Quick Hitters

Ignore the Content

Say a well-known site, say, redesigns their homepage. The new version could be better in every objective way, but users will still freak out. Why? It’s not the content – it’s something deeper.

The freakouts mean, “I love this site, I feel ownership of it, and you changed it, and that makes me mad.” When you look at it that way, you can see why a reasonable, factual response on why the new design is better will not work. Instead, you have to address the feelings behind the complaint. For example:

“You’re a valuable member, and we really appreciate how much time and energy you’ve put into the site. We know change can be hard, and we appreciate you writing to tell us your feelings. We think the new version is better, but you don’t have to agree. All we ask is that you give it a little time. See how you feel about it next week, and write us again. We’re grateful for your participation, and sincerely thank you for your feedback.”

See what I did there? No selling the new site. Instead, praise the user for giving a shit (and you should – trust me, I’ve run sites that nobody cared about and it’s much worse), try to make them feel important, show that you take it seriously, and ask for a little time.

With most redesigns, within a week, all the bitching is over (or, at least, moved on to something new). If there are major themes in the members’ complains, maybe there really is something wrong. They’re doing you a favor by pointing out the problems. Take them seriously and implement changes. The complainers will become your most dedicated fans if they see that their input results in positive changes.

The next time someone complains to you, try to ignore the content of the complaint and address the emotion behind it instead. You’ll be amazed how quickly you can convert the haters to lovers and make your site better at the same time.

— http://powazek.com/posts/1646