Social media is an amazing and powerful tool that allows you to reach people from all over the world. But when you’re able to cast wide nets, you’re bound to catch some nonsense. However, that doesn’t mean you should totally write off social media. In fact, being able to confront the negative comments head-on can help you repair a client relationship or develop new ones.

Here are our top tips for dealing with bad comments on your social media posts.

 

Don’t Freak Out

Ok, so they wrote something not so great. In fact, it’s downright awful! But don’t freak out! When you freak out you run the risk of reacting emotionally and may make regretful or unprofessional decisions. Take a deep breath and center yourself before responding to a negative comment or review.

 

Take Notes

For the most part, people don’t complain for no reason at all. As you receive complaints and bad comments, take notes. Are these individuals complaining about their experience with your facility or service? Have you been posting controversial or offensive content? Has there been any inappropriate communication? As you take notes of each complaint and bad comment, you should be able to piece together a pattern and hopefully correct said behavior.

Be Quick

Don’t let bad comments sit and fester for days or weeks. Responding to negative feedback quickly shows that you care about the complaint. The sooner you respond, the more likely the person is to forgive. Turn on your automatic social media alerts so you can react in real-time when negative comments or reviews come in.

 

Be Polite

There’s no reason to get nasty. Remaining polite, compassionate, and professional will help you diffuse the situation at hand. Express empathy for the situation and position the complainant has been put in. For extra bonus points, you can also send them a discount code, coupon, or free service. No one has ever gotten mad about getting something discounted or for free!

 

Beware of Trolls

Some people really just have too much time on their hands and they enjoy “trolling” online. This means that they like to attack your posts for seemingly no reason. They may hurl insults, tell rude jokes, instigate fights between other commenters, link inappropriate sites or state invalid facts. Trolls should be deleted and blocked! Do not argue with these people.

 

Don’t Be the Winner

There’s no winner here. If you try to “win” the argument, you’re only going to upset them further. If you try to prove yourself right publically on social media, others are going to rally around the original complainant and this will only further ostracize your brand and business.

 

Watch the Delete Button

Your first reaction may be to delete or block someone. While this may work for trolls, it’s not wise to delete or block bad comments just because they’re innately negative. If someone has a genuine complaint, respond to it! If you delete bad reviews or comments, you’ll look shady. And your shady business practices will seep into your offline business.