When social media was first gaining momentum, one of the reasons many businesses were hesitant about establishing a social presence is they had concerns about publicly engaging with customers. But as social media has become ubiquitous, most businesses have realized the value of social media customer support. They know that if they don’t provide a way for potential or current customers to interact, those people are going to use other social media channels to share their negative thoughts or disappointment. And when that happens, a business is in the less than ideal situation of not being able to engage.

Part of doing business in today’s world is accepting the fact that you’re not going to be able to make everyone completely happy 100% of the time. Even with a great product and awesome customer service, issues are going to come up. However, your business doesn’t have to view that reality as a negative. By providing exceptional social media customer service, many businesses have seen for themselves that it’s possible to take someone who starts out quite upset and actually convert them into a proponent for the business.

When it comes to effectively handling negative comments or disappointed customers on social media instead of making the situation worse, here’s what you need to know:

Make It Super Easy to Reach Your Business Privately

You can actually decrease the likelihood of getting negative social media comments or complaints by letting everyone know a phone number and email address for your business that will be promptly answered by a real person.

Reply Quickly (But with a Level Head)

In general, the faster you can reply, the better. However, it’s normal to be upset when you get an especially negative comment. That’s why it’s important to balance fast replies with not emotionally firing back in the heat of the moment. Social media monitoring services make it possible to know as soon as someone says something about your business anywhere via social media.

Have Empathy

It’s never fun to get a negative comment about your business. Just remember that there may be other things going on in a person’s life that are causing them to lash out at your business. While keeping an emphatic mindset can be a challenge, it will definitely pay off!

Take Responsibility and Actually Make It Right

The worst thing a business can do is not take responsibility for their mistake. Almost just as bad is a business that takes responsibility but then fails to make the situation right. What you say and do have to be in alignment if you want people to continue trusting your business.

To learn more about how to use the power of social media to take your business to the next level, take a look at our social media courses and all of the valuable information we offer.