How to handle negative comments on social media?
 

How to handle negative comments on social media?

There's many ways to handle negative comments on social media feeds. For very vulgar or offensive ones it may be best to delete and block the user to prevent further obscenities. For comments expressing dislike I recommend ignoring them. Let your followers argue with the people that are being rude. You will often times see big companies respond back to these negative comments with a humorous retort. Regardless what you choose, don't let these negative comments get you down. Keep at it!

1. Address the comment efficiently. Most negative feedback falls into one of four categories: a business error, a misunderstanding, a negative comment or spam. Once you identify the category of the complaint, it will be easier to come up with a positive solution that directly addresses it.
2. Avoid being defensive when handling the comment. A defensive reaction from you can quickly escalate the issue. It's best to be accommodating, polite and truly listen to the person complaining.
3. Own up to your mistake. The last thing you want to do is delete the comment or ignore it. Mistakes happen, and the best way to get past them is to deal with them head on. Beasley advises to first recognize the complaint, apologize publicly and then take the conversation off the social media page to resolve the issue.
4. If the person isn't satisfied with your explanation, you can try offering a business service or a discount to calm the situation and, hopefully, convert the complainer to a satisfied customer.
5. Ask for an explanation. If someone leaves a negative comment that doesn't look like an error on the business's part or a misunderstanding, you still need to address the comment.
6. Deal with spam too. Sometimes a negative comment is completely without merit or is an attempt by someone associated with a competitor to damage your business's reputation. If this happens, address it as if it was a legitimate complaint, apologize for the perceived mistake and take the conversation offline to address the issue.