Complain online and get results

Complaining over social media has downsides Experts say to make a common courtesy and not complain about a company publicly on social media right out of the gate.

Shouting and making a scene has never been a good way to get what you want and that holds true when complaining on social media.

If you use social media to lodge complaints, you’re not alone. Almost every company big and small is on social media.

Social media can be another alternative to try to resolve customer service issues. Consumer Reports says it’s a good idea, with this caveat: Use some common courtesy. In other words, don’t Twitter-shame right off the bat.

Whatever platform you’re using, try a direct message first. Companies know you can put them on blast where everybody can see your message, so they may appreciate it when you don’t.

What’s more, you could actually get a faster or more helpful response. In addition, there are other benefits by going the private message route. Consumer Reports says you can also avoid scammers because no one else can see your complaint, except the company representative, and that’s especially important when dealing with a bank or financial services company.

Which brings us to our next tip: Make sure you’re reaching out to and interacting with an official company account. On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram an authentic account should have a checkmark in a blue circle.

Nevertheless, no matter how angry or frustrated you may be, it’s important to be nice and not threaten the company in your DMs. Remember there’s a person on the other side of that message, and you want that person on your side because they may be able to help resolve your problem.

You also need to manager your expectations. Do not expect an immediate response; instead, give it a day or two.

With files from Consumer Reports