Complaints on Social Media

Social media is a great tool to engage with customers past, present and future. You can test the water with new products and get instant feedback from a loyal following that you already know is interested in your business. The question is:

What should you do if the feedback you get isn’t what you want to hear?

First of all, if it’s malicious, abusive or contains derogatory words then screenshot it, and report it to the social media channel you’re using (through a “report” button, commonly found at the top right next to the post) and hide from timeline/posts (don’t delete if possible). Deciding what to report or not requires a bit of common sense, but treat it as you would any other form of communication, if it's abusive then report it. If it’s an opinion or feedback that the customer has chosen to share with you in the public domain, then my advice would be to respond to it - transparency is best.

Even the best companies in the world understand that we all make mistakes and that so long as we can show that we learn from them then it’s ok. If your service has fallen short of the expectations of your customer, use it as an opportunity to show that you will learn from it; perhaps you already have and have improved your service since. No doubt you will already have a complaints procedure in place, and this is always a good place to start. Acknowledge the customer's problem, explain how it will/has been resolved and provide another opportunity for them to discuss it.

Remember that on social media you are in the public domain; what you respond with will be seen by other customers, competitors, shareholders and whoever else chooses to look at your page. You need to be professional, calm and mature. If what they say really upsets you, walk away, and have a cup of tea; but don’t become an angry person with a keyboard. Remember that whatever you respond, can be seen and shared with the world, so make sure it’s something you’d want the world to see.

Whilst it may not appear so, complaints on social media can be really positive for brands. It provides an opportunity for you to show a side that (hopefully) most customers wouldn’t usually see. It really depends on how you respond. Over the last 12 months, there’s been a few responses on social media by companies, that have been questionable, to say the least.

Cineworld in April was seen to have a petty argument with a customer asking about price. Instead of using it as a chance to show what value their services offer, they became defensive and rude. Not the level of customer service that you would expect from a multi-million-pound company? Not from any company if you want to keep customers happy.

If your business needs more advice about the big world of Social Media, then feel free to get in touch with us here at SilverDisc. Specialists in Digital Marketing, we have the tools and experience to get your Social Media to achieve what you want it to.