Facing online complaints head-on, instead of ignoring them, not only defuses public negativity aimed at your business, but also can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, says USA Today columnist Steve Strauss in a piece he wrote for American Express Open Forum. He cites a recent Harris survey that looked at customers who posted negative feedback of a business on social networks over the holidays. Of the customers who were contacted online by the business, 18 percent were converted in to regular customers, 33 percent posted a positive review of the business and 34 percent deleted their original negative post.
To engage with disgruntled customers online, Strauss recommends creating a Google alert that tells you when people are mentioning your business, using a service like Technorati, Trackle or SocialMention, or simply searching Twitter daily for any comments. From there, it’s merely a matter of employing customer service.
Read more at American Express Open Forum.
