Social media provides an open platform for customers to give you feedback.

Remember, complaints on social media aren’t a death sentence.

Most people are active on social media and many love to post online about great experiences. On occasion, however, people will use their social media to voice a complaint. When a customer posts a complaint on your Facebook wall, it’s your chance to listen and hear what they are saying about your brand. Most negative posts are striving to educate you about a problem in order to help you resolve or correct it. Education, not humiliation, is the greatest motivator for complaints. Most people complain online to help a business learn from their mistakes not to publicly embarrass a brand.

Once a customer has complained how do you turn that into a positive for your business?

 

1. First, respond quickly. The longer a complaint sits unanswered, the more your customer will feel ignored and uncared for. When you respond, take care to respond as a real person.
2. We suggest creating a preplanned statement. Ask the customer to take the issue offline. Connect them to a support number or support email where they can speak with a representative of your business. Make them aware that you do want to hear from them and would like to help correct the issue.
3. Make it personal. Although you may use a ready made response, you can still make it personal. Use the person’s name, address their specific complaint, and be nice. It is extremely important to speak to the customer who complained in a kind understanding manner. The last thing you want is to be is combative and aggressive.
4. Follow up with your customer once their complaint is resolved. Send them an email asking if there is anything else you can do. Respond to their original complaint, thanking them for bringing the problem to your attention. Let them know that you appreciate feedback and are always trying to improve your business.

 

Handling a complaint well on social media will not go unnoticed. Although you may only hear from one person online, people with the same complaint will take note of how well you handle a situation. Once you turn a complaint from a customer into a positive, you will have a customer for life. A personal connection and great customer service are two of the main reasons people are loyal to businesses. Remember people love to be taken care of, and they love to tell their friends about how well they have been treated.

Want to know more about marketing and branding your small business? Give us a call at 931-221-4991 or drop us an email at .