If you’ve been in business for more than a few years, it is possible that you’ve encountered someone ‘bad mouthing’ you or your business. This happened to me and it was quite shocking at the time.

Sadly for my ‘bad mouther’ it did her no favours. Even if there had been any truth to her statements, her actions said far more about her ethics and attitude than it did about the (false) statements about my business. It is quite interesting to have observed from afar a number of other business relationships (and even friendships) that have fallen apart due to this person’s dealings.

Interestingly for me, since that incident (the one that I knew of anyway!), I have had many occasions where I could have chosen to speak negatively about her business. I regularly have clients who ask ‘why does XYZ company do that? It seems unethical to me’, in relation to an opposing policy we have. I have to choose my words carefully each time, ensuring that I sound as diplomatic as possible.

So why wouldn’t I take this opportunity to bad mouth my competitor? Especially seeing that it’s my client who has raised the issue, not me? Aside from my personal resolution to speak kindly about others, I believe I can achieve my goals without ‘trash talking’ the competition. I have many happy clients who haven’t come to me because I’ve told them how good I am or how much better I am compared to my competitor. I let my work and my actions with them speak for themselves.

Bad mouthing your competitors can come out of frustration; you believe you genuinely have a better product or service, but it can be hard to convey that without making negative comments about your competitor. But remember: your customers are looking for reasons to engage with you, not reasons why not to engage with someone else! Your comments, even if they are well-meaning or out of concern for your customer’s welfare, can become counter-productive and undermine you.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender

Last week I experienced some interesting scenarios in my interactions with local businesses. On the one hand, I was provided with excellent customer service via genuine and sincere concern by a business owner and her staff. On the other end of the spectrum, I was compelled to pen a rather long and detailed letter of complaint to a business that showed little disregard for fulfilling their obligations.

It was very obvious to me that my positive interaction was with a business who understands that their most important asset is their ongoing relationships with customers. They clearly demonstrated a desire to remedy an issue and did everything possible to ensure that I would remain a returning customer.

The negative interaction with the other business showed by their actions that they are not focussed on meeting the needs of their clients. Even when a situation was brought to their attention, they did little to remedy it.

It is highly likely that you will need to deal with complaints. It is how your business deals with those complaints that will set you apart. There are some essentials that are relatively easy to cover, including: respond to complaints as soon as possible; provide customers with an opportunity to be heard; assure the customer that you are seeking to find a solution; give the customer reasons to return to you despite the issue that has occurred.

Although you may not always find a solution that is mutually agreeable, the way you deal with the complaint will show your business in an exponentially better light than the one who deals badly with a complaint. Give the complainant as little to complain about as possible.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender