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Unhappy Customers, Total Detractors and Social Media

By: Ashlyn Brewer | 10/25/2011

We've all heard that social media is a shift from one-way communication (company -> customer) to two-way communication. These open communication channels help you better understand your customers and your customers better understand you. They give you the opportunity to "listen to and participate in the conversation."

That's the good news.

However, this shift has also made another huge impact: people can criticize your organization loudly, publicly and anonymously.

Customer complaints in social media are the new normal. Not participating in social media doesn't mean you won't be criticized there, and it definitely doesn't mean you won't feel the impact.

I empathize with the urge for companies to avoid the social media scene. It can feel like sitting at the lunch table with people who hate you - no one ends up happy. However, while it might not always be comfortable, it can be done effectively.

To engage social media complainers, you absolutely must first understand who you're talking to. Most social media complainers fit into two categories: unhappy customers and total detractors.

• Unhappy customers have used your product or service, had a bad experience, and are venting to the world. It's easy to focus on the "venting to the world" and forget the first, more important part. These are people who have supported your business in the past. Go above and beyond to show how much you care about them. Most unhappy customers will respond positively to the feeling that their opinion and experience matters to you.
• Some organizations will have total detractors who will never be customers. These are people who fundamentally disagree with some aspect of your business and are often vocal in communication channels. Although social media helps you monitor and understand the opinion and intentions of your detractors, they can also distract you from enacting your social media strategy.

Clearly the communication strategies that work on one group aren't a fit for the other. Treating an unhappy customer like a total detractor might mean losing that customer forever. Treating total detractors like unhappy customers is futile. Understanding the difference is the first step. Once you understand the source of the complaint, begin crafting your targeted response.

As you can see from the images I've included, I recently had a negative experience at Best Buy, which I shared publicly on Twitter. Luckily, Best Buy understood that I was an unhappy customer, and not a detractor trying to draw them into a heated public debate. After I followed up my tweet with an e-mail, they contacted me and apologized. These online tools allow us to be heard, and, as in this case, allow companies to ensure that a customer's bad experience isn't also their last experience.

Have you had a similar experience? Positive or negative?

Posted in Digital Communications