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Feb 13
How to Deal with Customer Complaints in Social Media1 - How to Deal with Customer Complaints in Social Media

How to Deal with Customer Complaints in Social Media

Gone are the days when customers used to call the customer service on their phones and wait to get their issues solved. Today, consumers have a new powerful weapon to air their grievances – the social media. A brief tweet or a post on Facebook is enough to get companies rushing to the rescue of their customers.

Visibility, transparency and instant reach are three essential features of social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook, and no wonder customers flock to them to air their problems. A grievance aired publicly forces the company to take immediate action. You ignore it at your own risk as it can have drastic effects on your brand image.


YOU CAN LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA FOR FASTER COMPLAINT IDENTIFICATION AND RESOLUTION. THIS HELPS BUILD HAPPY SATISFIED CUSTOMERS THAT ARE READY TO BE YOUR BRAND'S VOCAL AMBASSADORS.

 

It helps to know the ways to manage negativity on social media so that you are in a better position to respond positively, and benefit from it.

How to Deal with Customer Complaints in Social Media021 - How to Deal with Customer Complaints in Social MediaBe Aware of What’s Happening

Use social media monitoring tools to listen to consumer conversations. This way, you’ll be able to identify and track any negative sentiment before it becomes too late to manage. There are free social media tools such as Google Alerts and SocialMention that can help track your brand mentions online.

Don’t be Overwhelmed

If you encounter negative comments that could damage your brand, analyze if the comment is attention-worthy in the first place. If it appears to be a blatant attempt at publicity with highly rude or offensive content, just ignore it.

There will be some people that are obvious in their intention to find a reason to fight and hence persist with rudeness. Pay no attention to such people and your audience will do the same.

Examine the source of the comment. If it’s from an unknown website, blog or forum with meager audience, just ignore it. Chances are that not many people know about the issue at all.

Don’t Wait to Act

If the comment is attention-worthy, act immediately. Even if you’re unsure of an immediate solution, post a simple message like “Sorry for the inconvenience. Please get in touch with us at (your email ID/phone number).” This will pacify the customer enough to not to continue spreading news about his or her bad experience. Secondly, the contact details will give him or her, a destination to reach, for a solution.

Apologize and Resolve

Start with a sincere apology to the customer. Give the representative’s name, and if possible include a photo, to lend a human touch. Listen to customer’s issue; avoid citing company policies and instead offer real solutions.

 


RESOLVE THE ISSUE AT THE EARLIEST. KEEP THE EXCHANGE ONLINE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE SO THAT OTHERS KNOW ABOUT IT AND SPREAD WORD OF MOUTH.

 

It helps to involve your existing brand advocates; as fellow consumers, their word carries weight and adds to your credibility.

Contact Solocube to learn more about resolving customer issues successfully on social media.

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