Brand Adoption

Sooner or later it will happen to you and your business.  Some people think it is when a business really knows they have hit it big time.  It is when a customer is upset and goes to your social media platform to complain.  An angry customer can be a great opportunity to create a positive experience for that person and your business.

The Social Media Examiner posted 10 ways to deal with upset customers using your social media sites. Here are a couple of our favorites:

1. You Can’t Respond to Conversations You Don’t See

Great response starts with great listening.

• Set upGoogle Alerts for your brand and industry keywords.
• Keep a close eye on your Facebook page.
• Listen on Twitter.
• Depending on the type of business you have, read reviews on sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and Zagat.
• Make a list of any forums or communities where your customers congregate and regularly check in on them.

#4: Speak Like a Human

The only thing worse than ignoring upset customers is to respond with a canned corporate response. If you thought they were mad before, wait until you see how they react to an excerpt of your policy terms and fine print.

Show empathy, communicate in a friendly tone and use your real name. And if the forum supports it, it helps to include your actual photo.

It’s easy to yell and scream at an anonymous company. But when someone shows up and says, “Hi, this is Emily and I’m so sorry for the trouble…” it changes everything.

The critic now realizes he wasn’t yelling at a giant, faceless company. He was yelling at Emily. Quickly, the anger fades—and you’ll often get an apology.

www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Check out how Zappos replies to this fan. It’s human; it’s friendly. And even though they couldn’t immediately fix the problem, you can bet this fan will be back.

Be sure to read all 10 ways