We cannot stress enough how important it is to update your social media regularly. Social media is a virtual extension of your dealership. The values you portray in your dealership need to also be portrayed through your social media. Would you shut down your dealership for a week at random? Of course not! If someone came in to your dealership with a customer service question, would you ignore them? No way! You need to act the same way in your social media outlets. Here are a few tips on how to keep your social media current:
1. Make an appearance. At the very least, post something weekly. If your last Facebook post was in September 2011 promoting your last sale, you have a problem. People need to see you engaging in their community. If someone walked into your dealership but couldn’t find a soul around, that would be an issue. It is the same way with your social media outlets. You need to show them that you are there.
2. Make it a customer service priority. More and more people are using social media, rather than an email or phone call, to resolve customer service issues. If someone posts on your Facebook wall or tweets you with a question or comment, respond! Even if you don’t have an answer right away, tell them that you will find out and get back to them ASAP.
3. Don’t be afraid of negative comments. You should always respond to comments immediately, especially negative comments or complaints. When you immediately respond, it shows that your dealership takes customer service seriously.
4. Have a current and quality profile picture. Your profile picture is the first thing your customers see, so make sure it represents your dealership well. If you have a 2009 model of a camper in your picture: change it. If you have a picture of your staff from five years ago: change it. If you have your old logo as your picture: change it. Your profile picture needs to describe the way your dealership looks today.
5. Keep your BIO and information current. Any time your dealership makes a change, think about how it could affect your social media. If you change your phone number, you may need to update your Facebook page. If your store hours change, update your information. If you have a new web address, change it on your social media.
Quite simply, if you remember that your social media is an extension of your dealership, then keeping current shouldn’t be a problem. You want to make sure that people can always reach you with as much ease as possible. The more they trust your social media, the more they will trust and recommend your dealership.
photo by Ias
Filed under: Quick Tips, customer service, engaging customers, social media presence, social media strategy, updating
July 21, 2011 • 12:26 pm 0
Handling Negative Comments – An Overview
Comments tend to be one of the major cornerstones to an RV dealerships social media program. Because social media revolves around engaging and interacting with customers, monitoring and responding to comments needs to be at the top of your list.
Some comments will be positive, some neutral and possibly some negative. No one likes to read something negative about themselves or their dealership but this does not mean you should ignore or delete those customer posts. Your first reaction to a negative comment may be defensive; however, this is an opportunity for you to communicate with the customer and anyone else who will read your online conversation in the future.
When you receive these negative comments, try to view the online feedback as constructive, instead of negative. Next, ask yourself, “Should I respond?” Not all comments warrant a response, but if you feel it will help alleviate confusion or change the conversation from negative to positive, then dive in. After you decide to comment, remember these steps: listen, stay positive, don’t blame and try to provide a solution. It is also key that you make yourself or someone else immediately available to take their call, answer their email or be of any other help that they could need. Most people that leave negative comments just want to be heard and get their gripes off their chest, making sure you are there to respond and help rectify the situation can go a long way in providing them with goodwill about the way you handled their predicament.
There will also be times when responding isn’t enough – in which you will want to remove the comment. This would be the case if someone is using vulgar and inappropriate language or calling out someone from your dealership by name. You, your employees and your dealership don’t have to stand for abuse and these cases tend to be just that.
Remember, a good defense is a great offense. Instead of taking the comment and responding negatively, try to find a solution that will make you and the person behind the icon happy. You can use this as a way to better yourself and your dealership.
*Image Credit: Miss Miah
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Filed under: Strategy, blog comments, comments, customer service, Negative Comments, rv dealership, social media strategy