Negative Comments? Here Are The Tips to Handle Them
Social media increased your audience reach. It gives access to prospects and customers. It also helps to engage with your audience by interacting with them. Things might go wrong and then your business open up to the world of criticism. This criticism might come in the form of negative comments in social forums. Handling negative comments is difficult and challenging. Handling negative comments differs from case to case.
Here are the tips to handle negative comments
1.Be vigilant for all mentions about your brand
Usually people will post negative comments on your facebook or other social networking profiles. But there are chances that people might post negative comments about you on third party forums, their own blogs. You should be vigilant for all mentions about your brand..You can use Google Alerts for this.
2.Set the rules of engagement
You can set the rules and guidelines for your visitors. You can post them in static section of your social networking profiles. For example on Facebook you can post them in about us section. Below are the examples of rules which you can set.
1.No obscene language.
2.No Disrespectful comments
3.No sexually explicit videos or photos
3. Decide how to respond
You should not respond to anyone who doesn't adhere to rules set by you. Respond to genuine questions. For example if some customer is not happy or frustrated about new process on your website, he would express his frustration by posting negative comments. You can use this opportunity to educate your customer about new process.
Respond to genuine customer complaint. If a negative comment is relating to customers who is not happy with your product or services. Take the opportunity to understand the customer problem and help him resolve the issue. Offer customer to continue the conversation in an appropriate forum like phone, email or an existing support forum online..Respond him with an apology and provide him your company contact information to solve the issue.
4.Respond as soon as possible
Don't let sit negative comment on your social networking profiles for hours or days. This might provoke other customers to put additional comments
5.Tell the truth
Maintain transparency in your communication. Tell the truth about your company policies and services. In the information age customer can find out relevant information and can react more negatively if you lie to them.
If you handle negative comments correctly, they give you an opportunity to educate people about your product and services. This helps to strengthen the bond with your audience.