As a growing number of companies start to explore the use of social media or intensify their efforts, one of the “pushback” questions is what happens when people criticize their company or brand.
It’s a hurdle many senior executives have a difficult time dealing with because so much time and money is spent building brands that it seems strange to get involved with something that makes it easy for consumers to say bad things in a very public way.
The reality is getting into social media means taking the good and dealing with the bad in a professional and upfront way. If you are not prepared to deal with criticism, then don’t get involved with social media. Of course, you also have to accept that people are going to be critical anyway – except you won’t be part of the conversation or have a way to effectively deal with it.
So, what happens when social media goes bad? How do you deal with consumers who are disappointed, upset or unhappy, and use social media as a convenient platform to vent their frustrations.
The most important thing to remember is most consumers are venting, and social media is quicker and easier than writing a letter or calling a 1-800 number. The best way to deal with most of this activity is listen to what being said, and acknowledge their feedback, complaints and issues.
In most cases, a quick response can turn an unhappy customer into a happy customer. In situations that are more complicated, it can make sense to deal with these issues off-line. Again, this kind of customer service can be a win-win for both sides.
Another important consideration is making sure you’re part of the conversation. When people are talking about your company or brand on Facebook, Twitter or blogs, it can make a huge difference to talk back in a measured, mature and reasonable way.
By being engaged and involved, consumers are given the opportunity to tell you what they think and, at the same time, it gives you the opportunity to answer questions, provide clarification or more information, deal with inaccuracies or solicit feedback.
A great case study for listening is Right Sleeve, a Toronto-based promotion merchandising company, that provides “swag” to the mesh conference. Last year, Right Sleeve included some cool fridge magnets within the swag package.
The reaction from attendees was not what the company expected. Instead of compliments, there was a flurry of concerns on Twitter about how magnets could affect the performance of laptops and cell phones. It had the potential to be a PR disaster.
Rather than hide in the corner, Right Sleeve CEO Mark Graham got involved in the conversation by apologizing to people who had concerns about the magnets. This scored points with people who appreciated his efforts.
Then, Mark created a video that showed how the magnets didn’t affect how a Blackberry operated. This helped turn a bad situation into a good one, and generated a lot of interest in Right Sleeve’s business.
By being engaged and listening to what people are saying, most of the criticism on social media can be addressed and resolved fairly effectively and quickly. It’s when you’re not participating or not really listening to what people have to say is when problems happen.
Tags: criticism, right sleeve, Social Media
A great post – thanks. It is difficult to convince management of the value of social media sometimes. It can be hard to explain why anyone should get involved!
This short video is a tool I use to appeal to wary clients. Social Media reaches the South Pacific It’s a bit of fun!