The role of feedback and response play important roles in the process of reputation management. Before you can get down to maintaining your brand reputation, you have to find out what the users and external publics are saying about your brand. There may be some substance in the negative comments as well. Online reputation management doesn’t mean a state of denial where you refuse to accept that mistakes have been made. It’s only natural that while providing products and services to thousands of customers around the globe, you may have slipped in providing the correct after-sales support to a handful of them. These users will definitely not understand that it was not intentional. You can expect them to vent their ire on the Internet, a free medium for voicing their opinions.

As reputation management experts say, you will have to listen to the feedback first. Check out the legitimacy of the claims made. Was the customer actually denied the proper warranty period support? Did the product you sent actually didn’t have the features that your telemarketing agents promised? Looking closely at the facts would mean that you will have to do some research. Keep a close eye of these posts with the help of Web 2.0 tools like Google Alerts. When you find negative comments surfacing on Google News alerts, you must attend to these posts. Read up and do background checks. You will soon be able to determine if the claims made are true or false. If they are true, you can get your customer service wing to swing into action. Get the problem sorted out and respond to the post with a solution. That’s the best way to do it.

Sometimes accepting the feedback and offering solutions is the best online reputation management that you can do. It calms down the user and prevents the negative posts from going viral. You can win over the disgruntled user to your favor by solving his/her problems immediately. You can even get them to post a rejoinder to their previous comment where your brand was panned. Satisfied users can do more for your reputation management than anyone you can employ. There is something about genuine appreciation that strikes a chord with the others interested in your brand. Keep them happy through prompt response to feedback and you will never run out of steam in the fan department.

A quick look at the feedback will reveal how much you need to solve and how much you need to bury. Acknowledge any positive feedback or constructive criticism. Reputation management will not take you far if you place yourself on a pedestal beyond reproach. You have to be accessible for comments and criticisms. Users buying from your brand will have their opinion and you have to respect that. When you are responding to their comments, chalk out a plan to solve their problem and let them know. When you talk about helping them out, keep your word. Online reputation management makes no sense without credibility. Keep to your word and deliver your promises.