5 Ways of Dealing with Negative Comments on Social

If you’re the type of business that has an online presence and uses a social media platform, at some point your company will have to deal with negativity. The way you approach these comments will impact you and your company if they are not handled in the correct manner. We all know people remember the bad experiences more than the good ones, so the aim is to turn the negative experience to a positive one.

Follow these 5 tips below so you’ll know how to keep the customers happy and wanting to keep coming back…

Acknowledgment
As much as it is tempting to ignore a negative comment and move onto the next positive one, it’s always better to answer them. People hate to be ignored and will only get more annoyed if the problem isn’t resolved, so by responding to a negative comment as quickly as you can it will show that you care and want to help.

When resolving the matter you shouldn’t try to rush the process and get the customer out of the way, it will make them feel as if they have been push aside and they then feel ignored. It’s best to approach them with open views and no judgement so you’ll be able to understand the situation fully. Although even if you can’t give them an immediate solution, insuring them that help is on the way and everything will be resolved in good time will help keep the customers mind at ease.

Their Point Of View
It’s important to respect what the customer is saying and try to understand it from their point of view before your own, and try to see it from multiple points so you’re able to gain more of an understanding. When doing this, it is important to considered aspects such as ‘what happened to them’, ‘what it meant’ and ‘what can be done to make things right’. By considering these aspects it will make the situation easier and help it get sorted.

Owning Up
Listing excuses on why the situation may have occurred is a common response, but it’s not what the customer wants to here. Even if they are legitimate reasons, the customer won’t care as it’s not their problem, they just want their situation resolved.

It’s important to say sorry, especially when it’s your fault. Owning up to your faults can seem daunting and hard but the customer will respect you more if you say sorry and own up to your mistakes. It reassures them that you know that it isn’t their fault and you understand their situation.

Incentive
When everything has been resolved but the customer still isn’t very happy you could offer them an incentive. This could include a discount, offer or service, anything that would calm the situation.

Also, if you do decide on this option its best to give the offer out before the customer asks for it, as this will look better on you. Believe it or not but a customer that starts off with a negative experience and ends in a positive one creates a lifelong consumer, if the situation is resolved well the trust is built back up and they’ll know how far your company will go for them.

Approaching
When approaching a negative comment on social media, it’s best not to do it in the spot light. So instead of commenting back on the social media platform, contacting them directly and in a private manner prevents anyone else getting involved in the situation.

At the end of the day you want to make sure you’re answering your customers. Connecting with them is important as they are the people who bring income to your business. Another important factor to consider would be not all problems can be solved. If you’re been targeted by ‘trolls’ which leave spam comments, it would be best to delete them or ignore them.