Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect and that goes for companies as well. There are bound to be times when you get an upset customer who posts a negative comment on your Facebook page. What and how are you going to deal with it and turn it around to a positive? Here are a few ways that you can help negotiate the turbulent waters.
Do not ignore the post. No matter how derogatory or upsetting it may be to you or your company, it is imperative that you respond. Everyone who has “liked” your page can see the post, so to ignore it means that you don’t care. By responding you are developing an attitude that you are concerned and care about your customer support.
Once you have responded publicly, make sure to follow up with the upset customer by taking your conversation to private forum. This can lead to you offering perks to that customer to help motivate them to continue using your product. You don’t want this information on the wall as it can lead to a whole slew of potential complaints just to get the retention perks!
Make sure to remain patient and understanding in responding to the concerns. Remember that the customer does not know all the ins and outs of the product like you do. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes when you are responding.
Once a resolution has been reached ask the fan to remove their post; most of the time they will. You or your Marketing Director should never remove complaint or concern posts. This can be construed as sweeping the issue under the rug. You want you fan base and community to see that you care about your customers and are willing to make good on their concerns. Even negative concerns can help foster a good rapport if you are timely in your responses.
If the fan will not remove their post make sure to respond to the original post. You do have the right to publicly respond that a resolution has been reached and thank the customer for her business. Fostering a caring and helpful rapport leads to the next option of community responses to that customer’s concern.
Facebook pages were designed to be interactive and communicative. Once you have established a caring attitude, your community will generally help with troubleshooting prior to you answering. Fan activity increases with your continued interaction and there is no greater credibility than word of mouth or fan based support.
If none of the previous steps have worked to turn your angry customer, and they continue to be hostile on your page, you have the right to ban them. No one deserves to read bad language, racial slurs or constant hostility. It is your right to take the initiative and ban the offensive party from your page. In the end your other customers will respect you and your company more for doing it.
