MEETING customer expectations is a vital part of keeping them satisfied. In order to match those expectations, businesses should be able to deliver on their brand promise and commitment to customers. It’s easier said than done — the challenge is to put yourself in customers’ shoes and assess the business without bias, even if your customers have a bias.

One motivating factor for a customer to leave a thorough review is when they have an extreme experience — either an extremely good or extremely bad one. Businesses tend to dwell on reviews of this kind, thinking that the bad ones tell them the things they should stop doing while good reviews tell them the things they should keep on doing.

However, businesses often miss out on the most truthful reviews: the three-star neutral ones. Neutral reviews exist in different levels — there are neutrally good and neutrally bad ones. Neutral reviews can be more valuable than most critical reviews. The challenge now is how to classify neutral reviews. How do you spot a good quality neutral review? Keep on reading to know how!

The worst response you can possibly get when asking someone to critique your work is when they say “it looks OK to me.” While the word “OK” is a sign of approval, it exists in a spectrum. This type of review can be difficult to analyze without context simply because it is so neutral that it can be interpreted in a lot of different ways. Is it OK because it’s passable? OK because it’s just as good as the others? Or OK because you have nothing else to say, don’t see anything wrong with it but, at the same time, don’t see anything spectacular or extraordinary?

When we are looking at buying a new item or trying to avail of a new service, we usually do not look at three-star reviews, instead gravitating toward onestar and five-star ones. This is because we prepare ourselves for the worst and, at the same time, expect the best. Neutral reviews, however, usually best describe an experience because it outrightly discusses things particularly liked and disliked. Now, how do we spot a good quality neutral review? Look for the word “but” — it basically indicates that while the experience was good, there were some things that could still be improved.

Neutral reviews are just as valuable as good and bad reviews because they are not really neutral. Mixed neutral reviews discuss both the good and the bad while indifferent neutral reviews discuss neither. Mixed neutral reviews can be the most truthful because these discuss both the good and bad aspects of a product. It could mean that the reviewer really used the product and was very objective in reviewing it.

A good neutral review consists of the following elements: user experience, design, product quality and overall service. If these are discussed in a mixed neutral review, it could be an opportunity for your business to see areas of improvement. Although strengths and weaknesses are often known, mixed neutral reviews validate what you already know and signal you to act. Mixed neutral reviews are just an inch short of becoming a good review anyway — they just need a little push.

In managing neutral reviews, one must know how to read between the lines. Usually comments are framed in a polite way, which can possibly affect the way you view things. We want to interpret things in the most accurate way possible in order to meet customer expectations and satisfaction. One way to do this is by getting personal with customers. You may arrange a catch-up meeting, send letters and make sure to ask follow-up questions regarding their whole experience with your business.

Sometimes, business owners shy away from creating deeper relationships with clients and may have the tendency to be very transactional. While this is good for appearing professional, one way of maintaining your customer base is to share care and make them feel valued by being open to their comments and suggestions. One thing that your customers are not telling you is that they are also looking at your competitors and are making price comparisons in the hopes of getting the best value for their money.

By going beyond and making improvements based on customer voices, you are generating huge leverage by making the customer a part of your business. Change is the only constant thing in this world, it is often said, so why not make changes based on the feedback and needs of the times? Every review counts, so make sure not to miss reading them.

Christian Adrian Sioson is an alumnus of De La Salle University. He has over three years of fintech professional experience and currently works as a support subject matter expert at First Circle. His role includes providing support to the business and making sure that clients are getting the best possible service. To get in touch with him, you may connect with him through LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianadriansioson/.