Skip to content

Guides

Handle a public complaint on social media

A public complaint is watched by people who are not part of it. A fast, calm, human reply helps the customer and shows everyone else how you treat people.

Last reviewed

Reply quickly and in public

Acknowledge the post within a few hours, in the same place. A short reply that says you are looking into it already changes the tone.

Use a real name and a human voice

Sign with a person's first name and avoid copied wording. People can tell a template at once.

Move the details to a private channel

Ask for the order or account details by direct message or email, never in the open. Keep the public part to an apology and a next step.

Fix it and then report back

After you resolve the problem, come back to the public thread with a short update. A visible resolution is worth more than a quiet one.

Do not argue or delete

Disagree politely if the facts are wrong, but never start a fight or remove honest criticism. Deleting posts usually makes things worse.

Share what you learn

Pass repeated complaints to product and support leads. Three public posts about the same issue is a signal to fix, not only to reply.

Questions

Should we reply to every complaint?

Reply to complaints about your service or product that name you or ask for help. You do not need to answer every general grumble.

What if the complaint is wrong?

Stay calm, correct the fact once with a link or detail, and offer to look into it privately.

Who should handle social replies?

Someone trained in your tone and able to act on the problem, or one with a fast route to the person who can.

Written by Flatdesk, a help desk for small support teams at one flat price per agent. Try it free for 14 days, no card.