Let’s be honest, haters are just going to hate. They’re going to hate your casino. Their parking spot. The valet team. The colour of the carpet. The shrimp in the buffet. The patterns on the table felt. Given the chance, people are going to hate cuddly kittens and sweet little babies. Given any human experience, there are bound to be people who will have something negative to say. Further, technology empowers people to openly share their opinions online for the world to see. Face book, Twitter, Instagram, blog comments, Yelp and Trip Advisor emboldens users to share opinions freely and openly. Sometimes these reviewers may have had oversized expectations when they arrived at your gaming property. These commenter’s, in a passionate fit of unmet expectations, often forget the basics of public civility. Instead of worrying about the haters hating, let’s take these lemons into the kitchen to make some sweet social media lemonade. Handling complaints is just part of working in the service industry – even in social media.
YOU’RE OKAY, THEY’RE OKAY.
Recovery begins with the right mental mindset. Communicating with unsatisfied guests necessitates emotional intelligence, maturity, perspective and humility to turn negative opinions into positive and memorable experiences. A few factors to consider before a response is ever composed are: Comments should never be taken personally. Be humble enough to understand that not everyone will enjoy their experience at your casino or arrive with realistic expectations. For instance, a common negative comment we see is a customer complaining about the money they lost, how tight the machines are or how the casino is “robbing” them. If a problem is unsolvable or a guest is too entrenched in their position, some customer service situations simply can’t be won. Case in point, a restaurant is closed or rebranded – regardless of the solutions you provide, the customer won’t be satisfied or won back.
Your team has to be the “adult in the room.” Poor decision making in service recovery can quickly spiral into something that might permanently harm the brand’s equity with guests or the public. Empathy for the guest experience is important, too. Bad days rarely start in the casino. Instead it’s a ringing alarm clock far too early, intrusive airport security or a phone call from a loved one gone bad. Your casino can’t, won’t and shouldn’t solve these pre-existing conditions. Instead, your casino could offer an antidote with a little empathy. Consider the following to help your casino social media marketing team craft empathetic responses: Give the guest some distance. Negative comments are very likely made in the midst of a passionate situation. Guests may be more relaxed with distance from an incident.
Internet users feel energized to make decisions online that they wouldn’t necessarily make in person. You may have been a negative commenter at some point, or the one to send a scathing email. The anonymity of online commenting can provide a buffer from social factors that would otherwise prevent an in-person confrontation. Sending a negative message online is an inherently passive aggressive action that can get the casino’s attention and restore a sense of control to the guest.
