Social media is a great way to enhance your brand, engage with existing and prospective clients, and broadcast current deals or special offers. Unfortunately, every good thing has a dark side. When clients want to give you a piece of their mind, they turn to Yelp, Facebook, or Twitter. Negative feedback isn’t anything new, but how we respond to criticism has definitely changed.
Respond Quickly
There’s a rule in the dating world that says you should wait at least 15 minutes before texting a love interest back. You don’t want to come across as desperate, after all! Does the same rule apply to relationships with your clients? When it comes to your clients, this strategy is going to do more harm than good. A negative comment with no reply comes across like you don’t care about your customers, and that can seriously damage your reputation.
Respond Directly
Personalization is key when it comes to addressing angry comments. The “we’re sorry to hear you had that experience…” response seems trite, and is only going to further infuriate an already infuriated customer. Harsh criticism is never fun, but it can be an opportunity to show that you care about your customer’s experience and that you will do whatever you can to resolve the issue. Find a solution to THEIR specific problem.
Respond Kindly
Remember, you can’t fight fire with fire. While going on the defense might be your gut reaction, it never makes matters better. You also don’t want to ignore or delete a negative response. Understand where your client is coming from and offer a thoughtful apology. They will be more likely to give you a second chance or write a follow-up explaining how your company fixed their problem.
Closing
In a perfect world, it would be all positive reviews, rainbows, and unicorns, but negative feedback is a reality. People are more inclined to write a review after a negative experience than a positive one. If you don’t have time to manage your social media accounts, it is worth hiring someone to do that full time.