Your company already has a wonderful, efficient online presence with social media. However, not everything can be perfect.
Most likely there will always be negative comments on your posts. Sometimes it may even feel overwhelming when you are constantly getting them day in and day out. We’re here to help you understand how to handle these negative comments that your company may be receiving on social media.
Negative comments can always trigger a defensive way of thinking from the reader. When you first see some negative commentary on a post that your business posted, it is a natural reaction to feel a little bit upset and want to find out why someone would say such things about your product or services. Take some time to cool down before doing anything rash. It’s good practice to never reply within the first twenty-four hours after reading the comment as it might make you look too reactionary and make your case even worse if you don’t think through your thoughts before responding. In this case, take time later in the day or several hours later to respond with care and consideration for whatever is being discussed.
There are some things to keep in mind when responding to any sort of negative feedback on social media. First, always stay professional and respectful. Some customers may be agitated with your business for whatever reason but you never want to stoop down to their level simply because they are now attacking your company’s image or products. Second, do not take anything that is said personally as it is most likely just about the product or service being offered by your business, not you personally. Third, don’t let the customer rile you up so much that it takes away from what your company is focused on accomplishing which means making a profit! If the comment has become very aggressive and seems like the customer wants nothing more than revenge on you, they may even try pursuing legal action against your company for all the trouble you’ve caused them. However, be aware that this is still very unlikely to happen and if it does, you will most likely be able to easily fight off any sort of lawsuit because what they are saying simply isn’t true.
If you find yourself in this situation where negative comments on social media are continually popping up, don’t allow it to get to your head or let it stop you from posting things online. There will always be customers who complain about your business – sometimes without even giving it a chance at all. From hereon out, remember not to take things personally when dealing with complaints because chances are these customers will only continue to complain about your business without giving any of your products or services a fair shot.
A good way to combat these complaints is to simply continue doing what you have been doing all along which means being genuine and humanizing your company online through posts. Take the time to get involved in the conversation people are having with your brand on Twitter by using hashtags like #HappyFriday. If another user mentions you in their post, respond with something like “Thank you for checking out our product!” No need to reply directly back the complaint because it may only make things worse! Just focus on responding with care towards anyone who is talking with your company online.
One thing to keep in mind is that sometimes, customers have a bad day and take out their frustration on your brand. In this case, it does happen from time-to-time that people will post negative comments on social media which do not necessarily reflect how they really feel about your business as a whole. Take the opportunity here to show them some empathy and also ask for further details of their experience if you can (in a polite way). By doing so, there is always a chance they might reconsider and update their initial post with something like “I was upset at first but I am now satisfied with my order!” or even “Sara from Company X has been very helpful throughout the whole process and I will be shopping with them again soon!”
There is not a foolproof method for dealing with negative comments on social media, but the basic idea is to stay calm and move forward. Always treat your customers with respect online and you might just end up making their experience that much better in person as well.
To sum it up
- Remember that social media is not a personal attack
- Respond to negative comments with kindness and empathy
- Take the time to read through all of your comments, even if they are negative, so you can address them appropriately
- Be careful about what you post – don’t make any posts that could be taken as an insult or put someone down
- Use humor when responding to trolls – respond with sarcasm or poke fun at their comment in order to diffuse the situation
- Block users who are consistently posting offensive things on your page – it’s always better to block than delete because then they won’t be able to see anything else posted on your account either
When all else fails, remember that these kinds of complaints only happen from time-to-time and should never take away from the enjoyment of your brand. Social media is a great way to connect with customers and potential customers alike so take advantage of it. If you follow this guide, you should be just fine in handling negative comments on social media!
We hope that with these tips you’ll now be better equipped handle negative comments on social media.