Rants to Raves – Customer Service Challenges on the Social Stage

Proledge

April 16, 2014

Social Media

As social media usage becomes ubiquitous, many small businesses are turning their online communication focus from their websites to their Facebook and Twitter pages. Social media offers never-ending possibilities for customer-brand engagement.

But what happens when that customer interaction takes a negative turn? None of our businesses are immune to negative comments and unhappy customers take advantage of the direct access social media provides. Timing is critical in staying on top of potential customer service disasters. Your small business should have someone in charge of monitoring your various social platforms throughout the day.

What Can You Do to Turn a Customer Rant Into a Customer Rave

Always answer social media complaints promptly. Within 1-hour should be the goal. The quicker you respond, the less time the person has to escalate the situation and make additional public complaints.
Always handle each complaint with care and make the customer feel heard and important.
Suggest taking the discussion to a more appropriate forum if necessary – phone, email, in person.
Never get defensive and don’t delete negative comments. Successful business owners possess the ability to navigate through difficult situations. Think of the bigger picture and what you want your company to stand for and respond from that state of being.
Review your response carefully before posting. Is it thoughtful? Professional? An accurate representation of your company?
Is there a call-to-action in your response to suggest a potential resolution? Today’s consumers are savvy. They know the difference between lip service and engagement. Be relevant and action-oriented.
Speak human. We all make mistakes and have misunderstandings. Interact with your customers, as you’d want to be treated if you were in their shoes.

Social media can be a powerful tool for building your brand and strengthening customer relations if used correctly. Thoughtful, understanding, and even light-hearted dialogue can quickly diffuse a situation and create brand advocates.

At ProLedge, We Take Customer Feedback Very Seriously.

The more we know, the more we grow; and we’d love to hear from you.

Find us on Facebook or Twitter or message our management team.

Thank you for trusting us with your small business bookkeeping solutions.

Get the latest news & updates

Fill out the form below to sign up to our Blog Newsletter and we’ll drop you a line when new articles come up.