Do you have Social Media Presence?
Bizz Buzz . . . bimonthly business basics by Susan K. Maciak
CAMEO Career & Corporate Consulting LLC | cameo100.com

YEAH! YEAH! TEAH! Everyone knows it’s important for their company to maintain social media presence. That means that someone on your staff regularly posts company news and other relevant information on popular sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.
But isn’t it risky to put your company out there like that? Couldn’t being so public backfire? What if the comments the public makes on your posts get are not favorable? If a customer has a complaint and rants about it on your social media pages, isn’t that bad publicity? When that type of criticism is right there in living color, where do you run and hide?
Tackle online criticism head on
Of course, it’s embarrassing to be berated in public, but it’s also a great opportunity for customer service. Going online to apologize and make retribution can be good publicity for an organization . . . and a great customer service opportunity. It's also an instant way to protect your company’s reputation.
The best approach is to tackle criticism head on. Post your apology as near as possible to negative comments. Use the reply option or go on to the next comment space. Explain how you plan to remedy the problem outlined by the critic.
Your response to online negativism is an act of courage that will help dissuade dissatisfied customers and show others your side of the story. It's also a great way to tell the public you care about customers and that you’re willing to go out of your way to make them happy.
If you handle it correctly, your reaction to criticism won’t negatively influence your company’s reputation. Instead, your response will convince all who see it that your company practices good customer relations. By applying good customer service principles, you can turn a negative into a positive. Here's a formula to follow:
Respond to online criticism of your company using these three steps:
•Apologize (whether anyone’s guilty or not): "We're sorry to hear about this."
•Thank the comment-maker for bringing this issue to your attention: "Thanks for letting us know."
•Suggest a solution. Reply: "Message us your phone # and our customer service department will call you,"
or "Stop in our store and we'll make an adjustment."
The best approach is to tackle criticism head on. Post your responses as near as possible to negative comments. Use the reply option or go on to the next comment space. Always apologize whether the criticism is legitimate or not ("We're sorry you feel that way."). Explain how you plan to remedy the problem outlined by the critic. Your reaction to online negativism is an act of courage that will help dissuade dissatisfied customers and show others your side of the story.
For CAMEO's Customer Service training programs and educational books: ask@cameo100.com
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