Pretend for a moment that you have two customers. One of them is very happy with your service, and the other is very upset. Which customer is more likely to leave a review or speak out on social media? Unfortunately, it’s almost always the angry customer. When someone feels wronged, the person is much more likely to share the story with others. We don’t exist in a world of 5-star reviews, so we need to accept that not all reviews are going to be 5-star.
Another unfortunate circumstance of this situation is that most people will turn to social media to air their grievances and decompress their tensions. Sure, some people will call or email you directly, saving you a little hassle, but most will post straight to social media and potentially tarnish your reputation.
If and when you get a negative review, the most important thing to remember is that it doesn’t mean your product or service is bad. Most likely, the review was a result of dissimilar expectations and/or simply a bad day on the part of the reviewer.
We wish things were simpler like the days when every business had a suggestion box, but times have changed dramatically.
The Great Online, your online marketing company in Denver, has a few techniques that you can use in order to quell complaints that might pop up in your social media.
- Respond to customers quickly; this is always your best course of action. It doesn’t matter if you respond personally or through a social media channel, but you should always try to respond in 24 hours. Even if you cannot mend the problem, acknowledging the customer’s needs is half the battle. Some people just want the simple satisfaction of being heard.
- If possible, contact the customer personally and publicly. If someone comments on your page and you only respond personally to the customer, then everyone else will believe that the comment was ignored by your business. On your public platforms, acknowledge the problem and offer to resolve it, but be succinct with your message. When you contact the client privately, then you can start asking more questions in order to solve the whole problem. Moving the conversation offline makes it much easier to solve the problem.
- Avoid excuses at all costs.Customers pay attention to how you react to mistakes and problems, and they remember the results. At best, an excuse will make you sound apathetic, and at the worst it will make you look incompetent. Instead of giving the customer an apology, give them the truth. This is much more genuine, and it can go a long way towards gaining back the trust of the client. Sometimes customers will complain about your product, and the truth might be that it is simply not a good fit for them. You may need to reset their expectations.
- Always respond with empathy. You probably won’t always agree with what a customer is saying, but you can be truly disappointed that they are unhappy. You should also recognize that most clients leave a negative review in the midst of their angriest moments, so don’t take everything to heart. Respond calmly, and don’t get too defensive.
- Make sure to follow up after the fact to ensure the customer is happy with the resolution to their issue. They will be grateful for your commitment and ultimately remember a positive experience instead of a negative one.
Responding and dealing with customer complaints has changed drastically in the last decade. Your problems become much more public, so your response has to be more refined. Denver is home to a tech-savvy population that has grown up using social media, so we want to be there when you need the help.
Please turn to The Great Online for any and all of your Denver online marketing needs. We hope to hear from you soon!
