I heard something very interesting this weekend at ANLA Management Clinic. At the Retail Swap Shop (and idea exchange session), the topic of social media sites like Facebook came up. Someone asked "What happens when a customer posts something bad about your business?"
A couple of people answered that since you get notified about all posts, you can delete it before someone else sees it.
I would challenge that and say think about it for a minute. The people who take the time to go on a business' Facebook page and post messages are probably pretty computer savvy. That means they know how social media works - and it tends to work on the notion of transparency.
There's a trust factor that whatever they post will stay there, because they visit hundreds of other peer-review websites that keep the bad and the good. If they know they posted it and come back later to see it's been deleted, you've lost their trust. You've also probably just lost their business.
Think of a negative comment as an opportunity. Other customers will likely respond to defend you. It may start a debate. You are free to go on and explain what happened or, if it was a problem on your end, offer a solution. It's an opportunity to show how you resolve customer issues. If a customer came into your store to complain, you wouldn't ignore them.
It's a new medium, and you have to think about it in a different way.
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2 comments:
The differences between social media word of mouth and traditional word of mouth are significant. On the positive side to the company being "talked about" you know what's being said, and usually by whom. And as you said, there is a reasonable chance to defend yourself as long as you're aware of what was said. This is another way your supporters will help, because they'll tell you. Several months ago there were negative comments about a new consumer warranty program offered by an industry vendor and I brought it to their attention. Unfortunately, they chose to ignore it and the post is still on the first page of a Google search, yet undefended by the grower. It puts their retailers at risk when consumers who may want to know if the company really stands behind the guarantee, if it is just a gimmick to sell the product, etc. can Google to find out.
After long thought on this topic after it came up at The ANLA Clinic, I feel the negative feedback and then posting how you did or how you are rectifying the situation is a perfect way to show that your company does provide that excellent customer service.
We as businesses do not like the bad publicity, but by working the solution publicly (except for legal situations) we are showing all of our customers how we ARE the company they should shop with, no matter the situation.
We say we want feedback from our customers on what we can do better. Well, now that you have it, work it to your advantage.
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