• by Kathleen Stockham , June 18, 2013

By now, you may have heard the story about the Scottsdale, Ariz., eatery called Amy’s Baking Company, and the disastrous, cringe-worthy reaction the owners had to culinary “last-hope-to-succeed Gordon Ramsey of ‘Kitchen Nightmares’.” The owners’ now-famous meltdown on camera, in the media and online is stuff of legend and is still making headlines. Going after your customers for citing their opinion is never a good thing, and feeding your “haters” is only going to multiply like ants; the more trash you put out there, the more that will show up.

In the digital age, consumers can give instant feedback that boomerangs across the globe in seconds, thanks to social media; forgetting even for a moment that every reaction you have to negative reviews is likely being judged can be truly fatal. Consider owner Amy Bouzaglo and husband Samy and their profanity-laced comments on Facebook to curiosity seekers who reacted to the show and to (what appears to be) years of alleged poor treatment of customers and staff alike; the more venomous the response, the more hatred that poured in from across the globe. So much so that they have killed not one but two Facebook pages and finally gave up and employed a PR team to help sort out the disaster.

However, a recent blow-out with a local reporter during a “grand re-opening” party pretty much seals the deal that this bitter-tasting cake may be their last bite.

So how can you learn from this karmageddon of CRM failure? Aside from common-sense PR strategies that we all know, a little refresher course on best practice in dealing with “trolls” and “flamers” will set the course in dealing with rough air online.

Tip #1. Just the Facts – When responding to criticism and poor reviews; factual and fact-based responses are always best. Even if the poster is in the wrong or has the facts wrong, gently restating the facts that are irrefutable is your best bet. Returning flame for flame is never a good idea and matching the rhetoric of the complainant with more venom only invites a bigger fire. The best way to disarm a critic and silence them is to give them nothing to talk about; keep it simple!

Tip #2. The 3 H’s – Humility, Humble, Humor – It’s been said before; we all screw up and we can’t please everyone. In retail, it’s called “Miss and Recovery” and how you can “recover” with even better customer service than just admitting you “missed.” But in social media those admissions are amplified for everyone to see and dissect. Keeping humility and a humble tone is important; beyond the “We’re sorry” it is important to show accountability and ownership of mistakes and poor impressions. Sometimes using humor can help diffuse a tough situation, especially if it is self-deprecating and a poke at your own shortfall without being flippant or too silly. Humor is always a great equalizer when flamers get out of hand.

Tip #3. Keep your General Counsel on Speed Dial – A response to anyone in social media on behalf of the business is a response to the whole world; choose your words and your sentiment carefully. Have a list handy from your legal department of “watch words” that your legal types will insist you avoid such as “blame,” “fault,” “fair,” “sue,” “lawyers” or any kind of lightning rod term. Meanwhile, know your legal responsibilities when responding such as never assume or admit complete fault or negligence or guilt in a bad situation unless it is truly without question your company is completely at fault. Never personally or publicly repudiate a customer or flamer even if their facts are completely wrong. See tip #1 but stick to the facts, and, most importantly, keep it professional. 

Above all, employ the “Social Miranda Rule:” Assume that everything you write can and will be used against you in a court of public opinion.

Amy’s Baking Company has only one verdict in this court: guilty!