It seems that in this day and age it is meaningless to avoid using social media as a tool for business promotion and interaction with customers. However, there are still organizations that do not want to embrace social media and the opportunities it grants. One of the main reasons for that might be the fear of negative reviews from customers. As Patel (n.d.) notes, this fear comes from business managers’ illusion of control over the situation. In this case, avoiding social media means attempting to pretend that everything always goes according to plan by choosing not to pay attention to people’s honest feedback. However, ignoring this feedback will not make it go away; in fact, it can only exacerbate bad consequences because consumers assume that businesses do not care about their opinions.
When it comes to dealing with negative reviews, apart from ignoring them, one of the worst possible case scenarios for business managers is deleting them. Patel (n.d.) remarks that another bad decision is responding defensively and starting a fight with customers. However, deleting feedback is advised to be resorted to only under extreme circumstances such as comments including inappropriate language or obscene remarks. Since these messages have been published it means that someone has already seen them; deleting them is attempting to silence the audience who will still find a way to have their voice heard. Moreover, it is possible that an individual behind the deleted message will post again, adding anger about the company’s act to the initial complaint.
When properly executed, the acknowledgment of negative reviews and proper response to them is an opportunity for an organization to demonstrate that it cares about its customers and appreciates their opinions. Therefore, negative feedback is not to be feared but to be utilized as a tool to show one’s business integrity, gain the public’s trust, and attract new customers. In terms of the particular steps to implement in properly responding, Patel (n.d.) recommends assessing the content of the feedback first and deciding whether one agrees with it or not. After having done that, options vary depending on this evaluation.
If a company representative decides a negative comment holds truth to it, they are to acknowledge it and genuinely apologize first. After that, they are to take the conversation from an online format to an offline one and offer a person a solution. In case of the negative comment being partially true or a person behind it being somewhat misguided, one is to acknowledge it and apologize as well but to carefully correct misinformation on the person’s part. Then the conversation is to be taken to an offline format and a solution is to be offered. On condition of a company representative deciding the comment is completely false and discredits the organization’s reputation, they are still to acknowledge the message and apologize in general terms for any dissatisfaction caused. However, after that, the conversation is to be taken offline for further clarification of the details and an attempt to investigate the situation.
Reference
Patel, N. (n.d.). Your business needs more negative reviews. Here’s why.