Polymer Studios :: Web Consulting

How not to handle complaints about your company…

Over at myRagan.com, an online community for corporate communicators, lisam recently posted:

Coworkers regularly make me aware of blogs and online media sites that either include negative commentary about our company’s products, or mention all of our competitors but not us. My coworkers ask me, “Can we have someone reply to this blog post telling them how great our products are?” Or something to that effect.

I always hesitate at this, partly because we don’t have a network we can tap into for this purpose… but also because I have ethical reservations about taking such action. That said, I tend to be a conservative communicator. Am I being too timid?

I don’t see anything wrong with commenting on behalf of the company but I think it all depends on how you approach it. I think you’ll be seen as a shill if you post comments that invalidate people’s feelings, go against verifiable facts or defy common sense. Those are the kinds of corporate responses that make many of us cringe and make Lisa understandably gun shy.

I follow @comcastcares on Twitter and I think the way Frank Eliason handles it is perfect. He serves as an ombudsman, listening for mentions of Comcast and then addressing people’s concerns, often hooking them up directly with service reps and then asking for public feedback on how the problem’s being resolved. I’m sure he can only help a handful of people on any given day, but there are tons of us listening in, so the impact is multiplied. For me, as an observer, the takeaway isn’t that the entire Comcast Corporation truly cares (puh-leeze), but I am impressed that they’ve hired at least one very personable guy, who is trying and is willing to be held accountable.

Back to the context Lisa brought up, which is the propriety/effectiveness of commenting on blogs, I think that corporate communicators actually do have the power to make a positive impression, if they are willing to:

1. Identify yourself and your position with the company. Be clear on whether you are commenting in an official capacity or just as a concerned employee. DON’T EVER COMMENT ANONYMOUSLY! You can be found out and much bigger trouble will ensue.
2. Validate the poster’s feelings (”Sorry you had that experience at our store. It must have been frustrating.”) Apologize, if that’s appropriate and at all possible (yes, legal issues abound).
3. Offer the company’s official position in a dispassionate manner.
4. Provide the factual basis or rationale behind the company’s position, so others can at least see why the company might be choosing to handle things a certain way.
5. If possible, describe what the company is working on to address the issue. Be as specific as possible.
6. If the company isn’t doing anything (or doesn’t plan on doing anything) about the poster’s complaint, be honest about it and explain the business reasons behind that decision.
7. Provide links to supporting information.
8. Provide links to additional related information, even information that is not officially supported by the company.
9. Provide specific solutions and help (e.g., the name/number of a CSR, store manager, refund page, etc.) that gives the original poster some options for getting satisfaction.

In these matters, I think intent counts for a lot, because it will show in your writing. It shows respect if you don’t try to vigorously convert people to the company’s view, but rather offer another perspective and then demonstrate your desire to be helpful. If you do that, I think few people will object to your presence in their comment section.