Dissatisfied and angry customers are part of any business. No matter how good you are, people will continue to have bad days and things will sometimes go wrong. Murphy’s Law didn’t say it but it might as well if it focused on customer service a little more!
Social media is a boon and a bother at the same time and is fast turning into a breeding ground for negativity. So how do you respond positively to a complaint on social media in a manner that retains customer loyalty and retention?
The simple road map to correctly address the issue is:
1. Apologize Quickly by acknowledging mistakes
2. Respond correctly by reaching out positively
3. Take conversation offline through a telephone or email
4. Build rapport by personalizing your response and recognizing customer’s reaction
5. Offer a genuine escalation plan to resolve the issue in minimum time
6. Go the extra mile to soothe emotions by offering replacements or rewards- this will demonstrate that the relation with that customer is more important than an one-off monetary loss
7. Don’t delete negative comments
8. Delete negative comments if the customer is more frustrated than the issue demands
According to an NM Incite study, 71% of complaining customers are inclined to recommend your brand IF they experience positive customer service and an authentic effort to resolve their problems.
I hope the above steps help you in understanding that it’s not difficult to turn an angry social media complaint to lifelong customer retention.
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