The growth of social media has made receiving customer feedback (positive/negative) easier.

When a customer posts a negative feedback, they are not only telling the company but also the
followers within reach of the complaint and can be very extensive. To build a good online
brand reputation, marketers should "respond to every complaint, on every channel, every time"
(Melancon and Dalakas 2018). Ignoring a comment can reflect poorly on the company and
may not satisfy the complaining customer, but it can restore the chances of maintaining
business with them and help to inform another customer.

One negative post can create the wrong perception of a business or result in loss of confidence
even though the company is well-run and provides quality service. The influx of negative
comments on the page is cause for concern as it has potential to upset the company’s financial
position through loss of existing or deter potential customers. Likewise, if not addressed
adequately, a negative image can fester in a customers’ mind for undesirable long-term impact.
Carlson (2017) views the process as an unpleasant part of life but must be undertaken to sustain
a company’s online presence, maintain growth, and customer interaction. Although there is an
influx of negative posts, it is not a valid reason to delete the comments as it can erode
customers’ trust. Furthermore, the customer can use another platform to express their
experience further damaging the company image.

Given the drawbacks of having an unhappy customer, it is critical to deal with negative
feedback adequately. Although challenging, the following procedures can help recover
customer goodwill.

1. Do not delete the posts - keeping the negative posts on the business page would show
the company is not hiding faults and can build a relationship between the customer and
the business;
2. Identify the underlying issue - If the customers’ feedback is critical yet constructive,
acknowledge the comments while trying to distinguish the source of the issue. Although
the advertisement started the influx, try to identify the bases behind the influx as the
issue may not be the company but the wording used in the advertisement.
3. Do not take it personally – the customer had a bad experience, and by providing a
complaint, the company should not lose their cool or be impatient, but respectful and
have empathy for the customers’ experience;
 4. Accept responsibility – do not blame the customer even if they are at fault, but accept
responsibility for the customer’s disappointment;
5. Respond to the customer in public - responding boosts the company’s reputation with
other customers who would see the company is responsive;
6. Provide polite and constructive responses - responding in a rude, aggressive or flippant
manner would further damage the company’s reputation. It is best to respond politely
and professionally portraying empathy, and the willingness to address their concerns;
7. Respond in quick intervals - after the first contact, offer additional feedback reassuring
the commitment for resolving the matter, i.e. the sooner the customer receives feedback,
the higher the chances the customer would not post more negative comments;
8. Be honest - providing the customer with as much information as it relates to the
advertisement to improve customer confidence. Customers do not expect businesses to
be perfect and appreciate when a company is honest (Durgee and Agopian 2018), i.e.
If the advertisement offends a race, ethnicity, or gender, be honest and admit the
company’s fault; and,
9. If needed, address the matter offline - If attempts do not satisfy the customer, it can be
best to discuss the matter in a private setting.

Negative feedback presents an opportunity to show a company’s side and dedication towards
resolving issues with transparency and empathy. The procedures can guide any company to
pinpoint the issue, addressing concerns, and building credibility as the cost of attracting a new
customer is five times the cost of keeping a current customer happy (Durgee and Agopian
2018). As part of the corporate social responsibility, marketers must actively shape the public
image of the company ensuring it does not affect sales and growth.

References

Durgee, Jeffrey F, and Garo Agopian. 2018. “Refurbishing services and how services enhance
consumer well-being.” Journal of Services Marketing 32 (3): 311-321.
Carlson, Jamie. 2017. “Customer engagement behaviours in social media: capturing innovation
opportunities.” Journal of Services Marketing (Emerald Publishing Limited) 32 (1): 83-
94.
Melancon, Joanna Phillips, and Vassilis Dalakas. 2018. “Consumer social voice in the age of
social media: Segmentation profiles and relationship marketing strategies.” Business
Horizons 61 (1): 157-167.