Monday, May 18, 2015

Social Media Marketing: How to Deal with Bad Review

What exactly must a social media marketing manager do when a bad review pops out on one of these platforms? What is the right way to respond to a negative comment? Check out these tips below.

Promptly respond. Maybe a customer had a food poisoning episode after a meal at your restaurant. Or someone was not properly attended to in your store. Or had a horrible experience using your product. Whether or not you already have an answer to the scathing review, respond promptly. Say something to the tune of: “Thank you for your feedback; we promise that we will look into the matter and get back to you shortly.” Let them know that you value their opinion, and that you will really take action.

Get to the bottom of it. When you do look into the matter, get to the bottom of it. First, ask your customer to provide more details. Sometimes, bad reviews can in fact be composed by paid hacks of your competitors, to discredit you, and on your wall, to boot. So, make sure you confirm that they did actually purchase a product or enlist your company’s service. This part also ensures that you have the whole story to guide you in your investigation – you will find out who is the erring party, whether it is your own staff, or if the customer is party to the mishap as well.  That way, you can deal sanctions properly, while also being fair to your own employees.

Be polite. A good social media marketing manager knows how to use words wisely, so that the company’s intent cannot be misinterpreted. Basically, you want the customer as well as the other people who will read the review and your reply, that you are committed to high standards of quality (or safety, if that’s the case). If they had an unfortunate experience, reassure them that it is the exception rather than the rule. Moreover, if you can justify your actions without sounding defensive, then all the better for your brand. For example, a huge part of customer experience will be subjective – they might not like the way your food is served, or the way your products smell or look like, or the way your store is designed. Instead of attacking the person’s taste, share with them your product development process. Perhaps if they knew the backstory, they will find a way to appreciate what they did not, before.