Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have made it easier than ever for companies to reach out to their customers. These websites have also made it easier for customers to voice their complaints—and unlike emails or phone calls, social media complaints are visible to the public. Learning how to handle these social media comments can help your business keep current customers and get new ones.

Don’t Ignore It

It’s never a good idea to ignore negative social media comments and it’s an even worse idea to delete them altogether. While some comments may seem unnecessarily harsh, it is important to remember that customers feel frustrated when they leave negative feedback on social media websites.

Illustration of someone reacting to a laptop with a negative review on social media.

Make sure these customers feel heard and show other customers that you care about quality service by responding to all comments, including negative ones, as soon as possible.

Practice Good Customer Service

Every negative comment provides you with an opportunity to practice good customer service. Always remember to stay calm and polite when talking to customers—especially online, where customers can’t hear the tone of your voice.

Illustration of woman at a computer surrounded by happy emojis.

If the customer has a problem with a product or service, apologize for the inconvenience and ask to follow up through a direct message or email. Offering replacements, refunds, or discounts on future purchases can help turn a negative experience into a positive one for your customers.

Provide Solutions

If a customer visits one of your social media profiles to complain about a defective product, you should easily be able to apologize for the inconvenience and replace the product with one that works properly.

Illustration of a woman with an idea, shown as a lightbulb above her head.

While the defective product might be a one-time problem, it is important to figure out why it was working improperly so you can offer solutions to the same problem in the future. You should always analyze a customer’s complaint and consider whether there is any way to make your company better.

Having a great social media strategy is another essential element for maintaining your online reputation. If you need help creating content or posts for your social media profiles, contact Pennington Creative. Our writers and designers are happy to help create unique content that will enhance your company’s social media presence.

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About the Author

Jessica DeMilt

Digital Marketing Manager, Social Media Services

Adrienne Lobl

Digital Marketing Specialist, Graphic Design Onboarding Services