How to Separate Valuable Feedback From Unhelpful Noise

I try to maintain a growth mindset. That means taking constructive criticism seriously, because I want to properly consider every opportunity to learn how I can improve my business.

But not all criticism is constructive. Sometimes, unsolicited opinions are intentionally shared to disrupt or distract you. And sometimes, advice is simply bad — no matter how good the intentions behind it may be.

The question is: How do you tell the difference between the feedback that helps you grow and the noise that will throw you off track if you pay it too much attention?

My company, Roof Maxx, exists in a highly competitive industry, so we’re used to hearing other people’s opinions. We sell a roof maintenance solution for asphalt shingles that can extend their usable lifespan for years by restoring the flexibility they naturally lose over time. Most of the feedback we receive from customers is overwhelmingly positive; we have over 20,000 online customer reviews with an average rating of 4.9/5 stars. But every so often, we come across misinformation or a divergent opinion about our service and the restoration product it uses.

Here’s how we decide whether these cases are worth addressing, and how you can do the same if you ever find your company receiving confusing or counterproductive feedback.

Any feedback that comes from customers is worth paying attention to

First, let me clarify the above by saying that whenever one of your customers — or potential customers — has questions or concerns, it’s always in your best interest to address them. You never blow off the people you serve. That should be rule number one for pretty much every business.

That’s why we have always remained committed to ensuring dealers respond to customer inquiries quickly. If a homeowner wants to know whether Roof Maxx is right for their roof, a dealer goes to perform a thorough assessment and provide their honest opinion. They only recommend Roof Maxx when the roof is a good candidate, with shingles that are aging or brittle but still in decent structural condition.

Our warranty also guarantees that the asphalt shingles our dealers treat will stay flexible and serviceable for five years from the treatment date. So if a customer ever informs us that their treated shingles are losing flexibility within that window, our dealers are trained to investigate right away and re-treat the area in question if necessary. This doesn’t happen often, but the fact that we demonstrate this kind of accountability to customers is still part of why our reviews are so positive.

Not all feedback comes from customers — or even real people

Like many other businesses, we’ve learned that it’s important to consistently monitor AI platforms for brand mentions. Most of the time, platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini seem to present accurate information about Roof Maxx’s approach to maintaining asphalt shingles. But every so often, I can tell that the data it’s collecting for its responses isn’t entirely accurate.

Here’s one recent example that stuck out to me: that “most consumers love it, while some contractors question it.” This was hugely telling to me, because it speaks to both our stellar reputation among homeowners and the resistance that we’ve occasionally faced from other professionals in an industry we’ve successfully disrupted.

When you think about it, it actually makes sense that some contractors would have a vested interest in criticizing maintenance solutions that make roof replacements less necessary. After all, roof replacements are the highest-margin service a typical roofing contractor can sell, so it’s common for contractors to recommend them — even in cases where a homeowner’s current roof can still be saved.

That means the more homeowners who learn that Roof Maxx is a viable alternative, the fewer unnecessary replacements these contractors are likely to sell. Of course, some of them are going to question it.

What to do when your brand is misrepresented online

It’s always disappointing for me when I see these kinds of results show up in our AI brand mentions, but I also understand that it’s not because we’re doing anything wrong. In fact, it’s the opposite: We’re facing a degree of resistance within our industry precisely because we offer an innovative solution to a common problem, and that’s inconvenient for contractors whose business model depends on customers not having a better option.

Chances are that your AI brand mentions won’t always be perfectly accurate. But they can still be valuable, because studying the discrepancies can reveal a lot about how your competitors perceive you and the messages they’re putting out about your brand. This can set you up to control the narrative.

I use any inaccurate information about Roof Maxx that I find online to update our marketing strategy accordingly. We address false claims head-on in our blog and on our website. Our dealers make speaking to those points a priority when educating potential or existing customers.

What we’ve found is that the best strategy is not to fight misinformation at the source when the source has a clear ulterior motive. We just make sure we’re being as clear and direct as possible when putting the truth out there.

Telling the truth always gives you an advantage because reality will eventually back it up. In our case, that means more glowing reviews and referrals from people who have actually seen the results of our solution firsthand. Eventually, that information outweighs the noise — improving brand awareness among both AI and potential customers everywhere.

I try to maintain a growth mindset. That means taking constructive criticism seriously, because I want to properly consider every opportunity to learn how I can improve my business.

But not all criticism is constructive. Sometimes, unsolicited opinions are intentionally shared to disrupt or distract you. And sometimes, advice is simply bad — no matter how good the intentions behind it may be.

The question is: How do you tell the difference between the feedback that helps you grow and the noise that will throw you off track if you pay it too much attention?