Two weeks ago we talked about dealing with the crank in person - that person that leaves a bad review, yells at your staff, decides to leave and never come back and tells all their friends to do the same. What happens when the person complains online?

1. Address it as soon as possible. In today’s online world, it’s important to address issues as quickly as possible before they get out of hand. Respond to the negative comment by offering to speak with the customer offline.

2. Don’t ignore or delete it. We can’t stress this enough – unlike in-person complaints, an online complaint can be seen by everyone. By ignoring, or deleting, you are inadvertently telling your customer that their opinion does not matter. The exception to this is if the post is obscene or offensive. If that is the case, delete it.

3. Take the conversation offline, possible. When you respond to your crank, ask if they have an email or phone number you can reach them on to discuss. In most cases, this will take the conversation offline so you and your crank can come to an agreement without the back and forth being public.

Online complaints can be intimidating – what will other customers think? Will this negatively affect my reviews? Do not let the fear of backlash stop you from handling the situation.  For more help on creating a strategy to handle an angry customer, contact us today!