We’ve touched on this briefly in our previous blog ‘Why Community Management on Social Media is Key’, however with many businesses closed due to lockdown restrictions and Customer Services limited, we’re finding more and more people are taking their complaints to social media pages; therefore it’s important to understand how to deal with negative comments and not let one bad comment spiral out of control!
All social media managers will have to deal with negative comments at some point in their career and we’ll admit there’s nothing more annoying than putting out a fantastic post that you’re super proud of and BOOM someone turns it into a platform to air their ‘not so positive’ thoughts! Some comments may be from people trying to hijack the conversation, while others may just have a gripe against a product or service.
In order to manage brand perception and maintain customer loyalty, it’s important not to let negative comments fester. Instead, take control and deal with them as soon as possible.
So how do you go about it? What’s the best way to nip negative responses in the bud? Read on for the answers!
Firstly, when you see a negative comment, that you deem to be unfair, it’s always tempting to respond in the same way and dish out some of your own harsh responses, but as tempting as it is, DO NOT do that! This approach never ends well. Instead, it’s time to put on your professional hat and follow our step-by-step guide.
Take time to read the comment carefully. Is it a genuine complaint? What is the root of the problem and what’s the best step forward?
Make sure you document it. Not only can this be used for training, it can also be passed on to the appropriate colleague/department who can deal with the comment.
DON’T DELETE IT! Remain transparent with your audience. Deleting comments can only make you look like you’ve got something to hide and generally gets people’s backs up more. It’s important at this stage to deal with it head-on.
Sometimes, inappropriate comments need to be deleted. If you find a comment to be derogatory, use your own judgement or refer to your company’s Social Media code of conduct. It’s ok to delete any messages that use obscene language or are deemed completely inappropriate.
Don’t delay. Time is of the essence here. Most users will expect a response within the hour (depending on the nature of their complaint). Even if you don’t have a final response for them, a simple ‘we’re sorry to hear this...we’re looking into this for you’ response is enough to keep them sweet for now.
You’ve acknowledged their comment and you’re looking for a resolution, you can’t say fairer than that. Just ensure you do look into the answer and don’t ignore it, because nine times out of ten it will come back to haunt you!
If the complaint is of a serious matter or delicate to deal with, we always recommend asking the user to send you a direct message. This takes the negativity away from your social media page and allows you to discuss the issue in further detail; without prying eyes and keyboard warriors getting in on the action. We’ve all seen those posts where one negative comment has turned into a full-on ‘troll-fest’!
Remember, if it’s a complaint against a colleague, it’s important never to respond directly on an open page. Always ask the user to follow the appropriate complaints procedure (whether this is by sending a direct message or emailing the customer services team directly.) Where personal names are used publicly, we recommend hiding this post as we don’t want the individual to be directly contacted because their name was left for everyone to see!
If you’re responding directly to a comment left on your page, remember to apply the basics of good customer service. Spelling and grammar are important here. Your response will not only be judged by the user you’re conversing with, but by all your followers.
Don’t leave messages hanging in the inbox. Just because someone has chosen to message you directly away from other users doesn’t mean you don’t need to respond. Respond to any direct messages in the same time frame and way that you would respond to a comment on your page. You never know, by ignoring it or delaying a response, the user may make their complaint public!
Yay! You’ve just managed your first social media negative comment / complaint.
However, just because you’ve addressed your customer’s issue doesn’t mean your job is done! Continue to monitor the comment for any further responses and respond appropriately.
Sometimes, we can prepare for negativity on our social media page, especially if we know something is coming up that may result in a flurry of negative comments.
Perhaps a product is being discontinued or an offer is ending sooner than expected. Or maybe there’s an issue in the warehouse and orders are delayed. These types of issues we can prepare for.
If you know that this is going to happen, plan your responses in advance and pop aside some time in your diary to deal with any complaints you’re expecting within a quick timeframe. Give anyone who may need to deal with the issues (Customer Services, Product Manager etc) the heads-up, so they too are well prepared.
There we are, that didn’t hurt did it? Don’t get too disheartened by negative comments, it’s inevitable they’re going to come along. But, just like anything there’s always plenty of positive comments around to make up for the 1/2 negative ones you may receive.
If you have any questions on how to deal with negativity on your social media page, drop us an email at hello@socialsoda.co.uk
