Perception is reality! Make sure yours appropriately reflects your company’s values, quality and commitment to excellence.
10/1/2019 9:00
Regardless of the industry, companies will always receive some negative feedback, said Williams, noting that a company’s response to complaints is usually testament to values and quality of the firm. And this is tremendously relevant to the accounts receivable management industry because generally, consumers do not want to hear from us, therefore they may be more likely to file a complaint due to a failure to understand a communication.
The panelists agree that responding to complaints quickly is essential as it demonstrates that you take complaints seriously, and it helps deescalate problems before they grow.
While resolving problems is one piece of the online reputation management puzzle, another piece is playing offense — or actively promoting positive aspects of your company to include charitable activities. Promoting special moments and positive deeds through articles on your website, social media posts and press releases not only boosts employee morale, but it demonstrates to your commitment to your community.
However, Badger cautions, “Do the right things for the right reason. Make sure it’s because this is who you want to be as a company and not just to get publicity, because I guarantee your employees know the difference. They can tell if you’re doing it for the press release rather than to truly make a positive impact.”
Employee support can amplify official company efforts. If they feel good about their employer and their role in the company, they’ll often share positive company news.
Many companies look for opportunities to give employees ownership of community involvement through planning committee participation, paid volunteer time off and charity group selection.
“Companies that are involved in the community do 100% better in key performance indicators than those that don’t,” Plunkett said. “Employees have better morale; their work becomes more meaningful and they have more fun. The tone has to come from the top of the organization. It starts with leadership.”
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