Dear Founder

Dear Founder,

“There’s no such thing as bad press” is an oft-cited and much-debated mantra. There are some who believe any publicity is good publicity, while others rally against the phrase, claiming it is untrue and an unwelcome license to engage in outlandish behavior. (See anything on E!, the entertainment network.)

While I strive to keep my head low and receive only positive recognition, I’ve come to realize that getting input—good or bad—is a blessing. It gives you invaluable information on how you are doing, and more importantly, how you can do better. Even bad press, while it can be uncomfortable, can also be an incredible opportunity for improvement.

So what do you do when you’re on the receiving end of critical reviews or negative comments? First of all, congrats—this is validation that people care about what you’re doing. It’s confirmation that you have some traction. People who aren’t engaged won’t talk about you or your product or service.

But there’s no time to enjoy this realization; you must immediately aim to make the situation right.

First, you must assess the impact. Is this a story that will just blow over or is this one that must be addressed? Early in my tenure at Yahoo! we faced an issue over our CEO. Some thought it would blow over quickly, which, of course, it didn’t. If it is a big issue, address it. If it’s one that should be ignored, ignore it. When United Airlines personnel dragged a passenger off a plane, the world was outraged. The CEOs initial response, which defended the airline’s actions, fueled the flames.

If customers are discussing the issue in print, on the web, on social media, on external sites, or on your site, you must understand that they believe that their opinions are important, and you should listen.

When you get this heat, you have to lean into the fire and respond immediately. That’s the best way to put it out. Be open and transparent about the issue; do not try to bury it, and do not think it will go away. Problems, like a stinky cheese, get more potent with age. Responding in a timely manner is a better approach. Specifically:

1. Don’t get defensive. It doesn’t look good and doesn’t help correct matters.

2. Acknowledge the issue at hand, appropriately apologize for any missteps, and let people know what you are doing to correct it.

3. Ensure your critics feel as though you’ve heard their point of view. You may not agree, and that’s okay. Only after they’ve felt heard, should you make your point of view known.

I saw the value of putting this plan in place during a tough situation at eBay when we had a twenty-two-hour outage. Meg Whitman had the whole company call customers and apologize. She also promised them a free listing day as soon as the site could handle the load. Salesforce looked to eBay’s playbook when it struggled with service interruptions. The company created a trust site where anyone could see the status of the service. That transparent approach built trust with customers. (Of course, the complaints only went down when things actually got better!)

No company will escape criticism, but how they deal with it is what makes all the difference. A few years ago, when Zendesk’s customers complained about a change in pricing, the company grandfathered existing customers into the old pricing, then offered a public apology. That meant something to the customers. As one commenter responded to the Zendesk letter: “You know, this type of thing is why we picked Zendesk in the first place … a company who listens to its users. It’s curious, after this episode, I’m even more happy with the company.”

When your biggest critics are customers, remember: Most of the time, they don’t actually want to be spending their time criticizing you. An angry user is a user who loved your business, and feels betrayed somehow. Salve their concerns, and you’ll reaffirm their loyalty. Make them feel included when you do have problems and challenges, and they not only will cut you slack, they might even help you solve the problem.

While not an example from the tech world, there’s a famous story from Domino’s Pizza I always liked. A few years ago, Domino’s Pizza had a great reputation for pricing and speed, but a terrible one for quality. Rather than ignore customer feedback, the company decided in 2010 to address the pizza’s poor quality. In one web spot, CEO Patrick Doyle said, “There comes a time when you know you gotta make a change.” An executive read comment cards with consumers’ critiques, including, “Worst excuse for pizza I’ve ever had.” Doyle promised to learn and to “get better.” The company built pizzaturnaround.com, where visitors could post their thoughts publicly and Domino’s could learn and respond. In what’s perhaps the move that made the pizza chain the most vulnerable, it took over a giant digital billboard in New York’s Times Square and invited any customer who ordered pizza via the internet through the company’s Domino’s Pizza Tracker app to have their feedback broadcasted on the big screen for everyone to see. All comments were welcome, even the harsh ones. The result of their reaction to criticism: better pizza and better business. The company saw an immediate increase in domestic sales and a jump in its stock price.

While negative press can present difficult challenges—and sometimes have serious negative long-term ramifications—companies that face these challenges head-on emerge better off. They discover that they have passionate customers who care deeply about their business and products, and by listening and responding, these companies earn their customers’ loyalty and continue to grow.

Want to create evangelists? Consistently deliver an amazing product that people love. And if you do something wrong, make it right. Negative sentiment is not a reason to retreat under the covers, but rather an amazing opportunity to show customers what you really are offering: a commitment to do everything you can to delight them.

All the best,

Maynard