As time passes, the tremendous benefits to businesses that use social media networks for marketing is becoming readily apparent. But along with the benefits come certain possible pitfalls. Due to the very nature of social networks, your company's fans can directly comment about the products and services your business provides. This is for the entire world to see, both good and bad. To reap the benefits of social media, your business must be willing to take the bad as well. Your company's long-term success on social media may be determined by how you handle the negative side of the equation. A complaining customer on social media offers an opportunity for your company shine by positively resolving their problem and turning a negative into a positive.1. Monitor Your Networks
If your business is an active participant on social media you should already be doing this. The key is to find the problem posts as quickly as possible. The viral nature of social media means these issues can get rapidly blown out of proportion. Your analysis of the situation is swiftly needed. If your company is a bit overwhelmed keeping up with all the chatter, there are social monitoring tools available that can help. When you find problems and issues requiring your attention, take a screen shot of it so it is documented and can be properly handled in cases where the poster deletes or modifies the post, or the problem boils over into a larger issue.
2. Analyze the Situation
The worst mistake you can make is to simply delete all negative comments. All you will accomplish by deleting a post is to further offend the poster. Of course, any posts that are offensive to others and use inappropriate language should be deleted and the commenter blocked. Not every complaint deserves a response from your company either. Come up with a set of rules for engagement to determine whom you can help and whom you can't.
3. Determine If It Deserves Your Response
Complaints on social media are no different than any other customer service issues your company faces. The same rules that you would apply to a face-to-face, telephone or email customer complaint should be applied to your social media as well. It is no different, just more publicly open. In any customer service situation there will be some difficult people who you know can't be helped or pleased no matter what you do for them. They can be ignored, but the rest deserve your response.
Written and produced in beautiful Naples, Florida by OnFast.com. Visit OnFast.com today to get your free trial subscription to our Social Media Marketing Service.
Posted via OnFast - http://www.OnFast.com
