Did you know that 90% of customers read online reviews and almost all of them trust these reviews to offer an accurate account of local businesses? Love it or hate it, the influence of social media is stronger than ever.
Receiving negative reviews or comments online can be a cause for anxiety for any organisation. But it is especially troubling for companies that depend on word of mouth to build their client base – those that provide courier jobs, for example. Because bad reviews are bad for business.
It is possible, however, to turn a negative online response into an opportunity for the positive promotion of your business.
Response
If you only take away one piece of advice from this article it should be this: always respond publicly to a complaint. Although you may think you can deal with a complaint more efficiently in private, potential clients see companies’ online activity as an indicator of their level of customer service. Therefore, it is important to show you are actively concerned for each individual.
Responding to reviews or comments about courier jobs on social media will also increase customer advocacy. People who have their issues solved (or at least addressed) are statistically more likely to recommend your service.
Engagement
You need to develop a set of company guidelines for social media engagement. Here are a few tips to get you started.
•Make sure you sound like a human being not a corporation – avoid set phrases and jargon
•Be positive at all times
•Don’t discuss details of specific courier jobs in a public forum – take it off-line
•Only respond twice to an individual complaint. Internet ‘trolls’ (people who complain, insult and harass others online for fun) have little interest in finding a solution to a problem. In fact, they may not even have used your service. Avoid getting stuck in an endless and pointless online conversation by offering an email address or phone number to take the issue further.
Follow Up
Although it is great to be seen to respond on a public platform, sometimes follow up is needed to ensure a customer is satisfied with your response. Use the private messaging options on social media channels, such as Twitter and Facebook, to gather more information about a problem or tackle a particularly persistent issue. This means that private details will not be shared in public and it gives you an opportunity to deal with problems in depth.
Once a solution has been offered, you could ask whether the customer would consider updating their review. Do not ask people to remove complaints; instead, suggest that they update the review to take your assistance into consideration.
Promote Positive
Dealing with negative reviews is absolutely key, but don’t forget to make the most of positive customer feedback too. Be proud of your successes and share positive reviews on your social media channels.
When so many customers spend such a large amount of their time online (and this is only increasing), it is important to show your superior customer service by dealing with online reviews professionally and publicly.
Norman Dulwich is a correspondent for Courier Exchange, the world's largest neutral trading hub for same day courier jobs in the express freight exchange industry. Over 5,300 member companies are networked together through the Exchange to fill empty capacity, get new clients and form long-lasting business relationships.
This article is copyright free.