So, we’ve all seen this year’s public relations nightmare that was Dave Carroll’s claim that United Airlines broke his guitar. If you weren’t one of the 5.7 million viewers who saw this video, it’s at the bottom of this blog.

In a nutshell, this musician claims his luggage was mishandled here in Chicago by United Airlines luggage handlers. They apparently witnessed the damage… one year later, he goes viral on YouTube and the rest, as they say, is history.

God willing, you’ll never have to go through something like that. But, on a much smaller scale, a scathing review on social media sites can have an adverse effect on your business if not handled properly. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when having an online presence.

1)    Know where to go. If you’re not as viral as others (and still fill out paper forms for the Better Business Bureau), ask around and find out where people go to get their consumer complaints heard online. Some that come to mind are Google, Yelp and ServiceMagic (for home repair).

2)    Keep up with those sites. Make them a part of your weekly routine. A couple of damaging reviews could do plenty of damage for your business. Keep an eye on the good ones, but also on the bad ones.

3)    When a bad one comes up, address it publicly. Your customer (and now possibly former customer) chose this venue to vent their frustration. Play on their field, albeit a very public field. Show your concern for this customer’s complaints and imagine new and potential customers are in the room with you. What do you want people to hear about your service?

4)    Respond politely, encourage interaction and move on. When people see that you’ve responded to your (former) customer’s complaint, they know you care. Explain to them that they can call you directly (or a designee) and get the matter resolved. Include your business’ phone number! Those who read this review and reply may be impressed on the spot. Don’t make them go look for your contact information! If they reply to your message that they are “done dealing with you,” simply reply to their message once more and leave the matter alone.

Think of dealing with the internet much like you’d deal with a newspaper: no comment looks bad and there IS such a thing as bad publicity. Don’t believe that? Ask the Dixie Chicks.

Jason M. Rodriguez is the founder of www.JayRodChicago.com, a social media, public relations and freelance writing company based in Chicago. He publishes a new blog every Monday at http://www.JayRodChicago.com/blog

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