Guide to Negativity

As government agencies serving the people of Georgia, we tend to get some negative feedback. Keep in mind that I’m using the word “some” very liberally here. Most of us tend to get quite A LOT of negative feedback. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If our “customers” aren’t happy, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate our service. In the meantime, we need to know how to answer these complaints with grace and helpfulness.

Whenever I receive a complaint on Facebook or Twitter, I have a little formula I like to follow. I don’t stick to this formula strictly because each situation is unique. However, it’s a great starting place and wonderful guideline.

Bethany’s Formula to Handling Negativity

Humanizing(Sympathetic + Action + Appreciation) = Utilizing Negativity

For example, you come in Monday morning and see this message in your Facebook inbox:

The Department of Agriculture won’t give me food stamps! Y’all are making my family starve! We haven’t eaten in 2 weeks!

This is a bit extreme and a little silly, but let’s put our formula to use:

• Humanizing/Relatable
  I always want them to know that I understand their pain. I show them that I’m human too, that this is a real person talking to them. At Georgia.gov, we use a lax AP Style, contractions, the first person, etc. This "human" style should be displayed throughout the entire response.
• Sympathetic
  I always try to relay that I’m sorry. Not so much of an apology for the service, but more that they are enduring so much frustration. A lot of the time, people get frustrated because they don’t understand how something works. Try not to attack them or belittle them for this.
  
  In this example, our hangry Georgian doesn’t realize that even though Agriculture deals with crops and food in Georgia, the Department of Human Services (namely DFCS) is the actual agency that distributes food stamps (a logical mistake). So, indeed, that could be quite frustrating if you went to the Department of Agriculture for food stamps.
• Action
  Try your hardest to give them some direction. Even if the only thing you can do is tell them to contact their legislators or the Governor, at least there’s some action they can take to resolve the problem.
  
  In this example, I would point them to DFCS and provide a link that leads them directly to what they’re looking for.
• Appreciation
  As often as I can, I like to thank each constituent for reaching out to me. They’ve chosen to search for help. Even though most people choose a negative tone to ask for this help, at least they’re reaching out to you instead of just wallowing in their misery. That way, I can help guide them in the right direction and that's something.

So our answer would look something like this:

We’re so sorry you’ve encountered such difficulty in trying to obtain your food stamps — which can be quite a confusing process. We recommend checking in with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). They can help you set up a Compass account to get you and your family on track to receive food stamps. Thanks for reaching out to us!

Voilà! We were able to handle this negative comment with grace while providing useful assistance.

I have presented this formula throughout Georgia and the country. If you want to learn more about it, check out my presentation slides !

Related to: 

• Social Media