"Social media and other digital platforms give businesses more direct access to their audiences - and their feedback - than ever before. This creates a valuable opportunity for brands to strengthen customer relationships, build loyalty and address legitimate concerns in real time. Online responses from your brand must be handled carefully, though: Generic, defensive or unempathetic replies can quickly backfire, leaving customers feeling dismissed and disconnected."
"One mistake is being defensive. What builds trust is acknowledging the issue, explaining what you've learned and showing you've updated your process to prevent it from happening again. For example: "I'm really sorry this didn't meet your expectations. What we've taken away from this is [lesson], and we've already implemented [improvement] so that future customers have a better experience." - Chris Cardillo, Garden State Media"
"Way too many responses sound scripted, like someone's reading off a prompt. "We understand your frustration, and we're working on a resolution..." - it doesn't feel human. Just talk to me like a real person. Slow down, and drop the template. Hit me with a "Hey Derek, thank you for letting us know about the issue. We're here to help!" - Derek Walin, Dream Machine Entertainment"
Social media and digital platforms give businesses direct access to audiences and immediate feedback. Brands can use that access to strengthen customer relationships, build loyalty, and address concerns in real time. Online responses must be empathetic, specific, and timely to avoid making customers feel dismissed or disconnected. Avoid defensiveness; acknowledge issues, explain lessons learned, and describe process improvements to prevent recurrence. Stop treating social channels as one-way broadcasts; monitor conversations and prioritize listening first. Reject scripted, robotic replies; personalize messages and speak like a real person. Implement monitoring systems and train teams to respond thoughtfully and transparently.
Read at Rolling Stone
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