How to Handle an Upset Customer and Keep Your Reputation Intact - Business 2 Community

How to Handle an Upset Customer and Keep Your Reputation Intact :



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It’s happened to every business at one time or another: the dreaded customer complaint on social media. As we all know, that complaint can mean big things for your brand, especially if it’s not responded to in the right way. Managing your online reputation is a full time job in and of itself, but if you’re faced with that frightening prospect of responding to a customer complaint on your social media, these tips from our online reputation management experts should help:

What do I do if I get an upset customer on Facebook/Twitter/etc.?

If you have customers, this will probably happen at some point.

The first thing you should do is assess to see whether or not the complaint or comment is legitimate. Often, we’ve seen competitors or even spammers post fake complaints or reviews to various social media. Review the comment to see if it’s legitimate by cross referencing the customer’s information with your order history or customer logs. Also, use common sense – if it’s unreadable, doesn’t make sense, or clearly comes from your competitor, remove it or take it down as it’s probably spam. However, if it is legitimate, you want to make sure that you respond quickly and as professionally as possible.

How should I address a complaint?

Consider what the customer is telling you and don’t be defensive – it’s one of the worst things you could do.  So, the first part of addressing the complaint is going to be gathering more information so that you have a clear understanding of what might have gone wrong. Ask questions to get more information so that you can resolve, like order numbers, contact information, product numbers, etc. Anything that can help with your investigation.

If they’ve made their complaint publicly, address quickly and publicly to let them know that you want to work with them to resolve as best as possible and see if you can take it offline. Ask for them to private message or call with their order details to get more information. This can often diffuse a social media attack on your brand’s reputation and it can also help to satisfy the customer.

Also, stick to the facts. The worst thing you can do is say something that’s not true or dishonest, so be factual in the way you try to resolve the issue. Lying about a customer service experience can come back to bite you in a major way down the road, so be transparent. Be open, have a meaningful dialogue, and be understanding while sticking to what you KNOW to be true – not just what you THINK to be true. You need to be 100% before you make any claims.

Should I say I’m sorry?

Apologize without blaming by saying that you’re sorry for their frustration/the situation/etc, no matter what the situation. You don’t want to outright admit fault unless you’re absolutely sure it’s on you – and in that case, do so gracefully with these tips. The key is to show empathy and that you’re human. Most PR or branding crises happen when a brand doesn’t behave in a way that’s compassionate or authentic.

Also, put yourself in your customer’s shoes – if they’re upset about something, think about how you might feel or what you might expect as a resolution if you were in the same situation. Then, work with them to try to resolve.

So, when is it okay to delete?

If the comment they leave is offensive to other users, discloses private information (e.g. credit card numbers, passwords, etc.) or is not legitimate, it’s okay to delete the comment – but don’t ignore the situation. You still need to reach out to that customer to try to resolve their concern, otherwise, it may get nastier. Also, you should never ignore or delete every negative comment – your reputation hangs on how you respond to the negativity, so be sure to respond to each and every instance. It truly does make a difference and it shows that you care about your customers.

How can I ensure it’s resolved?

Respond quickly, be human, and always, always, always follow up. It helps when you go the extra mile to show the customer that you want to help them solve the problem, so giving them the name of someone who can help them along with that person’s contact information can go a long way in the resolution process. Also, just as you would in person, ask if your proposed resolution is acceptable to them. Work together to come to an agreement but also have a firm line with where you’re willing to go.

Responding to customer service complaints is both an art and science. The biggest takeaways are to remember to be truthful, be human, and be responsive – those three things should guide you in every interaction in social media, not just the negative ones.

Read more at http://www.business2community.com/crisis-management/handle-upset-customer-keep-reputation-intact-0761815#ka7zU2LFcqzh0wHp.99