When people post negative comments about a company on social media, they often do so because they feel the company has wronged them in some way.
They may feel that the company has not kept its promises, or that it has treated them unfairly. In some cases, customers may simply be dissatisfied with the product or service they received.
Whatever the reason, customers who leave negative comments on social media often do so in hopes that the company will address their concerns. They may hope that the company will apologize and make things right, or that it will fix the problem that led to their dissatisfaction.
Unfortunately, not all companies respond satisfactorily to negative comments. Some companies may ignore or deny complaints, while others try to engage in discussions with the customer. This can lead to further customer frustration and anger, and can damage the company’s reputation online.
If you are a customer service manager for a company that receives negative comments on social media, it is important to respond quickly and effectively.
How to do that, we explain below.
When do you respond to negative comments on social media?
It is never a good idea to ignore negative comments on social media – with exceptions. In fact, the best policy is to respond to it as quickly as possible.
A quick response shows that you take the complaint seriously and are committed to resolving the problem.
However, you don’t want to respond to every negative comment. If the complaint is petty or the customer is unreasonable, it is best to just ignore him. Responding only makes things worse.
So, how do you know when to respond to negative comments on social media? The answer depends on the situation. Here are a few guidelines:
- Is the complaint about a product or service? If so, please respond immediately.
- Is the complaint about your customer service? If so, respond within 24 hours.
- Is the complaint about something on social media? If so, respond within 48 hours.
- Can’t you solve the problem in one response? Then keep responding until the problem is resolved.
When do you ignore negative comments?
But how do you know when to back off or outright delete negative comments? Of course, there will be times when it is best to do this.
Let’s explore the circumstances under which you might not want to engage in conversation with someone who posts negative comments online.
When you expect others to support you
If you prefer not to respond to negative comments and expect others to defend you, it may be best to wait for your community to respond on your behalf. This will be less true for a business account, but may be more applicable to personal or influencer accounts.
For things you don’t want on your page
If someone posts something on your social media page that you find inappropriate, just delete it. This could include profanity, spam, random attacks, aggression, cultural insults, racial prejudice and conspiracy theories.
Examples of such comments are comments that have no value and do not address actual problems, as well as threats of violence (in which case you should also report them to the platform and possibly the police).
If someone posts something offensive on your social media page, you can ban and/or block them so they can no longer post. This is usually easy to do through the settings of most platforms.
Although the person can still see their comment, as well as people who are already friends with them, new viewers of your page will not be able to see the comment.
Trolls and bullies
To trolls, just don’t respond, because that’s all they want. Trolls like to comment on things on social media pages for the sole purpose of eliciting an emotional response from the victim.
They take pleasure in getting you “excited,” and the only remedy to keep them off their comments is to ignore them altogether.
How do you respond to negative comments on social media?
Now you probably want to know how to actually respond to negative comments. Below are the steps you can take. Use it to your advantage!
Be positive
No matter how hurtful the comment, it is important to always respond positively. That way you come across as down-to-earth and sensible.
People are more likely to trust someone who is not quick to get defensive. retaliates with anger or frustration – always keep your patience!
It can be very difficult, but remember that most comments are not actually about you they say much more about the person leaving them.
Be polite
Polite and positive? That’s a winning combination. Try to avoid online drama, which rarely ends well. And if you are attacked: remain calm and composed.
If you lose patience, things will only get worse, and you really don’t want that in business.
It can be difficult to keep your composure when someone is rude or aggressive, but it is the best thing you can do in that situation.
Be careful in your public conversation
If the negative comment can be dealt with quickly in the comment section, try to have a civilized conversation there. But be careful, because anything you say can and will be used against you. So avoid arguments or fights in public
The goal here is to resolve the issue as quickly as possible without making it worse.
When the conversation gets heated, the time is right to move the conversation to private chat. Before you know it, you’ll go viral and your Facebook feud will be on Best Social Media.
Move the conversation to a private chat
Sometimes it is best to take the conversation out of the public domain and continue it in a private space. If the negative comment cannot be resolved quickly in the comment section, this is usually the smartest route.
If you don’t want to make the discussion public, leave a comment asking to be contacted privately.
This approach shows that you are willing to discuss the issue without everyone having to see it.
React quickly
Always respond as soon as possible. This shows that you are not avoiding the problem.
Ask that the comment be removed
If you don’t want a past conversation to ruin your image, you can always ask him to delete the comment. After it is resolved, of course.
Use humor, but be smart about it
If you think you can, you can use humor. Having doubts? Then always keep it to a serious tone, as this is less likely to be misconstrued.
Make sure you’re on top of it
When providing customer service on social media, it is important to be able to respond quickly to all types of comments, no matter what channel they come in on. This can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you use multiple channels such as Facebook and Twitter.
To help stay organized and keep track of all incoming responses, it’s a good idea to use a tool like Steam-connect.
Steam-connect is an omnichannel software solution that allows you to access all your customer interactions from a single platform.
In addition, it provides robust reporting capabilities so you can easily see the history of each exchange and identify potential problems before they escalate.
Use the negative comments on social media to improve yourself
If you receive negative feedback on social media, it is important to use the feedback to improve your social media strategy.
By understanding what went wrong, you can work to fix the problem and make sure it doesn’t happen again.
In addition, you can also use negative comments on social media to improve your customer service. If you know what went wrong in the process, you can learn from your mistakes and ensure that the problem does not recur in the future.
Finally, you can also use the feedback to improve your overall communication skills. By understanding how to deal with difficult clients, you can become better equipped to handle any situation that comes your way.
Summary: This is how to deal with negative comments on social media
As challenging as it is, remember to always stay positive when responding to negative comments on social media.
This not only helps you maintain a good image, it also helps resolve the situation faster.
Is the conversation threatening to escalate? Then deal with it in a private conversation.
Finally, use the feedback you get to improve your social media strategy and communication skills.
