Biting back: taking the pain out of a bad review.

• Author: Spaniel, Bill
• Position: Social media - Yelp! Inc.offers services on social media

What would you do if the following comments (modified from an actual review) were posted about your firm on Yelp? "For more than 10 years, I used XYZ, LLP to do my taxes. Recently I was notified by the state that I owed more than what my CPA said I needed to pay. I forwarded the correspondence to him and sent follow-up emails as well as telephoned him several times. It's been several weeks now, and Pve yet to hear from him. You bet Pm going elsewhere for tax preparation."

Like it or not, the public has numerous ways to voice opinions regarding services and products, thanks to the growth of social media. And CPA firms are not immune from such commentary--whether good or bad. Yelp, which features customer reviews and photos about businesses, probably is the primary site for posting complaints. But you also can find customer and client critiques on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. According to a January 2013 Forbes article, a harsh review could plunge a business's revenue by 70 percent.

So what can you do if a post complains about your services? First, don't call your lawyer. You likely won't have grounds for lawsuit. If you offer goods or services to the public, die public has a First Amendment right to praise or criticize your efforts. Unless the comments are blatantly and maliciously untruthful or defame your character (e.g., labelling you a crook), you probably won't be recovering damages in court. So keep your cool.

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If the critical comments are justified, acknowledge them and apologize through the social media platform in which the comments appear. For example, in the above situation, you could log into your Yelp business owner's account and send a private message to the party or post a public response, or both. Regardless, you should be diplomatic and strive to find a way to mediate the problem. Empathize with the client and be sincere in your apology. Ask what you can do to rectify the situation. Most people realize that no one's perfect and appreciate an honest effort to correct an error.

If you believe the critical comments are unjustified, then at least matter-of-factly explain why--just don't accuse the complainer of lying. Keep everything above board in your public response. This will impress those who are following the discussion.

Of course, the best defense is a good offense. In the world of social media, that means you must be a frequent commentator. So do the following:

* Create social...