Someone has complained on your company's social media profile. What do you do?

1. Social Media Customer Service:
Handling Negative Comments

2. You’ve seen the power of social media.

3. It connects your brand with consumers in an
exceptionally personal and engaging way.

6. The fear of possible negative comments
about a bad experience with a company is a
daunting prospect. However, social customer
service is more important than ever.

7. According to the Retail Consumer Report
68% of customers who posted a complaint or negative review on a social
media site after a negative holiday shopping experience were contacted
by the retailer.
32% posted a negative comment or review and were ignored.

8. BUT LOOK WHAT HAPPENS NEXT…

9. Brands that responded to consumers were rewarded:
18% of previously unhappy consumers were turned into loyal customers
33% turned around and posted a positive review
34% deleted their own original negative review

10. THAT’S GREAT NEWS!

11. Unfortunately, consumers generally have low
expectations that brands will respond to their
negative posts.

12. Here are 2 big lessons from this research:

13. 1. Paying attention to complaining customers
on social media will make a huge difference in
how they perceive your brand. Not only will
they go from disgruntled customers to social
advocates, they also have the power to
influence other consumers to buy from you.

14. 2. Ignoring these comments sends the
message that your brand doesn’t care, and it
confirms those negative opinions. They
already do not expect you to respond to them
and when they are ignored, the trust factor is
destroyed completely.

15. In order to to provide your consumers with
good social customer service…

16. 1. MOVE FAST AND EVALUATE

17. In order to move quickly when evaluating a
comment, you should know the difference
between a sincere comment and a troll.

18. A troll is a kind of public spam. They use
strong, emotive language designed to get you
to react. This argument is not a constructive
one and it’s better not to respond at all.

19. On the other hand, a sincere complaint is
legitimate feedback. It’s a customer who has a
frustration, has communicated that frustration,
and wants the problem fixed. Responding in a
satisfactory way to these posts can resolve
the issue and help maintain valuable
consumer relationships.

20. 2. STAY ON YOUR OWN TURF

21. There’s no reason to go to someone else’s
blog to defend yourself against a troll who has
attacked your brand. If you really feel the
need to respond, go on the attack by issuing
a press release, writing a blog post, or even
posting a YouTube video. But stay off other
websites when countering.

22. 3. RALLY EXISTING FANS

23. You’ve built a business that is based on
helping people and solving problems. The
principle of reciprocity will kick in when a
negative comment is posted on your website
or social media community.

24. Many social media managers report that in
thriving communities, when a negative
customer says something out of line, existing
fans of your brand will step up to call them out
or highlight the positives. The old post is
quickly drowned out.

25. 4. BE SINCERE & TAKE OWNERSHIP

26. If a complaint is legitimate, don’t sweep the
mistake under the rug. Instead, avoid a crisis by:
• Accessing the situation
• Acknowledging the problem
• Apologizing for the mistake
• Assert your willingness to make things right
• Act to rectify the damage you’ve caused
• Abdicate – step aside and move on when the issue has passed

27. 5. GIVE MORE INFO, REGAIN TRUST

28. Sometimes scripted responses like,
“We’re sorry you had a bad experience,”
don’t cut it. It can actually do more harm than
good, especially when a situation calls for a
more sincere, heartfelt response.

29. Being empathetic, giving your customers
information about what went wrong, and
telling them what you will do to solve the
problem can go a long way in regaining trust
and winning them back.

31. Chances are you will experience both
negative and positive feedback in the lifetime
of your brand. Expect it! No one brand is
loved by absolutely everyone, but the benefits
of participating in social media far outweigh
the risks. Plan ahead, develop a practical
approach, and set up policies to prepare for
social media feedback.

32. Where can you find people with expertise in
social media strategy?

33. Want to know more about
social media strategy?
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create meaningful connections between consumers &
brands for health, wellness & active lifestyle companies.
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