Entrepreneur Michael Diamant faced mens moncler jackets a potentially disastrous situation during a recent office move when the transition to new phone and e-mail systems caused some technical difficulties and a lag in customer service response times. Frustrated customers posted a flurry of complaints on Facebook. But Diamant, the 43-year-old co-founder and chief executive of Skip Hop Inc., a baby-products company in New York City, acted quickly and took charge of the situation before it spun out of control. “The first thing we did was temporarily have the marketing team help out with customer service,” he says. real moncler jackets“Customers were personally contacted, and issues were promptly resolved. In the end, customers actually returned to Facebook to share their new positive experiences.” Businesses have always had to manage customer complaints, but thanks to Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, YouTube, and the like, the negativity now spreads like wildfire. According to research from Beyond Philosophy, 40 percent of customers who complain also gripe on social media. Mishandling a social media crisis has the potential to destroy a company’s hard-earned reputation. women moncler jackets Consider Domino’s Pizza and the gross-out prank video of two employees violating various health codes while making sandwiches. The video went viral before Domino’s decided to respond, leaving customers questioning what really goes on in company kitchens. “Consumers know their power, and they are going to reach out to social media when they have a complaint,” says Lori Jo Vest, co-author of Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan. “Companies who look at this new reality as an opportunity and use it to proactively solve customer problems can end up transforming complaints into positive situations that result in stronger customer relationships.” Customer frustrations will be shared and amplified. Moncler Hat That’s a fact. But whether it’s one complaint or enough to create a major crisis, these tips will help you regain control, protect your integrity, and spin negative into positive: Respond within 24 hours: “When you give the situation immediate attention, showing the customer that you are paying attention, you are likely to turn things around pretty quickly,” says Diamant, whose company engages with its 10,000 combined Facebook and Twitter fans every day. “People just want to know that you are listening.” Post a courteous response; moncler handbags but keep it vague and deal with the issue offline via phone or e-mail. This shows that you’re listening but also removes the problem from the public arena and its millions of spectators. Is the complaint truly constructive, and is this truly a distraught customer you are dealing with?” asks Shama Kabani, author of The Zen of Social Media Marketing, who warns of cyber bullies. If so, it’s time to win them over with top-notch customer service. “People realize that businesses make mistakes because they are run by human beings,” says Kabani. moncler bags“They will judge you based on how you deal with a situation versus the situation itself.” Stodgy, boring corporate speak will not play well” when problems go viral on social media, says Lyn Mettler, founder of Step Ahead Inc., a Charleston, South Carolina, agency that develops and manages social media campaigns for businesses. “Be funny, be entertaining, and be willing to say you were wrong if you were. moncler clothes Remember the medium and respond accordingly.” If the problem reaches a level where you can’t answer everyone individually, Mettler says personally responding to the original person who made the complaint is sufficient. Just make sure your genuine response is easy for customers and the media to find. Mettler advises you “share it once in a variety of ways: via a blog post, a video on YouTube, moncler shop on your Facebook page, and on your Twitter account.shy