Nobody wants to be spoken about negatively, but unfortunately you often don’t get much choice in the matter. With social media channels encouraging customers to engage in all types of comments about your brand and with everyone who has access to the internet given a voice, it’s possible that somewhere at sometime your company is going to be subject to criticism. We take a look at how you should best approach negative comments in social media outlets.
Feedback types
Generally negative comments can be categorised into types and each one should be handled differently. The two most common types of negative feedback are customer complaints and constructive criticism. Recognising which type of feedback relates to you, enables you to be better equipped to respond.
A customer complaint is when a member has a problem with your product or brand. This feedback can paint your brand in a poor light, but it can also be helpful in exposing real problems that need to be addressed. A complaint is a direct issue with a product or service. It will explain the issue in full and may come across quite angry or abrupt,” says beautyheaven website manager Leanne Philpott. Your response should be positive. If it’s a problem that can be fixed (like a bad batch of products), thank the consumer for bringing it to your attention and explain what you’ll do to rectify the situation. If the complaint is about a company’s policy or method (for example, a complaint about the fact products are tested on animals), try to identify with the person and their opinions and then take the time to explain why you do what you do.”
Constructive criticism occurs when a member has suggestions as to how you could be doing things better. The most valuable criticism is criticism that is accompanied by helpful suggestions on how to improve. Even though this highlights flaws and can be considered negative, it can be very useful in the long run. Constructive criticism will generally point out a flaw or issue with a product or service but it might also make suggestions for addressing this. It’s generally presented in a less emotional and less attacking way than a straightforward complaint,” says Leanne.
The most important thing about responding or interacting with the online community is to be transparent. Create an avatar for your brand and clearly identify yourself as a representative of that brand. Do not create an independent character” to speak for you – unless your brand can respond with a real person and transparently, it is best not to respond at all. Consumers are smart – brands who behave as if they always know more, or need to be right all the time won’t be accepted into social communities. Brands need to find a way to be human when dealing with this medium.
Responding to negative comments
There are many ways to respond constructively and appropriately to negative comments and still continue to build credibility and trust. Simply by responding to the members comment directly shows that your brand is open to dialogue and portrays that your brand is listening and values the customer. Digital Chameleon director Patty Keegan says it is always preferable to respond to critical comments in the same platform and medium you received the interaction in.
Leanne reveals the best way to deal with criticism is quickly and in a personal manner. The worst mistake brands can make is to leave it more than a day or two to reply and then to use company jargon or a tone that puts blame on the consumer,” she says. Conversations evolve quickly online and leaving it too long to respond can result in disjointed communication or the person who originally posted the negative comment may miss your response. Use a friendly tone, thank the consumer for the feedback, empathise with them, apologise and explain what ‘you’ will do to address the issue. Two key things: have integrity and be real in your response.”
Generally no matter what the issue is, your brand should show that you are taking steps to fix the problem. There may be times when feedback is the result of a perceived problem rather than an actual problem (e.g. someone who just doesn’t like the way you do something). In this case, your best response is to thank the member for their feedback and then offer an explanation about why you do things the way you do. Zuni client relationship director Valentina Borbone reveals, There may be an opportunity to educate the commenter if their views are invalid/misplaced. By providing the right information in the right way (without shouting and screaming idiot”) you can ultimately bury the negative comment in a sea of positive instruction and redirect the interest of commenters altogether.
Dealing with criticism
In response to constructive criticism, there may be times when you won’t want to implement the suggestion given, however, you can build loyalty and trust by responding to criticism with a positive message. Thank members who have taken the time to provide you with constructive suggestions and tell them you will take their ideas into consideration – this is a great way to build trust with someone who may otherwise drop its support of your brand. Most customers just want to know they’ve been heard, you don’t necessarily have to implement their ideas,” says Valentina.
I’ve found that responding with a direct but calm and personal approach has worked,” says Leanne. Demonstrating that you have listened by repeating the commenter’s issue can diffuse the situation. In the case of forums, sometimes negativity is born out of boredom. It pays to put your investigators cap on and assess the reasoning behind the negativity. On the few occasions where I’ve identified someone to be demonstrating unfounded negativity, I’ve simply redirected to a more positive topic. Often in these instances the commenter is simply looking to engage with someone.” The most important thing about responding to feedback is to stay positive in any response. Don’t allow further negativity into the correspondence.
Patty believes all critical comments should receive a response. If the comment is an authentic one, you'd be crazy to simply ignore it. Even if it isn't, ignoring it could be interpreted as disrespect,” she says. A good rule of thumb is to imagine yourself in a face-to-face conversation. If you were to ignore a genuine comment that was important to the other party, the conversation would break down between yourself, the other party and probably others in the same room. Social media is a conversation on a vastly bigger scale - but it is still essentially a conversation.”
Ignoring comments
While you may be tempted to avoid responding to negativity in order to avoid inflaming the issue, Leanne believes you should respond to criticism in the majority of cases. There’s no hard and fast rule when it comes to handling negative comments,” she says. Sometimes the ‘disregard but keep close watch’ method is appropriate, for example, in the case of a new member having a bit of a rant in a misguided attempt to gain status. A non-response may be fitting or you might find that it’s better to allow the community to step in (particularly in the case of forums) but you’d maintain a close watch to ensure it doesn’t result in all-out war between members.” Valentina agrees, saying ignoring a comment can sometimes allow the community to come to your rescue and create an open debate, however, it is important to monitor the activity around the comments.
Turning a negative into a positive
Not all criticism is bad - sometimes it is possible to turn a negative comment into a positive experience. Leanne revealed that responding to a negative comment in a timely manner and with an appropriate response and tone gives your business or brand a greater sense of authenticity, which is a step towards building a loyal customer base. Sometimes just the act of listening and taking the time to understand the complaint or criticism is enough to turn the situation into a positive,” she says. It’s also important to remember that your communication is not just with one person (i.e. the person who has posted the complaint), it may be read by other followers, fans or readers and an authentic and real response may just win the trust of others too.”
Patty pointed out results that show how dealing with criticism can have a positive outcome. Findings from the RightNow Retail Customer Report reporting on this past Christmas shopping season found that when retailers responded to negative comments, 34 per cent deleted the original negative comment, 33 per cent turned around and posted a positive comment and 18 per cent became a loyal customer and actually bought more!” she says.