7 Safe Steps To Manage Negative Comments

Your business is on social media, You have your content all figured out, your social profiles are growing, you’re on top of things. And one day, IT happens: some angry customer leaves a negative comment on your Facebook, or mentions you in a very angry tweet. What do you do?

You might be a well-trained community manager, or maybe just handling the social accounts of your own small business. No matter what the circumstances are, there is one thing you need to do for sure: stay cool, think and decide on a course of action.

Also Read: #IllRideWithYou And The Importance of Twitter In Social Movements

There are many ways humans deal with negative feedback, but when it comes to business, negative comments become even more important, and not because they can potentially arm your business, they could also make it stronger and better!

So what do you do with negative comments? Delete? Respond? Ignore? Remember that dealing with an unhappy customer on social media should not be very much different than dealing with one in a real store.

Dealing with an unhappy customer online should not be different than dealing with one in a store.

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The great guys over at Digital Giants have come up with 7 steps you should follow, and they have even put them together in a great infographic.

The 7 Steps You Should Always Follow

Read the comment carefully – How can you help?
Take a screenshot – you never know when this will become handy!
Do not delete! – Deleting shows others you may be hiding things (you can delete if totally inappropriate)
Act fast – most users expect an answer within 1 hour!
Draft your response – it will be seen by all your followers, you need to be sure of you will say
Respond – officially respond. Best to start with an apology and a solution
Monitor – Make sure you follow up and/or that it does not escalate.