Due to the rise of social media and being connected 24/7; businesses are more connected to their customers more than ever. Communication on social platforms are public making it extremely important for businesses to handle the correctly and carefully. When social media interactions are handled carefully, businesses can not only prove how professional they are, but will also boost brand visibility and loyalty with other customers. Listed below are some of the major types of feedback that businesses will encounter with social media, as well as tips to help you handle each problem or interaction.
Questions about the Company
As with all of these answers, answering any social interactions promptly is key to show that you mean business. Engaging your customers and building relationships with them is a great way to keep them coming back, interacting, and hopefully becoming loyal customers. Making sure that you actually answer their questions (no linking out!), and using a vernacular that your customers can understand are great steps to building trust for your brand. More than 70% of customers will spend more with a company because of a history of good service.
Positive Feedback
Positive feedback is one of the biggest gratifications that a business can receive. Engaging with your customers and thanking them for their kind words is a great way to show them that you care and take time out of your day to actually read what they write about your business. Responding as soon as possible as great, but don't let it sit for more than 2-3 days. Keeping it short and simple, while also using the customer's name is a great way to personalize it without sounding stuffy, formal, or like a bot. 7 out of 10 people are more likely to trust small and local businesses after reading positive reviews, so congratulations, you're doing something correct! One thing you don't want to do though is prioritize positive reviews over negative ones. Both are equal on the scale, and negative ones should be getting more of your attention so you can fix problems.
Bad Review Online Site
Unfortunately, bad reviews are part and parcel of business. There will always be someone that wants to complain about not getting what they expected, not being served fast enough, and the list goes on and on. But, since 9/10 people have read online reviews of companies, it's good to get ahead of the game and respond to the negatively in a positive and clear head. Do your research about the incident, read their complaint in depth, and prepare a well thought out response. These factors are all key to maintaining your reputation, as well as making sure you don't receive any further criticism. In your response, there should also be the steps that were/are being taken to fix the problem and an apology for their upset. Learn from the review without dwelling on it, and move on to serve other customers with your improved knowledge.
Complaints of Service or Product
Not surprisingly enough, there have been many articles, including this great article from the New York Times, written about how humans remember bad things better and more frequently than good things. The article discusses experiments that were made in which participants gained and lost the same amount of money, but the bad events wear off more slowly and that good ones. As of 2013, people were twice as more likely to go online and complain about businesses. The best way to handle these complaints is to respond quickly and be consistent in your answers. It's also a good idea to take it off the public spectrum and encourage them to email, call, or send you a private message of their problem.
Photos and Resources Courtesy of: Ohio University, "Types of Social Interaction Businesses Might Encounter" infographic