How Insurance Agents Can Respond to Negative Feedback on Social Media

As much as you may try to, it’s impossible to make everyone happy. No matter how great your response is or how dedicated to customer service you are, chances are a few of your customers are going to have complaints to make at some point.

In the past, a disgruntled customer would tell the people in his or her immediate circle—maybe five to twenty people, or more if they really feel wronged. Today, however, the megaphone is louder. Anyone can be heard over social media, and instead of reaching a handful of people, dissatisfied customers can reach thousands.

This is a scary prospect for any business owner. Insurance can be a tough business, and not everyone is satisfied at the end of the day. But believe it or not, negative feedback can provide insurance agents with an excellent opportunity to showcase their customer service skills—if you’re up for it. Here’s how.

Have a protocol in place. Don’t let negative comments catch you unawares. Do some research and establish a step-by-step response process for any negative comments. These comments can sometimes feel overwhelming in the moment, so it can help to have a written process to refer to that will guide you through handling it.

Know what kind of feedback it is. There’s more than one kind of negative feedback. Some is just alerting you to an issue—for instance, someone tweeting to your company that your online quote generator isn’t working. Some is meant to be constructive and comes from a positive place. Angry feedback from disgruntled customers can be the most troubling. These people might have a legitimate gripe, or they may not. Those who are angry beyond reason or who seem to have their own agenda in harassing you are trolls.

Respond quickly—in as many cases as possible. You should make a point of responding to all negative feedback when possible. For constructive and neutral feedback, thank the person and fix the problem immediately if it can be done. Disgruntled people should receive a message as well—both privately and publicly. Offer an apology, and give a solution to the problem if possible.

Don’t feed the trolls. Most people are reasonable, and a heartfelt apology and a sincere effort to fix the problem can go a long way toward converting them back to loyal customers. Some people, however, cannot be satisfied and stay unreasonably hostile, even when you make your best effort. Sometimes the conversation may devolve into abuse. You and your staff should never have to put up with that. In these cases, it can be better—and healthier for you—to stop engaging with them.

Send private messages. It’s best to respond in public to complaints so that other readers will see how you handle them. However, it’s possible you could lose control of the conversation—and might want to take it offline. If that’s the case, send the person a private message reiterating your apology and the solution you offer, and giving them an opportunity to expand on their grievance. Sometimes, disgruntled customers just want to feel they are being listened to.

The key thing to remember when responding to negative feedback is to always stay positive. It’s never a good idea to allow yourself to be pulled into an argument with a customer—especially a very public one on social media. Always respond with an apology and a solution, or—if you aren’t sure what solution is merited—ask how you can help. Send the person a private message if needed—but make sure your community sees that you’re handling it by responding in public as well. Respond quickly, and have a plan in place before this happens. If you do, you’ll be able to use negative feedback as an opportunity.

Leave Comment

Your email address is always protected.