Negative comments are a part of every business owner’s reality. Whether you run a Facebook page, a blog, or an online store, someone is always going to have their say. Learning how to deal with this strident criticism is an essential skill for any business owner. Contrary to what you might think, these comments can often be turned into something positive. In this article, we will be discussing ways to navigate these negative comments so you can make your social media pages and online business as successful as possible.
Don’t Take It Personally
The first and most important thing to remember when dealing with negative comments is to not take it personally. Negative comments are often the product of a person’s frustration, and not directed towards you personally. It’s easy to get caught up in the blame game, but instead, try and learn from the situation and figure out what you can improve next time. Taking a deep breather and reminding yourself to stay calm is essential – if you ever let that negativity go straight to your head, you will lose your objectivity, and your customers will, in turn, see negative behavior coming from your page, which will only make matters worse.
Find the Root Cause
When you notice negative comments, it’s always a good idea to try and get to the root of the problem. The person may be angry because of your product, your service, or something completely unrelated. It’s important to ask the person exactly where their issue lies so that you can then address it in the proper way. In some cases, customers may be in the right and you’ve made a mistake. The best approach here is to offer an apology, and then move ahead with addressing the problem. By offering apologies and then looking to see where the problem lies, you can find a good compromise and show your customers that you value their input.
Value Critics’ Input
Being open to criticism is one of the major keys of success. If you can’t handle criticism, you won’t be able to take your company to the next level. Every opportunity to make a mistake is an opportunity for learning. Take the criticism in a constructive way, and figure out what lessons you can learn from it. While it’s no fun to be yelled at in public (who likes that?), it represents opportunities to get feedback from your customers. This, in turn, can improve your products or services and make for a better customer experience.
Encourage Positive Input
Most people are willing to let you know when they have a negative experience; less people are eager to tell you when they’ve had a positive one. One way to try and balance out the negative comments is by trying to encourage positive ones, too. If you offer a good product and service, most people will have great things to say. You can go a step further and try and get testimonials from customers to highlight the great work you provide. You can also offer coupons, discounts, and prizes for those who post honest and positive feedback.
Use Negative Comments to Improve
Everyone makes mistakes, but the truly successful learn from them. Use negative comments as a way to figure out how you can improve. If you are getting the same negative comment over and over, this is a huge opportunity for you to make a major improvement that will make your customers happier.
Block Out the Incessant Negativity
At the end of the day, it’s important to know that not every comment needs to be responded to. Some people will use your platform to spout hate and criticism, and this doesn’t mean that all of a sudden you have to change your entire business model. It’s okay to ignore the non-constructive comments and focus on what you can do to make your business better.
At times, negative comment handling may be challenging, but when handled in the right way; it can help you to improve and connect with your customers better while contributing to your success. There is always a silver lining even in negative comments.