Whilst the world of social media may be wonderful, it also acts as a portal for brand-bashing & negativity left by online trolls.
Although at first, it may seem harsh & cold, it’s important that you don’t let these comments affect you & your brand & although you may want to delete or ignore them, you must rise above & deal with these bullies directly.
In today’s blogpost, we will discuss our tips on how to handle online negativity in the best way possible. Keep reading to learn more.
Be Quick To Respond
Firstly, don’t let those negative comments linger on your channels, as by doing so you’re only giving other people the opportunity to view them & as a business owner you want to act efficiently whether the feedback is positive or not.
To prevent any further damage, address them quickly & diplomatically, as this will only show that you care & can have a longer-lasting effect on your community members.
Adopt the “Customer Is Always Right” Approach
Whether the user is complaining about your service, products or just in a general sense, the easy thing to do is action the above approach and apologise.
There is simply no need to publicly argue over a single complaint, & you will only be deemed more respected by saying sorry. Half the time, a complaint is pitiful, & others will often realise this & it will be overlooked.
Deal With The Problem Privately
If you’re dealing with a particularly difficult customer, react to it publicly first & then take your communication private.
Swiftly respond through a tweet or through a comment on their posts & then drop them a private message so this can be resolved via email or over the phone & made an all the more personal experience. By doing so, you’ll make them feel more valued & may be able to recover your customer relationship.
Take The Good From The Bad
Here at Myk Baxter Marketing, we see complaints or testing times as learning curves, seeing them as constructive feedback & you want to include this in your apology.
Make them aware that their feedback (even if it is bad) is appreciated & that you’ll work to improve your business based on their suggestions. But make sure you actually follow through with this by passing this on to your internal team.
By responding in this way, you’ll be able to turn an angry customer into a loyal, happy one.
Ask & Support
Should you find yourself dealing with a comment that is simply offensive but lacks context, acknowledge that you’re sorry that they feel angry or upset & ask how you can help to rectify the situation at hand.
From here it can go one of two ways: They’ll either reply with something you can effectively deal with, or they’ll be surprised that you have replied & not respond further. However, you’ll have responded tactfully & that’s all that matters.
Pick When It’s Time To Delete A Negative Comment
Sometimes it’s okay to delete negative comments, for example, if they use offensive language or it’s way off-point.
However, if a complaint is genuine, deleting their comments is a huge red flag. Firstly, remember that your current & potential customers can see & that those leaving real complaints can be enraged by censoring. Therefore, if you delete these comments, people will suspect you’re hiding something, which isn’t good for any business.
Choose Your Battles
Some people just make noise online to stir up some drama, or just for attention.
With this in mind, decide who’s worth responding to & choose your battles wisely.
Ask yourself does this person have a following? Or are other people piggybacking on what they are saying? If they are, keep these users on your radar & monitor their activity, but you may not necessarily have to engage with them.
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