To begin, you must know if the issue can be resolved or not. If the issue can be resolved, then proceeding to find a solution is the goal of the response. For example, a guest may be upset about an interaction with an employee. If the issue can’t be resolved, then a response should focus on acknowledging the guest’s opinion and then conclude with an aim to retain goodwill. For example, a common complaint on social media regarding casinos is related to game play. A player might feel like they never win and the machines are rigged. Below are a few sample phrases that correspond to the chart above: Acknowledging receipt of a comment:
Thank you for your comment (regarding / concerning / in connection with) … We appreciate you taking the time to express your thoughts (about / relating to / concerning) … Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. We agree that our usual high standards for our (products / services) were not met in this instance. While we strive for the best possible experience, we know sometimes we may fall short. Apologizing for an error: We must apologize for … We sincerely apologize for …Please accept our apologies for …We would like to apologize for the error made by our …Making an explanation: Introductory phrase:
As a result of our investigation, we found that …After examining the details, we concluded that …Causes of errors: The error was caused by (was due to) … Apparently, the problem was the result of (resulted from) … The (cause of / reason for) the mistake was … Effects:
- As a result …
- This led to …
- Consequently …
- Solutions:
- We will (modify / change) our …
- We will implement a new policy to …
- Investigation to be made:
- We are currently reviewing the cause of …
- We will investigate the cause of …
- Regret at dissatisfaction:
- While we understand your frustration, …
- We understand your expectations were not met.
- Rejecting responsibility for the problem leading to the complaint:
- We regret to inform you that …
- We are afraid that …
- Unfortunately, we must point out that …
- Reasons for the rejection:
- This is because …
- This is due to the fact that …
- As a result of …
- Aiming to retain the goodwill of the guest:
- We look forward to you visiting our casino in the future.
- Please let us know how we may serve you again.
- Offer of Discount or Free Services:
- As a gesture of our regret, we are (prepared to / willing to / would like to) …
- To show our goodwill, we will …
A FEW MORE THOUGHTS ON GETTING IT RIGHT.
Over time, a casino social media marketing team can really come to understand how to deal with any situation. While not every situation is the same, many situations share similarities. Understanding these similarities and developing a guide for best practices will create consistency and become a valuable resource for new team members. Below are a few of our best practices from helping clients solve their social media customer issues. Feel free to make them your own.
When crafting a response: Correctly identify the guest’s issue. Provide links to additional resources like property maps, contact us pages and venue hours. Close the loop by acknowledging every mention without regard for sentiment with at least a thank you. Responding to these comments is proof of attentiveness. Use a personal touch like a first name or initials when appropriate. Rely on the organization’s voice and tone standards as much as possible. Seek to create personal solutions that inspire positive social proof. More importantly, a solution must be able to be fulfilled and not an empty promise. Dropping the ball on fulfillment after a solution has been accepted can reignite negativity.
Take the conversation offline if the solution involves a complex response, an exchange of personal or private information, or to help stabilize a volatile situation. Maintain a list of contact information for key decision makers and line managers who have the authority to take action when problems arise.
If a problem has been resolved offline, return to the social channel and thank the customer for reaching out and acknowledge that the problem was resolved offline. Taking your effort to a higher level: Track and manage the volume of comments. Look for recurring patterns in sentiment and specific issues. Repeated comments about the same issue over a period of time should be reviewed by department heads. If there is high volume of comments, consider giving your social media marketing customer service team a public face with a dedicated landing page with a team photo or an agent spotlight. Introduce who’s on duty and how long they’ll be answering questions. Adding a name and face to the service will reduce their anger. It’s easy to be mad at a brand but not at a friendly, smiling face. Follow up on resolved interactions. Phrases like “How is everything?” can be effective in reinforcing a positive solution.
Don’t neglect guests asking for help. If your gaming property social media marketing team is going to provide customer service, at a minimum, every direct question or mention should be answered. Deleting and hiding negative comments or posts can aggravate an already enraged guest. Handling a situation to the best of your ability in public can enhance your casino’s image. Deleting comments is always appropriate when a comment is clearly spam, in violation of posted community guidelines, vulgar or profane. Engaging with guests who are intent on simply arguing and defaming your brand should be avoided. After a certain point, they’ll damage their own credibility more than your brand’s reputation. Don’t overwhelm your customers with too much information when responding. Easy explanations and simple solutions should be the standard. Don’t reply or respond to every customer in the event of mass issue or outage. When many guests are affected by a single issue, it’s best to provide only public status updates that will reach everyone.
Winning in a Troll’s World.
Sadly, our online culture accepts incivility that would not be tolerated in the real world. Your casino must transcend the trolls and mudslingers by providing timely and helpful guest service regardless of the nature of any individual comment. The consequences of not responding, or responding inappropriately, can affect brand value. With a little preparation and training, your casino social media marketing team can convert negative comments into opportunities to strengthen guest relations.
