SOCIAL SAVVY
Negative Comments, Positive Results
> Florists’ social media accounts are typically filled with beautiful flowers and plants — images most would expect to elicit positive comments. But occasionally a glaringly negative comment pops up. Whether the com- menter has a natural tendency for crit- icism or is sharing a legitimate gripe, the negative comments — as well as positive comments — need to be addressed to show followers that the business is paying attention. “Just like with bad reviews,
responding to a negative comment is important, not so much for the person who made the comment but to show everyone that you care about your business and how it’s represented,” says Sheldon Jensen, store manager at Flowers By Michelle in Las Vegas. Avoiding the situation only allows the person’s point of view to fester. It’s best to diffuse the situation right away.
CONVERSATION COUNTS Flowers By Michelle, a Las Vegas florist, has an engaged following and makes a point to respond to positive and negative comments to show that they care about how the business is represented.
For example, Flowers By Michelle
posted a Reel that showed behind-the- scenes footage of its compact but busy shop, and someone left a comment criticizing the shop’s setup and offering unwanted advice. By the time the Flowers By Michelle
team noticed the comment, a won- derful thing had happened: Regular customers and other florist friends went to bat for the studio immediately. Which is yet another reason, notes Jensen, why it’s important to build a loyal follower base —they will have your back in good times and in bad. When a negative comment arises,
REEL ENGAGEMENT Michelle Jones, owner of the Las Vegas florist Flowers By Michelle, encourages her staff to post behind-the-scenes Reels, such as this one of her making a bouquet. The Reels often receive positive comments, but negative comments occasionally arise.
keep your response general, advises Jensen. “We typically post something like, ‘We are sorry you feel this way,’ while avoiding going into too much detail.” If it’s a serious issue, the shop asks the commentor to call or shifts the conversation over to direct messages
“where we can get down to the nit- ty-gritty,” Jensen says. Avoid responding in an emotional
state, cautions Jensen. “Commenting emotionally has the potential to make everything 10 times worse,” he says. “Be polite, but you don’t need to be overly apologetic if you didn’t do any- thing wrong.” The worst thing you can do is
offend or belittle the commenter. And if being diplomatic is too difficult, take time to cool off or enlist a colleague for help. “The biggest thing is representing
your business — your brand — profes- sionally and not replying in an offensive way,” says Jensen.
Jennifer Sperry is a contributing writer for Floral Management who focuses on lifestyles, florals, and interiors.
The magazine of the Society of American Florists (SAF) 13
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