What should a company do if they receive negative comments online? Should they delete the message? Retaliate with negative comments of their own? Shut their business down and quit? Or all of thee above. Could there possibly be a better solution to these problems? Well possibly.
If we learned anything from the readings this week is that a corporation needs to be transparent to live in social media. Check that, rather, thrive in social media. If you are not fully submerged, you will ironically drown. Social media holds the doors open for company-consumer relations. And to every yin, there is a yang.
Negative comments should not be frowned upon. Put them in a different light. they are ways to improve your company. These are perfect opportunities for "constructive criticism". Mind you, comments like "Your company sucks" obviously doesn't help as much as someone complaining about something specific, such as customer service. Negative comments that have a drive and purpose need to be taken seriously and investigated.
When this happens, a business should act in accordance to social media norms:
1. Be honest.
2. Answer promptly.
3. Appreciate the input.
4. And don't be afraid to delete the "your company sucks" comment. That helps no one!
Consumers appreciate a business that takes them seriously.
I think it is very important that companies do not just ignore negative feedback. I discovered while researching my company this week that their lack of response to negative feedback made them look guilty. I actually have a strong urge to investigate them and see if they are hiding something bigger. I think the first two should be followed whenever possible if not all 4.
ReplyDeleteJenn W.
I agree with you! I've always heard it said that the coverup is worse than the crime. In the social media world, deleting negative comments, or trying to control what is said only makes the situation worse. It draws more attention to the negativity. As the Taco Bell case illustrates, these things can go viral and get ugly very fast. It's better to suck it up, learn it, and change than to try to control it.
ReplyDeletePart of being "out there" with a facebook and social media presence is responding to all kinds of feedback.
ReplyDelete