Learning From Negative Feedback

It can be hard to read negative feedback about your brand online. However, with thick skin and a prepared plan of action, you will be able to handle feedback professionally and decipher the real issues from the "kvetchers." 

Start With House Rules

The first thing you want to do is have posting guidelines (or "house rules"), which is a social media policy about what is or is not acceptable. You can post this on your website, Facebook or anywhere else that you see fit. Translink does a great job of this. In these rules you want to be clear about what is and is not tolerated on your social media accounts.

So, once you have decided what is considered negative feedback and not bullying, and you receive a negative comment, it's time to respond. Yes, you must respond (silence is bad). Yikes! I know, this can be scary but it must be done. What you need is a collection of messages that you can select your response from (tailored for each character limit). This will be the bridge to resolving the problem and/or take the conversation offline. A few suggestions are:

Thank you for your feedback. Can you please email us with the date and time that occurred (we may have a few more questions for you)?

We are sorry that happened! Can you DM us your phone number so we can give you a call to discuss this situation? Thank you.

Our apologies. We would love to make it up to you so can you please DM us your email address?

Thank you for your feedback.

Our apologies. Your comments are taken seriously & we hope to resolve this matter very soon. 

The type of situations that you will run into is limitless but the most important things to remember are:

1. Apologize.
2. Obtain contact information or request that they contact you.
3. Take the conversation offline (off of public social media platforms).
4. Make sure that the last comment made online is either positive or by you.
5. If the comment is considered bullying or harassment DELETE the comment and block and report the user.

It never feels good to receive negative comments or feedback about your brand. Each comment will make you stronger and help you build a strong brand. Remember, people love drama and if they see negativity on your social media accounts people will follow the juicy conversation (we all love drama). It's best to end it before the comment thread gets out of control. Thick skin isn't just for crocodiles anymore and these comments aren't a personal attack. Feedback is imperative to growth and with these tools you can handle it efficiently and professionally. If you need social media guidance or online communications training, send us a tweet 

Apr 25, 2014
From the Custom Fit Online team

Filed in // Social Media Marketing, Marketing, Business