Small Businesses Resolve 90 Percent of Customer Disputes with RatePoint

NEEDHAM, Mass., Jan. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- RatePoint, Inc., a leading provider of customer reviews, testimonials and online reputation management services, reports 90 percent of customer disputes are resolved by small businesses who use RatePoint.

RatePoint's dispute resolution system is a fast, online process that helps small businesses manage negative customer feedback or disputes before they are posted online. RatePoint holds both parties accountable and gives small businesses a chance to respond and resolve negative complaints before they are viewed by the general public.

If an issue is resolved to both parties' satisfaction, the negative review is neither posted as a review nor does it impact a business's overall rating on RatePoint. If the small business does not respond at any point within the designated time period or does not work to resolve the customer's dispute, the review is posted.

"Customers want to know they are being heard, and we've developed a system for small businesses to make that happen," said Neal Creighton, co-founder and CEO of RatePoint. "Proactively resolving issues together with a customer is more effective and less costly than reacting after negative feedback is already posted publicly."

Before negative feedback is submitted, customers are required to go through a telephone authentication process before the review is sent to the business to ensure that a complaint is legitimate, comes from a real customer, and that the customer is open and willing to having a business respond to their issue. 

A survey by the National Association of Retail Marketing Services showed companies lose 10 customers for every one that complains. Yet, 95 percent of unhappy customers will return if an issue is resolved quickly and efficiently.

"In order to know what customers are thinking, businesses have to ask," Creighton said. "Many companies fear negative feedback, but failing to recognize and fix negative customer experiences can harm a small business, its reputation and its future sales. A negative experience is an opportunity for small businesses to display superb customer service and communicate with customers."

RatePoint offers three steps small businesses can immediately put into place to collect feedback and strengthen customer loyalty:

1. Open a direct line of communications, start with a simple e-mail address and mailing address displayed prominently on your Web site.
2. To take feedback to the next level, make it easy for customers to provide feedback with reputation-management tools. Add an automated commenting area to your Web site that can be easily recognized by all visitors as the place for them to leave feedback.
3. Ask for feedback. Survey your customers to see what's on their minds or send a follow-up e-mail asking for feedback instead of waiting for it. They'll appreciate your willingness to listen, which is essential when building trust.

Small businesses interested in learning more about the topic of online reputation management can go to www.ratepoint.com/ebooks/small-business-guide-to-building-a-great-reputation to download The Small-Business Owner's Guide to Building a Great Reputation Online. The guide provides small- to mid-sized business owners with best practices, expert advice and tips on dispute resolution and simple solutions for online reputation management.

About RatePoint, Inc.

RatePoint, Inc., the leading provider of customer feedback and online reputation management services, helps businesses protect and build their online reputation, allowing businesses to harness the power of credible customer feedback and leverage it into a sales, marketing and customer service asset.

RatePoint's easy-to-use, Web-based communication services include feedback tools, email marketing, survey and dispute resolution capabilities to provide small- and medium-sized businesses with the ability to collect, manage and promote customer feedback directly from their Web site. For more information, contact us at: 888-777-1636 or visit: www.ratepoint.com.

SOURCE RatePoint, Inc.