Have you ever faced complaints about your business on social networks? I do not think there's a company that has not done it before. With the help of a well-established plan, you can use the negative comments positively to make your customers feel at home.
In this article, you'll learn how to handle negative comments posted on social networks.
- ALWAYS ANSWER FAST
It is important to respond quickly and efficiently to complaints from your social networking clients. As a starting point, try not to exceed one hour with the answer, even if you can not give clear information. Most of the time, customers want to know that you've taken into account their problem to make sure you look at it as soon as possible.
In other words, let them understand when they might receive a response, to reduce their negative feedback. You have understood the problem and set a realistic response time.
It is important to be consistent in setting the same response time, even if the problem occurs over the weekend. According to the studies, 40% of respondents expect a response within a few hours of the publication of the complaint.
- ASSUME YOUR MISTAKES
Consumers know that no business is perfect, so instead of hiding your mistakes, you better assume it. Remember that it takes time to build a trusting relationship with customers, but it takes only a few seconds to lose it.
When apologizing to fans on social networks, recognize your mistakes and assume them so that the client will stop blaming your company for the issues. Then make sure the excuses are genuine and sincere. People will quickly see if the text has been preset or lacking in emotion. The more you highlight the human side and use a natural tone, the more users will appreciate.
- MOVE CONVERSATIONS IN THE OFFLINE
All conversations on social networks are in the public eye, and often when negative comments are discussed, this can cause others to join the discussion.
The best way to do this is to treat the conversation offline so that you can talk to the peer. This way you can control the situation and you can ease the client much easier.
- PERSONALIZE RESPONSIBILITIES
When clients send you a negative comment, they usually seek to make you acknowledge your blame and help them solve their problem. If you are answering an automatic template, you will send a negative message to the client, who will understand that you have not taken the time to deal with his problem and practically do not pay attention to him.
Some rules that you should consider when formulating the answer:
Answer using a relaxed conversation tone;
Includes the customer's name in response;
Tell the client how to fix the problem;
If it is a mistake, assume it;
Recognize the customer's situation in your response.
- DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY
When dealing with negative comments, remember that customers are not mad at you as an individual. They are angry because of the situation. That is why you do not have to take these personal responses and respond aggressively, because you will only make the situation worse.
- ESTABLISH A PLAN FOR SUCH SITUATIONS
A crisis plan for such situations is a document that will help your employees figure out who needs to be contacted in the company to resolve the complaint. The document should include a full list of employees and departments in the company, along with their contact details.
Through this document, any employee dealing with a complaint can (if necessary) quickly transfer the problem to the right person. Employees also need approval for more serious issues, and this list will allow them to reach the responsible person directly.
Such a plan does not only accelerate the response time on social networks but can help employees find solutions in a faster way.
- CONTACT THE CLIENT AFTER SOLVING THE PROBLEM
Once you've responded to a complaint on a social network, it does not mean you've solved the problem. Keep track of the customer's situation and make sure he is happy. If you make a personal connection, they will appreciate your involvement and will feel that their needs are at the forefront.
It is best to follow the client's situation a few days after the response to the complaint. This helps identify your weaknesses, but it is also an effective way to get feedback from the customer about your collaboration with your company.
- DO NOT REMOVE NEGATIVE COMMENTS
If you delete negative comments from social networks it does not mean they will disappear. In fact, if you delete them and ignore them, customers will still comment until you respond in any way. There are few cases where clients have printed the comment posted and used it after it has been removed from the company.
If you have a policy on social networks, you can attract the attention of your clients if they are addressing offensive words. If a customer has exceeded the limit, and you have warned him before, it is ok to delete his comment or block him.
- MONITORING THE CONVERSATIONS CONCERNING THE BRAND TAG
Customers do not get used to tagging or using the company's hashtag when writing a negative comment, so it's important to monitor messages on all social networks.
You can use the free Mention application that allows you to monitor all your business related mentions on various social networks or blogs. You can choose which keywords to follow and you will receive a notification each time they are used.
IN CONCLUSION
According to the studies, 71% of consumers with a positive customer service will recommend the brand and the company to other friends, compared to 19% who receive no response to a complaint or a simple comment.
Obviously, you can not thank everyone on social networks, but it is important to be open and honest when dealing with various negative comments. Adopt a personal approach and take time to understand your client's problem and solve it as much as possible, so you will make him feel important.