Small business column: Tips for handling complaints on social media

This week, Kehlan Kirwan from the Small Business Show looks at dealing with online and social media complaints and what businesses can do about them.

It’s tough to hear criticism about your business. Whether it’s about a product you make or a service you provide. In this age of social media, handling complaints and angry customers can be more of a PR exercise than customer service.

Here are some good tips when dealing with complaints from customers online and through social media:

* Do not get angry, once something is said it cannot be unsaid. Remember that you represent your brand and that this can actually be an advantage in showing your customer service skills. Getting involved in a slagging match in full view of the public is poor service and, ultimately, you will come out on the losing end.

* Timing is of the essence. Deal with complaints straight away. Make contact as soon as you see the message and enquire politely to the complainant.

* Take a screen shot of the complaint. The vast majority of computers, laptops and mobile devices allow you basically take a picture of what is on your screen at any given moment.

Take a screen shot of the original complaint and also your responses as evidence in case the grievance gets drawn out. People who post can also delete their comments too, so back yourself up whenever possible.

* If you are wrong just accept it and deal with it. Excuses don’t resolve the problem, they just highlight the problem you’re trying to solve. However, this differs when the problem is not your doing — like Garth Brooks cancelling concerts or airport staff going on strike. If you are going to apologise, make sure you apologise where the original complaint was written, otherwise you will announce it to everybody who follows you. When you’re wrong, limit the damage.

* Where possible, try to converse in private. This gets harder on platforms like Twitter but it will make it easier to get to know their complaint in full and also to explain your stance or how you will deal with it.

* Don’t think of complaints as negatives. Solve the problem by going above and beyond what the person expects. Complaints are a wonderful business opportunity to show just how good your business is and that if, on the rare occasion you get it wrong, show you will do everything to make it right.

Complaints are a good reason to review your after-sales policies and how you follow up with customers. Customer service has become a very real and important way in which SMEs can compete with big name brands. If you can’t compete on price, you can compete on service.

How you deal with customers says a lot about who you are and affects your future business too.