Writing Matters Blog

How to Write a Five-Star Response to a One-Star Rating or Poor Review

October 18, 2020

For years, we’ve been saying, “A complaint is a gift.” Well, if we’ve really meant it, we need to treat one-star ratings and low reviews as gifts, too. While we may fail to win over the most disappointed customers, we can demonstrate that we are listening, we are accountable, and we care.

Four-Women-Meeting-Cafe

Why You Should Be (Business) Friends With Your Competitors

July 20, 2020

Since I started E-WRITE in 1996, I’ve focused on being business friends with my competitors instead of seeing them as a threat to my own success. This attitude has yielded so much good! Without these competitor-friends, I’d have fewer clients and prospects, and far less job satisfaction. I know how much good my competitors have done for me.

With Only Seven Words, You Can Help Someone Who’s Struggling

July 1, 2020

You do not need to know how to recognize a mental health condition to help someone with one. You don’t need to know that someone is low or depressed to create a connection that enables them to cope, and maybe even begin recover. All you need to do is create the opportunity to listen.

A man's hands folded on a laptop

In Unusual Times, Replace the Usual Customer Service Phrases

April 6, 2020

On a typical day, most customers will understand what you mean even if you use less-than-graceful words when you speak or write. But these aren’t typical days. The usual customer service phrases can make your anxious customers even less patient and more emotional. These phrases can also make your company seem clueless. Here’s a list of six customer service phrases your team should probably avoid.