As a property manager, you work hard to make sure your apartment community is a great place to live. But no matter what you do, you’re bound to have an unhappy resident every now and then. And some unhappy residents may turn to social media to complain. 

But don’t worry! Your online reputation isn’t doomed. The do’s and don’ts that follow can help you survive a negative comment -- and even come out on top!

Do: Respond Quickly

According to Convince & Convert, 42% of consumers complaining on a social media channel expect a response within 60 minutes. But research shows that many brands are significantly falling short of these expectations. According to eMarketer, only 18% of companies respond to customer complaints on social media within an hour, with 21% saying they rarely or never respond to customer complaints at all! Make a commitment to respond to negative social media posts as soon as possible to avoid the situation escalating any further. 

Don’t: Delete Negative Comments

When you see a negative comment on one of your social media channels, your gut instinct may be to hit “delete” immediately. But don’t! For one, it’ll just upset the poster even more, potentially leading them to post more negative comment on other sites. On the other hand, responding a negative comment will show the poster (and prospective residents) that you truly care about the concerns of your residents.  And who wouldn’t want to live in an apartment community where their voices are heard?

Of course, there are some exceptions. You’ll definitely want to delete posts that include:

• SPAM
• Profanity
• Nonsense rants

Do: Take Things Offline

Sometimes, it makes sense to ask the poster to contact you directly so you can better understand her situation and discuss solutions one on one. Here’s an example.

Comment: “My neighbors at Paradise Properties are so noisy! They blast their music at all hours of the night, and my family and I can’t get a good night’s sleep. Do NOT move to Paradise Properties!”

Response: “Hi [name]. We’re so sorry to hear about the noise disruptions your family is experiencing. We like more details so we can find a solution. Please stop by the leasing office and ask for Patty Property Manager so we can discuss further.”

Don’t: Use Canned Responses

Think your audience won’t notice that you have the same response to every negative post on your page? Think again. Instead of posting the same, generic response to every comment, be empathetic, sincere and specifically address the points the poster brought up in her comment.

What do’s and don’ts would you add to the list? Please share in the comments below!