How do we join the conversation when we're not invited?
Posted by Trey Reeme on February 12th, 2007
It’s good to be back and blogging. Thanks to Gene for picking up the slack in our absence, and to everyone we met in Seattle: thanks for making us feel so welcome!
Brent and I were presented a tough dilemma after our social media roundtable last week from a CU that we’ll keep anonymous:
One of the companies we work with has [an internal-only] blog and the employees comment about restaurants, banks, credit unions, health clubs, etc.
We’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of good comments [on the internal blogs] at most of our sponsor companies but every once in awhile, we get an angry member who airs grievances against us on a company intranet blog. Often, I get a copy of the blog forwarded to me.
Most recently, there were inaccurate claims made by the angry member.
I have no way to respond to the member … and I don’t really know how to call and let the member know I saw the blog either. [It’s been suggested that we ask someone to] respond on the intranet blog but I am concerned about that escalating the situation.
I’d advise your credit union to launch a blog of your own and allow comments. You’d provide a forum for this discussion and others like it to take place on your turf. Speaking from experience, I’d rather take and respond to criticism on one of our blogs than anywhere else.
I agree that planting comments on the internal blog you reference would be a bad idea, as would directly contacting the member. I’d imagine that could jeopardize the job of the person sending you the posts.
Instead, you could make a post on your own blog that says something to the effect of “We’re launching this blog to give you an opportunity to talk directly with us about where we’re falling short. So here goes: how can we improve?”
Ideally, a commenter or poster on the internal blog will notice that you’re reaching out and will link it up – the conversation will continue on your blog with your participation, apologies will be issued, the fog lifts as the sun bursts forth, and the crowd of angry commenters will spontaneously join hands to sing “We Are The World.” Ok, so maybe all that flowery stuff won’t happen, but I believe your efforts will show that you’re listening and are sincere about opening up the conversation with your members.
Have any other folks out there been facing the same issue, and what alternatives to launching a blog (while still finding a way to participate in the conversation) am I missing? Am I giving bad advice here?
Never easy to cope with bad comments on a forum or blog or email … you can’t win. The unhappy chap is bound to take offence however the issue is tackled.
I sat through a very good presentation in a UK lawyers office (it was free – unusual for a law firm) which covered blogging and the challenges it presents.
I checked their site out and it has a pile of interesting blog news stories that have caused various problems for the blogger or the company involved. The url is worth a look…
http://www.out-law.com/default.aspx?page=29&terms=blog
Yes.. a UK law firm with a web site called out-law! I wish I had thought of that.
Some of the stories are quite interesting if you have the time. They probably don’t explain how to deal with bad comments – but at least they will show that “stuff” happens.
My advice – keep blogging. Do an online survey related to the article or a similar topic – publish the results and offer a prize for the best solution to address the issue if the comment proves to be justified.
alex
Hey Gene! Just read your blog. Great to hear that you’re feeling better. It’s also fun to ready both your blog and Barry’s. Good competition between you guys. And for the record, Barry’s Twi name embarrassing….Yaw! At Envision, we like you’re better. Take care and we look forward to more news.
Sounds silly (and likely is), but I am halfway looking forward to negative comments on my blog. Such comments afford me two tremendous opportunities: 1) To identify and address operations issues; and 2) To debunk misconceptions a reader may have about why we do what we do as a credit union. In either case I will be able to improve the perception of our credit union – whether that be because I have acted upon a valid concern or because I have set the record straight on what I tend to believe are extremely high standards of operations and integrity throughout our industry.
Keep up the great work on the blog! I look forward to this blossoming into a network of constructive financial services/education conversations.
Why are managers so afraid of negative comments? Do they think that their members/customers expect perfection?
C’mon—nobody over the age of 12 expects perfection (and nobody under that age even thinks about these things).
When [generally] satisfied happy customers read the ranting of irate customer, how do they react? Is it: 1) “oh geez, I’d better pull all my business away from this firm”, or 2) “this guy’s a lunatic”? My bet is on #2.
Smart customers know the difference between “real” problems and the lone experience of one disgruntled customer.
Because so few financial institutions give their customers/members a forum to have an open and honest discussion, those who participate will feel a stronger connection to the firm—simply because they had the opportunity to provide feedback and engage in a dialogue with the firm and other customers.
And that emotional connection will be stronger than the rantings and complaints of any one disgruntled customer.