It’s no secret that social media has become the new front line for customer service.

Consumers expect quick responses, which is why you should never give them anything less.

At its best, social media is a personal touchpoint that can strengthen relationships and increase the chances of converting an unhappy customer into a lifelong advocate.

But how do you turn negativity into positivity?

Here are some tips to help make sure this experience is as positive as possible (for both of you)

Why do customers lash out on social media?

The customer’s expectations are also higher than ever before.

What’s new is that the customer can now take a megaphone to social media and broadcast to the world when you don’t meet their needs or answer their questions or their questions.

The combination of high expectations and instant communication has thus created the recipe for customer backlash on social media.

Of course, many customers are pleasant folks who have no intention of lashing out, but even they can be driven into displeasure when they’re unable to get answers.

The following are some common reasons customers lash out on social networks:

• Poor customer service, or none
• Lack of knowledge about how to execute certain tasks
• Inability to get in touch with the company via phone
• Inability to solve a problem or get an issue resolved

If you can ease any of these pain points, you can avoid a lot of potential problems on social media.

Recommended Reading: 5 worrying signs of a weak social media strategy

How to communicate effectively with upset customers

Social media is a wonderful platform for businesses to engage with their current and potential customers.

However, while many businesses use social media as a tool to promote their products and/ or engage with existing customers, there is still some trepidation about how to deal with upset customers on social media.

Below are 10 tips to help your business deal effectively with upset customers on social media.

1. Have a strategy for responding to complaints

Every brand should have a response strategy for dealing with complaints.

It should be part of your existing marketing plan and, in most cases, it is wise to have a dedicated team that handles customer complaints separately from other issues.

Go beyond your regular “copy and paste” response.

2. Take the time to listen to customers 

Inadequate communication and a lack of response to customer requests are often the reason for their frustration.

You should aim to establish good communication with customers from the very beginning.

83% of customers agree they feel more loyal to brands that respond and resolve their complaints.

3. Be polite and apologize 

It’s never okay to behave rudely or unprofessionally, so make sure you apologize if necessary, even if it’s not your fault.

This goes a long way to resolve the situation and earn your customer’s trust again.

Simply saying: “I’m sorry, how can we make it up to you” can help put their worries to bed.

90% of consumers worldwide consider issue resolution as their most crucial customer service concern.

4. Identify the person you’re speaking to

The fact is that every client is unique in their way.

To address customer issues, it’s important to identify who you’re speaking to and how best to approach them.

For instance, the strategy used to handle complaints from existing customers may not work with new customers.

5. Stay calm and collected

First, don’t panic.

Remember that you’re in charge of the situation, and if your customer isn’t happy with how you run your business, then it’s up to you to take action.

Don’t respond negatively — stay calm and collected.

6. Listen to what they have to say

An angry customer does not need to be the centre of attention.

Take a step back from the emotion they’re showing and try to understand why they’re upset.

Be sympathetic, but don’t feel sorry for them.

Don’t excuse their behaviour either (e.g., “I know you’re upset…”)

Recommended Reading: 4 customer engagement strategies for social media success

7. Give a personalized response

When customers reach out to voice their concerns, it’s best to give them a personal response.

The best way to do this is to acknowledge the user by name and address their problem in the initial message.

For example: “Hello, Ben, I’m sorry you’re having issues ordering food from our app. We’re currently working on the issue, and we’ll set you up in no time”.

8. Keep it short and simple

The art of saying less is often the most effective way to end misunderstandings and resolve conflicts.

Over-explaining can do more harm than good in this case. Keep it simple.

9. Don’t shift blame to the customer

Social media complaints can easily lead to finger-pointing, but this is rarely a productive strategy.

A brand is only as good as its last tweet or post, and you never know who might listen to — or view — the conversation.

Instead of arguing with an upset customer or diverting their anger, take the high road and apologize for the situation.

10. Don’t offer special deals or discounts

While your first instinct may be to offer a special deal, just at this time, don’t.

If you’re getting regular feedback from upset customers, the problem is bigger than what a special discount will fix.

Should you outsource your social media customer service?

As more people turn to social media to voice their opinions about your product, it’s becoming increasingly important to have a strong presence on all the major channels.

Customers expect quick responses, and having someone who can dedicate their time solely to managing your accounts will give you an advantage over competitors.

Now, the big question: should you handle your social media customer service in-house or outsource it?

Here are three factors you should consider:

• When you hire a third-party team to take care of your customer service on social media, it gives you more time for strategy, engagement, and relationship building.
• Hiring an outsourced social media customer care team means they will train your team in best practices on how to handle customer complaints, returns, and exchanges.
• The biggest advantage of outsourcing is having a dedicated team that focuses on social media 24/7, 365 days a year.

Recommended Reading: Social media comments section: how to engage effectively

Conclusion

Online marketing is a nimble and fast-moving environment.

With the right approach, it’s possible to turn even the toughest of clients into customers that have no problem singing your praises.

But you must adhere to one simple rule — Be nice!

It’s one of the basic philosophies you learned as a child, but it works on social media too.