How to Deal with Complaints & Negative Feedback on Social Media
Negative customer feedback is one of the least favored things by every business owner. Especially if it appears on their social media pages. Bad comments can make your brand look bad, only if not handled properly. But, don’t let them frustrate you! There are a few things you can do to combat negative feedback without making you a villain.
Don’t panic. Don’t remove those ugly comments.
Negative customer feedback can make every seller growled, especially if it’s seemingly given by a fake account claiming to be a customer. Many sellers choose to remove negative comments they get and they think that they’re doing the right thing. However, deleting bad comments can actually ruin your reputation as a seller.
It sucks to receive bad comments on social media, but they happen. Every seller gets at least one bad comment on Yelp, Facebook, Google, or even their ecommerce sites. Negative feedback shows that the ratings given by your customers are real. 100% positive feedback just seems unrealistic. In sum, bad comments are not something you should hide or delete, but handled properly.
Don’t ignore them. Respond to them immediately and publicly.
So you have decided not to remove any negative feedback on your social media. That’s a good move. But, don’t just ignore them. The right thing to do is to respond to the bad comments immediately, just as fast as you respond to the good ones.
You can reply to the bad comments publicly (strongly recommended!), but there are a few things you need to pay attention to when responding:
- Don’t be defensive by listing all of the reasons why the upset customer is wrong
- Say an apology, even if the fault is not yours
- Ask the customer concerning the bad experience they had
- Tell them that you will provide the best solution for them
- Offer them to speak directly to you by phone or email
Here’s an example of how to respond to a negative online review:
Look into the issues.
Responding to customer negative feedback alone is not enough. You need to analyze the problems or bad experiences your customers encountered. Evaluate your product quality, delivery service, and customer service to figure out any deficiencies your business may have. By checking and evaluating, not only can you change the perception of the disappointed customer, but also minimize the possibility of getting more bad reviews in the future.
Contact them.
If you’re able to get the data of the dissatisfied customer, you should make use of it well. By contacting them directly, then you can find out the root of the problem and find a solution more quickly. Your customer would really appreciate if you could contact them.
You can send a personalized email stating your apology while offering a good solution for them. It wouldn’t hurt to give them a voucher or special offer as well. With a good customer retention strategy, you can turn an unhappy customer into a valuable resource.
Focus on generating positive feedback.
Instead of removing negative customer feedback on social media, you should focus more on improving your positive reviews. More positive reviews will drown out the bad ones.
There are two things you should improve in order to get more positive comments; the quality of your products and customer service. Better-quality products bring in more buyers. So does better customer service.
Give your customers the ease to submit inquiries and complaints regarding to your products or services. Provide them with various communication channels such as live chat, phone, messenger, and email so they can choose the option that works best for them. Good customer support will help you improve your customer reviews and keep your business away from negative feedback on social media.