Companies responding to negative comments on social media

While social media is an excellent way for companies to market themselves and reach a wide audience, it’s nearly impossible for businesses to maintain an online presence without receiving the occasional negative comment from a disgruntled customer or internet troll. 

On a public forum like social media, the way in which you deal with such criticism can significantly impact people’s impression of your brand. Fortunately, it’s possible to use these negative comments as an opportunity to showcase your company’s commitment to your customers.

Why Should You Respond to Criticism Online?

You might have spent hours curating an Instagram post for your company’s feed, but it could quickly be overshadowed by a negative comment that goes unaddressed. 

Everyone who views a company’s post on social media can scroll through the comments section and see what people are saying about the brand. Although most are likely positive, the unfavorable comments often stand out and receive more attention. 

When dealing with these comments, consider why social media users leave negative comments in the first place. Sometimes people do so in order to share their experience with others and discourage them from buying from a company. In many instances, however, customers are simply upset and want to force the brand to acknowledge their complaint. It doesn’t necessarily mean that they will never patronize the company again; they just want to feel that they are being heard.

Responding to negative comments shows that a brand truly cares about its customers. No one wants to buy from a business that doesn’t aim to meet and exceed expectations in everything they do. Being willing to address complaints displays a company’s commitment to excellence and improves its reputation.

Engaging with social media users in this way also allows you to learn how your company can improve to better meet your customers’ needs. If people are consistently complaining about the same problem, it’s probably a good idea to address that criticism and make necessary changes. If you are able to successfully resolve a common issue, you may not have to deal with as many negative comments in the future. And, your audience will feel like you’re really listening!

Monitoring Social Media Comments

Before you can take action to address complaints, you need to be aware of what comments are being made in the first place.

The most basic way to do this is by actively watching comments on your company’s page. People looking to complain will typically reply to the most recent post, so it’s your job to keep an eye on the comments section. 

There are also a number of free and paid social media monitoring tools that allow you to track brand mentions by setting alerts for keywords and phrases. These notify you of any comments that might have gotten lost in the shuffle.

Google Alerts is one of the simplest options to monitor comments. To set up an alert, type in your company name and any other keywords you’d like to track. Google allows you to set up to 1,000 alerts, so create as many as you need. There are various other settings you can change to suit your preferences, including how often you are notified about mentions. 

These alerts will help you stay on top of your online reputation. While Google Alerts is quick and easy to use, it’s not the most advanced or comprehensive tool out there. For a list of other great alternatives, click this link.

How To Address Common Types of Negative Comments 

Every commenter is unique, so it’s always important to evaluate complaints with a personalized approach. However, there are a few types of negative comments that you’re likely to encounter while maintaining your company’s online presence.

Legitimate problems

These are genuine complaints from dissatisfied customers. Although complaints vary by company, common problems include poor customer service, damaged products, or incorrect orders. 

Since these commenters are typically expecting a response, you should always make sure to reply in a timely fashion. You may not be able to solve their issue immediately, but engaging with their comment gives you the chance to acknowledge their concern and to ask for more information if needed. 

Similarly to Starbucks, you can publicly request that they send you a Direct Message with the specific details of their situation. That way, other followers can see you taking action to address the complaint. Quick and effective responses can help you turn a negative situation into a positive one by showcasing your company’s responsiveness to customer needs.

Questions

People who ask questions are not always upset. Oftentimes they are just seeking information that they cannot find elsewhere. Other questions are more accusatory and negative in tone. Either way, answering these questions is a great way to stay connected to your audience and reduce any confusion about company practices or policies.

Many brands have separate social media accounts dedicated to addressing customer questions and problems, such as Nike’s @TeamNike. When people comment or tag the company’s general page, the support team will reach out and offer to help. 

Internet Trolls

With social media comes the freedom to say anything and everything, whether it’s true or not. Social media “trolls” abuse this freedom to stir up trouble or spread misinformation

This blog post from Hootsuite defines trolls as “people who deliberately provoke others online. By saying inflammatory and offensive things. They live to make people upset and angry.” 

When trolls comment, they aren’t making authentic complaints; they simply want to incite a reaction from the brand or other social media users. 

Because trolls just want to cause trouble, it’s not beneficial to get into a fight with them in the comment section. If anything, responding to them may encourage them to comment even more. 

Try to ignore them when possible. If their comments begin to gain traction, it may be a good move to respond calmly but firmly. Refute false claims so that other customers aren’t convinced of the troll's lies, and then move on. Your reply likely won’t stop the troll, but at least your followers will know what to believe. 

Similarly, avoid deleting comments from trolls. If a troll notices that you deleted their comment, it may make them angrier, which only causes more trouble. 

Another option is to hide the troll’s comment. This will hide the comment from the general public, but the troll will still be able to see it and won’t know they’ve been hidden. 

Inappropriate or Hate Speech

While trolls are usually just irritating, some comments may cross the line. When people use hate speech, make threats, or say something inappropriate, it is time to delete their comments. You can also take action to report, block, or ban them if necessary. 

Another helpful practice is to establish a list of community guidelines that all commenters must follow. All the major social media platforms have rules about appropriate conduct on their apps, but your company can choose to set additional rules for interacting with the content you publish. If you feel that someone has violated your standards, you’ll be able to explain why you decided to delete their comment or block them. Or, it can even be helpful just to have a set of internal guidelines! That way you're not guessing which comments to delete, especially when your opinion may change with the wind.

Remember that you should only delete comments when truly necessary. Not every comment qualifies as vulgar or hateful, so use discretion when deciding how to proceed.

(1) Respond in a timely fashion.

The earlier you catch criticism, the easier it will be to steer the conversation in the right direction. Plus, people expect you to reply quickly. According to HubSpot, Facebook users want a response within six hours and Twitter users want a response within one.

(2) Reply publicly, then move to a private space.

Sometimes it’s easier to communicate over email or DM than in the comments section. You want to first respond publicly so that others see you’re listening and trying to help. When you need personal information about a customer’s situation, such as their order number or address, it’s best to make that a private conversation. Plus, if a commenter is really angry, you don’t want them to keep commenting and drawing more attention to the complaint.

(3) Be sincere.

No one likes a disingenuous response. If you use the same replies over and over again, people will start to feel like you don’t truly care about them. Switch up your wording and make each reply personalized and genuine.

(4) Apologize.

Upset commenters don’t want to hear excuses; they want their complaint validated. When it’s your fault (and sometimes even when it’s not your fault), own up to it and work to alleviate their issue.

(5) Sign your name.

Adding your first name or initials to the end of your replies reminds commenters that they are talking to another human being, not just a brand, which helps to boost your credibility.

(6) Document negative comments.

When addressing complaints, it’s good practice to screenshot and save them. That way you have a record of the issue if you ever need to review it for any reason. Especially if the comment falls under the hateful/inappropriate category, it’s wise to take a screenshot in case any legal issues arise.

(7) Acknowledge positive comments.

People probably have good things to say about your company, so don’t ignore those comments! Replying to positive comments helps take the spotlight off of any negative ones you may receive, and it encourages more people to share their support.