By Thamyris Barbosa
Understand how to minimize the impact from criticism on social media
You know that saying that goes: “It can always get worse”? It is completely true. And if you came across this text, it is probably because you are having or have had problems with criticisms on social media. That ironic comment or that comment expressing anger that, from one minute to the other, appears like a scream straight into your ear. At these times, all the other positive comments seem to disappear and the only thing you can see is that unwanted criticism.
Well, I have some news for you: it is best to take it easy. Yes, criticism is part of the process of exposure and ought to be faced as something natural (at least, to a certain point). Your company is neither the first nor the last to go through this. However, the difference between a solved problem and a catastrophy is, precisely, in the way you respond to these comments.
We know that it is not easy to manage social medias for a company. Proof of this is that, just by reading a few comments on corporate posts, we can quickly find one or more customers or clients complaining. You can’t please everybody. After all, if in the real world there are complaints, there will be in the virtual world too. For this reason, there are a few things you should keep in mind which can help you solve or, at least, not worsen the problem. Below follow five tips on how to act in these situations:
Avoid arguments and always say thank you
No matter how bad the criticism is, it certainly will contribute to the improvement of a product, service or a process within the company. For this reason, always say thank you. After all, the ones who criticise are the ones who care.
Apologise
There is nothing that irritates consumers more than businesses that are not able to admit to their own flaws. This is, most definitely, the most important piece of the puzzle in retaliations against brands on the Internet. Trust me, blaming the one who is criticizing you is the worst thing you can do.
Be human
Show that you care. Do not behave like a machine with no feelings. In times like these it is vital that you put yourself in the shoes of the person with the complaint and try to understand exactly what has happened for this person to openly criticize you online.
Never delete the post
The time when you could delete negative comments and make the problem go away is gone. The truth is, in the digital era, doing this only makes things worse. This attitude can be a trigger for thousands of other complaints. Never do this.
Monitor before, during and after
After wrapping up the issue, continue to monitor the case. Only this way will you be sure that the problem is truly solved. Moreover, it is essential that there is a detailed follow-up of the settling of the case. Do not try to hide the problem, as this will only result in complaints coming with even more emphasis the next time. It is also a good idea to ask for a feedback after finishing the service.
Do you still have doubts regarding how to deal with your followers and customers on social media? Contact our team. We’re happy to help!
