Head butting, reconstructed

Posted on December 10, 2018January 21, 2019 by Dannah K. "Dannie" Prather

If you own or manage a business, it’s likely that one of the least-favorite aspects of your job is responding to customer complaints. And, if you are on social media, it’s possible that the headache turns into a migraine if a troll has latched onto you.

Business Unplugged’s Carol Roth compiled a great collection of advice from business and communications pros about how to handle complaints, and trolls, and how to tell the difference. Some tips mentioned often:

Don’t respond in an angry or defensive manner, especially if you are dealing with a troll instead of a legitimate customer. Trolls want conflict. Don’t feed them.

You may feel that a customer’s complaint is unfair or possibly even untrue. It is your job to listen and respond with professionalism. Provide them with a way to communicate with you directly about their complaint. Direct messaging via the platform (Facebook or Twitter, for example), is the best way to start.

When you respond with patience and restraint, your faithful customers and supporters will chime in with their stories of great experiences at your business.

Respond, even if you need to step away from the computer for a while first to cool down. The silence of not responding screams to current and potential customers, “I don’t care if you’re happy or not.”

You have no control over reviews and comments on other sites such as Yelp, but it’s possible for you to block a follower from your own Facebook or Twitter feed. Do this only as a last resort. If you are dealing with someone who simply wants to rant, and if you have made an effort to respond in a reasonable and professional way, you can control who can post on your feeds. Do it too often, however, and you get the same blowback as not responding at all.

Finally, try to keep a sense of humor about everything. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible it will keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. As an aside, it’s OK to approach complaints and haters with humor, too, but make sure you really have a gift for it first. It’s a tricky business to convey sarcasm online. Check out some pros who do it really well, Moon Pie and Wendy’s.

(Out)Pour with care

Posted on August 28, 2017September 25, 2017 by Dannah K. "Dannie" Prather

It’s still raining in Houston.

The impulse to do something, anything, to try to help the untold number of people affected by Harvey is very strong. It’s a great impulse. An outpouring of assistance is needed, but it is important to do that “pouring out” with care.

It is way too easy for fraudulent charities to capitalize on tragedy via social media. That link in a Facebook post, Tweet, text, or email may be going to someone’s back pocket instead of a reputable charity. Share these tips on your business’ or non-profit organization’s website and social media accounts as a way to show your support of those affected by the disaster:

Know the charity. If you are contacted by a non-profit organization that says they are soliciting donations for storm relief, take a few minutes to do some homework before you make that gift.

Type in URLs. Don’t use embedded links to take you to a charity’s website. Type the name and/or address in your browser.

Give money, not in-kind donations. With few exceptions (bottled water and disposable diapers being the biggies), in-kind donations are a bad idea. Sorting and distributing in-kind donations is a labor-intensive exercise, and every volunteer who comes into a disaster area takes away from the already overtaxed resources needed for displaced residents–chiefly fuel, food, and potable water. Wise donors give their money to organizations with expertise in deploying well-trained and well-equipped volunteers.

Three exceptional non-profits consistently rise to the top of disaster relief efforts:

American Red Cross

Salvation Army

Southern Baptist Disaster Relief

Toxic Trolling Takes a Toll

Posted on July 17, 2017August 28, 2017 by Dannah K. "Dannie" Prather

Writing for Thrive Global, Gigi Falk recently shared a post filled with links to great articles about cyber bullying and the generally toxic online environment we have today. There are fascinating advances in technology working to pinpoint trolls and shut them down. Additionally, mental health experts are going on record that the uncontrolled rage exhibited in online discourse is resulting in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and other ills. (Go figure.)

It is easy to fall into the trap of passionately arguing a position without listening to those with whom we disagree, however, when that occurs, we are only making noise. If the point of our discourse is to persuade others to agree, or at the very least, understand, our point of view, it makes no sense to unload profanities, obscenities, insults, and other toxic rhetoric. What troubles me is that, for the worst of the trolls among us, there’s really no interest in persuasion. Having been given the capability of free and instant expression, the best that many of us can do is to use it as a weapon.

Falk’s post points out that, in addition to the technological advances in fighting cyber trolling, a group of German activists have developed a program, Zero Trollerance, to actually reform cyber bullies. Time will tell if the program has legs. If so, I hope it will be replicated on a global scale.

Illustration: Trolls don’t think very fast. This one has been caught by daylight and is now becoming a mountain. Lore tells us that most Norwegian mountains are made of trolls like this one. (Copyleft: This is a free work, you can copy, distribute, and modify it under the terms of the Free Art License http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/)

One little list, weeks of ideas

Posted on August 22, 2016September 12, 2016 by Dannah K. "Dannie" Prather

As someone who constantly stares down the empty screen and the unblemished page, I am always on the prowl for something that can get the synapses firing with fresh ideas. I ran across the Simple Posting Schedule above on Pinterest and knew it was a keeper.

The graphic itself was designed by GroSocial and is one of several ideas for social media inspiration shared by marketing blogger Rebecca Coleman.

If you graduated from the old school, like me, you might be rolling your eyes at this point and asking yourself what possible interest your Facebook followers might have in “a day in the life” at your business or organization. “And, aren’t there plenty of funny videos, GIFs, photos, and stories circulating already, why should I add to the mix?”

What we old schoolers sometimes forget is the “social” aspect of “social media.” Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, et. al., aren’t billboards without the scaffolds, newspaper ads without the newsprint, or catalogs without those annoying 3 x 5 cards falling from between the pages. Social media is community.

Commonalities of geography, education, affiliations, (and more) create communities within the larger community of people who live part of their lives online. Dogs or cats? Tea of coffee? Beatles or Rolling Stones? The beach or the mountains? Shared affinities are like stepping stones that, once aligned, create a bridge between individuals.

The sooner we accept the value that comes from sharing a piece or two of ourselves on a human level, and reject the notion that it’s all about trying to sell your stuff or your cause, the more genuine those social connections will become. And when we turn that corner, our community becomes our sales staff, and advocates for our cause.

danniewriter

Tag: Twitter