SOCIAL MEDIA DAMAGE CONTROL – What do to when things go wrong

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Posted March 16, 2020

The biggest problem with social media is that it really is a broadcast platform. It’s a place where anyone and everyone can have their opinion and have it put out to anyone who will listen, with very few consequences. So what do you do when someone takes advantage of social media as a place to share opinions that could possibly damage your salon’s reputation?

 

When staff leave your salon, and not on the best terms

We get it, sometimes your staff move on and sometimes they need to be moved on. What you don’t want is for that situation to affect the public face of your business. Sometimes, staff who have been working on your behalf can become quite nasty and attempt to poach your existing customers, and that can be really easy to do via social media.

 

So, what do you do?

 

If you’ve got your social media set up correctly and you have access to their professional accounts on behalf of your salon, close the account or change the password. As part of your normal salon process we are sure that you’d be in touch with any clients who are booked in for follow up appointments to secure them with other stylists, and so simply make a point of asking them to follow your business profile directly. Keep an eye on any comments that your former staff make on their personal profile or on your profile and make sure that they stay professional at all times.

 

When client reviews go too far

We work in a fraught-with-risk industry. Not only are we working on people and with their hair, face and body (which they are really attached to), but we are working with staff, apprentices and trainees who sometimes get it wrong. Put that together with unrealistic expectations and you have an absolute recipe for disaster in this broadcast age.

 

So, what do you do?

 

If the review is simply less-than-positive, reply to them and try to make amends the same way that you would if someone walked into your salon with a complaint. Take it offline, ask them to call you or DM you rather than having it out on your wall or the comments or on Google. See this as a customer service opportunity and try to resolve the issue as quietly as possible. In the instance they are simply being completely defamatory, and they are getting aggressive, blocking them from your page is an easy option and deleting the comments is perfectly acceptable if you simply can’t find a way forward.

 

When your staff are more than a bit inappropriate

Salon owners can often have quite a personal relationship with our staff. We are invited to their weddings; we are on their Facebook profiles and have probably had a drink or two with most of our team. That’s a wonderful thing – but we know sometimes it can go too far, and realistically you don’t want your salon’s name being dragged through the mud by bad behaviour.

 

So, what do you do?

 

If you haven’t already, ask your team to put their personal profiles on private and encourage them not to interact with their clients on these platforms unless they have a relationship with the client completely separate to the salon. If they continue to post inappropriate content on their platforms, ask them if they are OK – sometimes behaviours, like drinking or posting angsty status updates, are a cry for help. If it starts to become a problem, a social media policy is really helpful as it outlines disciplinary actions for your staff that they have viewed and signed on to, and it might open up courses of action for you against your staff member.

 

Social media platforms are a place fraught with danger. Not only are they inescapable in the modern era but they offer a broadcast medium for people who may not have the best intentions. By setting policies and procedures in place and by being proactive and observant, salon owners can ensure that they maintain business professionalism and reputation online – but the responsibility really does fall with you. Protect your business and implement social media policies and procedures in your salon today. Call the team at HABA any time, our team of professionals are only a call away for advice and support for your salon.