What to do in the event of a shitstorm?
#socialmedia #reputation #aggression
Has anyone targeted you (online)?
Are you dealing with a (verbally) aggressive individual who is attempting to discredit you through various channels?
Below, we share a few tips for keeping cool and a handy tool.
Our tips:
Tip #1: Engage in dialogue offline
Try to contact the person directly to get answers to the questions below.
- What are this person's expectations?
- Why are they acting this way?
Always choose telephone contact over written contact. What is written on paper can always be used against you. Moreover, you can get much more nuance from a telephone conversation than from an e-mail or chat message.
Tip #2: Do some research
Check with HR and quality assurance to see if any specific incidents have occurred in recent months:
- Did this person happen to work for you?
- Have there been any recent dismissals?
- Have there been any serious accidents at work?
- Has a sensitive complaint been registered against this person?
You can also find a lot of information online:
- Does this person have a wide reach (perhaps an important public position, influencer)?
- How does this person usually express themselves online (verbally aggressive, frequent online complaints)?
- Are there any connections with employees?
Tip #3: Provide training and a clear policy
Train employees in dealing with verbal and physical aggression.
- What is acceptable and where do you draw the line?
- What do you do to defuse the situation?
- How do you avoid adding fuel to the fire?
- What do you do when a case of verbal or physical aggression occurs?
- Who can the employee turn to?
Training course in the spotlight
Learn how to engage in dialogue with consumers.
How do you communicate with consumers when dealing with sensitive complaints? How do you deal with verbal aggression and threats? When should you stop communicating?
During this training course, you will learn how to deal with sensitive situations.
Tool of the month
What do you do with comments or online messages that take on a life of their own? With a tsunami of online negativity? Or with that one message that keeps haunting you? In this book, Delphine Van Belleghem shares tips, tricks, examples and insights for those who work professionally with social media.
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