Dealing with negative feedback on your social media network

Most people are petrified of receiving negative feedback publically, especially on their social media network. Rather than seeing this an opportunity to refine their product or service, they use it as an excuse to stay away from social media altogether.

There are some easy ways to deal with negative feedback and still maintain your professional integrity. The biggest challenge is not really about fixing the problem; it is more about stopping yourself getting angry 'socially'.

Firstly, look carefully at what has been written, and read the post at least twice before reacting. Ask yourself does this person have a legitimate complaint, or are they just fishing for a reaction?

Secondly, do not delete the negative comment. Always thank people for their feedback and the opportunity to improve. If the dispute is genuine, try to take it to a separate channel out of the public view. State that you are disappointed that the incident has happened, would like to discuss it further, and offer an email address.

Thirdly, deal with the issue immediately and keep your customer up to date with exactly what you are doing. Finally, once you have dealt with the problem turn the feedback into a marketing opportunity. Go back to the original post, explain what you have done, ask for other suggestions, and remind your customers to contact you personally if there is a problem.

No organisation is perfect. Someone will inevitably be unhappy with something at sometime. Thanks to their social media network, organisations are now given the opportunity to provide solutions publically, and show that they genuinely care about what their customers think.  

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