Maintaining Customer Service via Social Media

We manage many social media pages for our clients, which involves communicating daily – and often by the hour – with their fans and customers. We occasionally run into a disgruntled or unsatisfied customer who is passionate enough about their situation to communicate it on a business’ Facebook page, Twitter feed, Yelp review or generic website that allows them a platform to express their feelings. Here are a few tips for taking on that customer remark, from the social media standpoint:

1. Move fast. Whether customer reviews or comments are negative or positive, you should always address them as quickly as possible. Kind remark? Even just a nice “Thanks! We so appreciate your kind words!” lets them – and all the other fans watching – know that you’re listening and paying attention, and you really do appreciate them speaking up about a positive experience.

If a comment is negative, moving fast is also a requirement. Letting a bad review hang out in the air for days on a Facebook page just lets the negative fan stew, and worse, it makes you seem like the lesser party for not addressing their concerns in front of all your fans.

2. Do not delete. Nothing can inflame a customer more if they see their comment has been deleted  for no apparent reason (unless it contains profanity or violates a business policy). Remember: address a comment quickly, efficiently and get the lowdown on their complaint. If anything, you’re the bigger party because you’re professional and courteous from start to end of the conversation.

3. Say thank you and you’re sorry. Always thank a commenter for voicing their concerns, especially if it’s a valid remark. Your business always tries to give a customer the best experience possible, and a simple apology for their experience not meeting that standard is often what they are looking for when they leave negative comments. If they continue with a negative spray, there’s not much else you can do if all they’re looking for is a platform to share their emotion.

4. If there is something to be done…again, address it immediately. Even if you can’t remedy their situation, find someone who can – whether it’s an actual customer service representative, a store manager, or someone who can reach out to the customer directly. At the very least, emphasize to the customer that you’d love to discuss their experience privately, and you would greatly appreciate if they would give your business a call. Moving conversations to the private realm is always the ideal situation, because it at least takes their negativity away from your brand on a public page.

Social media is just one of the ways we strengthen a brand for our clients. Call us today to find out what Momentum can do for your business. 843.377.8450