Media

THE GAME

Some negative client reviews are going viral on social media and making headlines – but you can stay in control of the impact.

WORDS HELEN BIRD

IMAGE: ISTOCK I can literally never leave the house again,’ the caption reads, alongside a video of a woman crying as she compares her hair colour result with a background image of her desired look. ‘Th is is what I asked for… and this is what I got!’ she sobs.

Th is video – which was posted to TikTok and went viral – and others like it seem to be taking the written customer review to another level. And they’re gaining more attention: this particular post had more than 600,000 views and was picked up by UK media, despite being posted in the US.

Why are such ‘stories’ becoming tabloid fodder? Reporters are increasingly using platforms like TikTok to pick up and share content in the press because it’s ‘relatable’ and taps into the younger generation, a School of Journalism blog suggests.

Dual intentions

For cyber-psychologist Dennis Relojo-Howell, founder and managing director of Psychreg and a researcher in clinical psychology at the University of Edinburgh, the reviewers at the root of much of the negative press aren’t merely seeking attention.

‘Research indicates that clients take to social media to post bad reviews as a warning to the online community, helping people set proper expectations,’ he says. ‘Social media’s power to amplify a message is a disgruntled client’s greatest weapon.

‘Two other factors are at play. First, responsiveness: for instance, Twitter users are more likely to receive a same-day response from a customer service rep or business owner. Second, some infl uencers post bad reviews because negative impulses are likely to attract more attention than positive ones.’

But salon owner Kelly Teggin, who recently won a court case against a client who accused her of causing catastrophic damage to her hair, believes fi nancial motivation could also be a factor.

‘Hairdressers are being targeted by “no win, no fee” solicitors, who see these bad reviews and target that person through Instagram,’ she explains. ‘Th ey’ll fi nd someone who’s put a bad review up and contact them, saying: “It’ll cost you nothing to pursue this.”’

While the salon, shop or professional may not always be ‘named and shamed’ by the negative reviewer, a post that

SOCIAL MEDIA’S POWER TO AMPLIFY A MESSAGE IS A DISGRUNTLED CLIENT’S GREATEST WEAPON

goes viral is sure to aff ect the businesses and individuals whose work is publicly shamed.

Shaming culture

‘Th e emotional impact of digital shaming can be overwhelming,’ says Dennis. ‘Th ey may feel helpless and worry about what digital bomb will be dropped next.’

Could online shaming – particularly when it’s picked up by the press – put off prospective recruits to the industry? NHBF chief executive Richard Lambert believes the next generation is too savvy. ‘New entrants to the sector these days have grown up with social media as an intrinsic part of their lives, and are likely to develop a better sense of how to manage their lives online.

‘Very few people choose a career on the basis of whether or not they are likely to be trolled on social media, and even fewer would anticipate making the kind of mistake that would lead to that,’ Richard adds.

But as salons and shops attempt to welcome clients back postpandemic, bad press could have an impact on revenues, Dennis suggests. ‘When a potential salon client is exposed to a large

HOW TO HANDLE DIGITAL SHAMING

If you fi nd yourself or your business on the receiving end of a bad social media review or press story, follow these tips from Sharon Brigden, of communication agency SLBPR:

 Send a message saying: ‘Thank you for bringing this to our attention and I’m sorry you didn’t feel able to discuss this before you left. I hope we can resolve this for you. Please call me personally on…’ The aim is to get the complainant offl ine as soon as possible so the issue doesn’t escalate and go viral.

 Take the unhappy client through your complaints procedure and reach a satisfactory outcome that also sees them remove their negative review.

 If a bad review is picked up by the press, be careful what you say.

Elect one person to talk to the media and make sure your whole team knows who that is.

 At no point criticise the client – it will refl ect badly on you.

 Explain the facts – if something has gone wrong then say so, and explain what measures have been put in place to stop it happening again.

 Review your customer complaints procedure regularly to avoid negative reviews being posted on social media.

 If the review is particularly damning and you’re worried about what media coverage will do to your business, hire a PR professional to help steer you through the crisis.

 Also refer to the NHBF’s guide to handling complaints (see Resources overleaf).

number of negative reviews, a negative expectation emerges.’

Turning bad press around

On the fl ipside, Dennis adds, most people know that not all negative press is to be believed, especially when it’s based on one person’s online review. ‘Because social media often lacks suffi cient context, we shouldn’t treat the person who complained as if they’re automatically the victim, or their version of events is accurate,’ he says.

Kelly’s determination to prove she was not in the wrong resulted in a rare and landmark outcome in her favour. Ironically, social media worked against the claimant after she posted holiday photos in which her hair appeared healthy.

If you feel the need and it suits your business, Kelly advises taking before and after pictures of every client – with permission – and uploading them to your salon software as a precaution. ‘It takes seconds but could save hundreds of thousands in the long run,’ she says.

RESOURCES

 Download the NHBF guide to handling complaints:

nhbf.co.uk/complaints-guide

 Read the blog about responding to complaints, including online reviews:

nhbf.co.uk/ resolve-complaints

 NHBF advice on client complaints and consumer law:

nhbf.co.uk/ADR

TAKE BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF EVERY CLIENT – AND UPLOAD THEM TO YOUR SOFTWARE

Gaining trust

Richard adds that while the NHBF would not comment on an individual case if it appeared in the press, it would advise on any broader issues raised.

‘For example, when there were reports last summer of an increase in reported cases of allergic reactions to hair dye, we did not discuss the individual salons or clients involved but explained the reasons why the number of reports might have increased, confi rmed that there was no defi nitive link between Covid-19 infections or the vaccines and heightened allergic reactions, and reinforced the importance of allergy alert testing.’

When client horror stories hit the headlines, can the sector change its portrayal in the media? It shouldn’t need to, Dennis suggests. ‘It’s important for salon owners to remember that reviews can be subjective, and to use these reviews as an opportunity to win the trust of their clients.’