Career counseling is an awesome profession to have for those passionate to serve humanity. The delight you feel when your client fulfills his/her full potential is truly priceless. But like all professionals, this too comes with its own difficulties. The most important among them is handling negative counseling feedback. Counseling is private. And clients seldom talk directly to you if they feel that your training is not enough. They just go on and express their frustrations on social media and other advertising platforms. Here is an article on 12 Career Counseling Tips Dealing With Negative Feedback .
Table of Contents
- Be Aware Of The Risks
- Stay Safe From The Computer
- Announce It In Your Profile
- Be The Master Of The Situation
- Give Yourself Enough Time
- Be Brief And Up To The Point
- Consult A Third Party
- Distance Your Emotions
- Build A Good Network
- Treat It As An Opportunity To Learn
- Every Individual Is Unique So Are His Perspectives
- Remember, This Is Not The End
- Become A Master With Careerguide
- FAQ’s on Career Counseling Tips Dealing with Negative Feedback
You will also have to handle another tough challenge. You can’t directly reply to their messages. That will be seen as your declaration of the reviewer as your client. That is a violation of privacy. The legal complications may hurt your profession very badly. Here are some tips to handle this online negative counseling feedback without compromising your business. know more about our services for a career counselor.
Be Aware Of The Risks
A satisfied client may refer you to up to ten of his/her friends. But angry clients will talk about you twice the number. This implies that a bad reputation spreads two times faster than a good name as a career counselor. As mentioned above, career counseling sessions are held privately. And a pleased customer may not talk of it openly. But a dissatisfied customer may not be that polite. The person will post their list of complaints online. Dirty office, long sessions, bill too high, the list may be endless. This too may hurt you badly.
Besides, counseling is a multi-faceted process and a problem in all these aspects may come to you as online negative counseling feedback. Combine it with certain extremely harsh and mean reviews. you are in for a challenging time.
Stay Safe From The Computer
The immediate reaction to negative feedback is an attempt to defend yourself. Know that this is never going to help. When you do so, you inadvertently reveal that the reviewer is your own client. This may anger the client. And the person may try other means to take you to the task. Don’t respond to comments even when they appear harsh or encouraging.
Announce It In Your Profile
Declare in your profile that you give utmost importance to client confidentiality. And you are never going to respond to reviews or other social networking platforms. You can even link your Yelp page to your own website. It should have lots of data about your satisfied clients. Get your own website now through our TECHNOLOGY SERVICES FOR COUNSELLORS .
Be The Master Of The Situation
Address the person by the first name. Do not mention anything else; confidentiality is your only survival tool. Acknowledge the mistake and express your willingness to better your service. Done this invite to the reviewer for a private chat. Give your professional number. With this, you can just delete that review.
Give Yourself Enough Time
Negative feedback, if constructive, is great. But an attempt to demean you for no reason is sure to infuriate you. In such an instance, give yourself a cooling period. It can be a day or two. Calm your mind, evaluate your response and reply in the way your conscience dictates. Do not ever forget the general rule.
Be Brief And Up To The Point
Don’t write a long-winding response. A reply that goes on and on is sure to frustrate the reviewer , your client. Explain the situation briefly, express your desire to solve the issue done. know more about CAREER COUNSELLOR’S POWER-UP PACKAGE .
Consult A Third Party
One online negative counseling feedback review is not going to do any harm. However, several such reviews declare one thing. You lack something. Request someone with more experience to see what you lack. The professional will be able to help you sort out the issue. If the attempt is just to destroy your business, you may consult your malpractice lawyer. But that should be your last resort.
Distance Your Emotions
When a client leaves negative feedback online, the person never means to attack you. He is just expressing his frustration with the way you conducted your business. Remain cool and respond calmly. Explain your perspective of the situation and encourage the reviewer to talk to you directly. If the person is sincere enough, he will be happy to help you out. Otherwise, silence is the best choice.
Build A Good Network
Negative feedback does hurt. However, an online review is just one of your means of advertising. You thrive on word of mouth. There are numerous clients that you can bank on. Ignore the reviews , talk it out with your colleagues and stay on track.
Treat It As An Opportunity To Learn
Critics can be your right-hand assistants. And completely ignoring negative reviews is not a good thing. Read your reviews with care. There may be something that you should learn. Show the patience to filter it out and implement constructive suggestions to improve your business.
Every Individual Is Unique So Are His Perspectives
As you know, each of your clients is unique. His perception of good career counselors may differ from that of yours. Acknowledge it when responding to negative feedback online. Done this, explain your perspective. Explain it in such a way as to turn the conversation to you. This creates a win-win situation. The client may allow you to amend your sessions as per his expectations. Do not waste such a golden opportunity.
Remember, This Is Not The End
Every business receives negative feedback. And yours is not an exception. If you are sincere in your efforts, no one should be able to divert you. Learn from the negative reviews. Take them offline. And implement the suggestions. If the chain continues, the number of negative reviews you receive will decline on its own.
Career counseling is never a journey of roses. It is a learning experience. With every client, you hone your counseling skills. Negative feedback in the form of online reviews too should do the same. Every bad performance review should make you better both as a mentor and as a person.
Become A Master With Careerguide
The “Career Counsellor Certification Course” from CareerGuide is a 50+ hour, self-paced, lifetime access online course for career counsellor certification. This will assist in giving you curriculum with the use of many Case Studies, Scenarios, FAQs, and Quizzes. Everything you need to become a successful career counsellor is in the curriculum. This course consists of lessons that help to develop your skills and become a master career guide.
FAQ's On Career Counseling Tips Dealing with Negative Feedback
Q: How should I handle negative feedback as a career counselor?
A: It is important to remember that negative feedback is an opportunity for growth and improvement. Take the feedback seriously and use it as an opportunity to reflect on your counseling techniques and approach.
Q: What should I do if I receive negative feedback from a client?
A: If you receive negative feedback from a client, listen to their concerns and try to understand their perspective. Apologize for any misunderstandings or mistakes, and take steps to address the issue and prevent it from happening again in the future.
Q: How can I use negative feedback to improve my counseling skills?
A: Negative feedback can be a valuable learning experience. Use the feedback as an opportunity to reflect on your approach and techniques, and make changes as needed. Consider seeking additional training or mentoring to help improve your skills.
Q: How can I stay positive and motivated when dealing with negative feedback?
A: It can be challenging to stay positive when receiving negative feedback, but it is important to remember that it is a natural part of the learning and growth process. Focus on the positive feedback you have received and the progress you have made, and use the negative feedback as a learning opportunity to improve your skills.
