In this day and age the majority of companies and brands have some form of social media presence. With the abundance of social media channels and the amount of chatter going on public forums, a growing concern for companies is the impact of complaints and negative comments being made through these channels. This concern can be a huge deterrent to brands taking the plunge and fully embracing the world of social and the benefits it can offer.
Even though your company may not be engaged in social media channels, it doesn’t mean people aren’t talking about your brand. It’s inevitable that not all the conversations are positive either. There will always be critics and negative comments online and offline. It is how a company chooses to react and engage these critics that is most important and can help change a negative into a positive. So what is the most effective approach to dealing with these critics?
Jason Hill discusses his approach to dealing with complainers and combatants and why you don’t have to be as worried as you think in his Social Media Explorer article, “Six Steps for Dealing with Detractors.” Hill’s six step approach:
- Acknowledge their right to complain
- Apologize for their situation, or your mistake (if warranted)
- Assert clarity in your policy or reasons (if warranted)
- Asses what will help them feel better
- Act accordingly
- Abdicate
Hill offers some great advice, but I think it is key to first examine the particular customer, as well as the context and channel the complaint is being made through. This should effect how and where you choose to engage the customer or “detractor.” Since every channel is different it is important to consider how your response will be viewed by other consumers; will it be more beneficial to respond privately or publically?
These are all good points to consider when identifying your approach to dealing with a disgruntled customer, but I agree with Hill that only through your own experience can you develop a tested process that works best for you. JetBlue is a recent example of a company that was able to do this is by reaching out to a customer who felt they had been unjustly charged a baggage fee for their fold-up bicycle. Within days JetBlue contacted the customer, reversed the charge, and subsequently changed their baggage fee policy. The positive outcome was picked up by the bike blogosphere and Consumerist changing this potential negative situation into a positive.
Every brand is going to have its share of critics and with the growing number social channels their voices are becoming more powerful. By developing a strategy to engage these critics your company will be more prepared to react to future incidents. You may never be able to please everyone, but as long as you try to respond accordingly and respectfully you have a better chance of turning a potentially negative situation into a positive one.
