if the feedback is not positive, people care – otherwise that person wouldn’t even bother to comment
4. We reacted and changed our home page to better explain what we do
5. It reiterated that a negative feedback may do more than a “satisfied customer” who just moves on without saying
6. We actually got additional users directly related to this incident – so it helped grow our user base

Listen up
I was asked once by a customer, in a very terse tone of voice, “Do you actually want to help me right now, because you seem like you don’t.”

It was in a face-to-face conversation, so he was reading my body language and inattentiveness quite clearly. I had entered the conversation distracted and was not really focusing on his questions and needs. I was honestly embarrassed and had to apologize. It was a real wake up call for me. Since then I have always been more attentive to being in the moment when dealing with both my customers and my employees.

This experience has also been a vital lesson I pass along in training and mentoring others. I have always been of the opinion that our mistakes give us the most opportunity to improve — if we pay attention.

Now what?
As these two stories illustrate, uncensored feedback can be tough to hear, but can trigger positive changes that not only solidify that one customer relationship, but can cause a ripple effect that improves relationships with other customers as well.

It’s easy to get defensive or ignore negative feedback. Neither will help move your business forward or improve customer relationships. In fact, quite the opposite. So, don’t ask for feedback unless you intend to follow up on it—whether it’s what you wanted to hear, or not.

About the Author: Ginger Conlon is editorial director of 1to1 Media.