NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. -

Has your dealership been held hostage by a social media assassin? You know the kind I’m talking about.  For one reason or another, they’ve had a negative experience with your store, and now they’re using social media to destroy your reputation. You lay awake at night wondering how things got so out of control. What is it that makes someone want to annihilate a dealer’s online reputation?

Everything we do gets broadcast online. In today’s social economy, it’s vital that your customers leave happy. In auto retail, it’s even more critical. Years of stereotypical portrayals and negative customer experiences have created an extra layer of distrust to overcome with the buying public. Everybody loves to hate on car dealers. Some of this has been earned, but in my experience (and in the stores I managed over the years), 99.9 percent of dealers are genuinely devoted to ensuring that each customer leaves happy.

This week, a client asked me how to handle a social media assassination attempt on their store. Several months after purchase, their customer was having trouble with their vehicle. My client tried to work things out, but the customer just wasn’t happy with any solutions they offered. This customer was highly-influential on social media, and they began using their network to spread venom.

The Internet has changed many things for dealers, but the one thing that hasn’t changed is effective conflict resolution. Cars break and understandably, it’s an upsetting situation. What’s the most savvy way to handle a social media assassin? Give them what they want.

There’s a video that’s been online for 18 months about a dealer who refused to take back a $7,000 used car. The dealer was technically not obligated to take the car back, but usually technicalities go out the window when conflict arises. The customer was so angry that they told their story in a nice video and posted it on YouTube. That video is still up and running today. In fact, when you Google the dealer, the video comes up third on the search results —it says, "Used Car Nightmare,” then names the dealer involved.

Here’s an example of another reputation destroying situation: A customer’s BMW M5 was wrecked while in the dealer’s possession. Insurance only covered part of the damage, and the customer wanted to be reimbursed appropriately. The dealer says nope (huh?),  and they headed to court.

Meanwhile, the customer starts a thread on a BMW forum, which happens to land third in online search results for this dealer. In just 12 months, this thread on a fairly small BMW forum now has over 840,000 views and close to 1,600 comments! Was it really worth the few bucks it cost to make it right with the customer?

If your customer’s passion has driven them to destroy your good name, the easiest and cheapest answer is to take all the air out of the balloon and give them what they want. I’m not saying give everything away just to appease the insufferable. All dealers know the kind of situation I’m talking about, because it happens at all dealerships.

A car represents a big investment, an identity to some, and the emotional attachment makes people say and do things they don’t normally do. Most are reasonable people otherwise, but once things get to a certain point, the savviest tactic is to stop all the vitriol in its tracks.

Meet with them, listen to their issues and give them what they want. Once things have calmed down, your customer leaves happy, because you "did the right thing.” They’ll always remember your goodwill, and they can pay you back through social networks. By making peace, you’ll be in a perfect position to ask them to stop the “assassination attempts” on social media.

Long term conflict helps no one. It’s simply cheaper and easier to give them what they want than to suffer the consequences. You may feel the need to argue with the customer and stand your ground. I’ve also done that. Look what "standing their ground" got that dealer in the video.  The dealer  wouldn’t budge, so for 18 months, they’ve been the star of a hugely-damaging video for all their potential customers to see. They’ve lost a thousand times more in potential business than the $7,000 they could’ve have spent to make it go away.

My management policy was “If it gets to me, it’s free.” Our culture was to do everything within our power to work things out with the customer. I was always available if the situation escalated, and the staff knew what I would do if it got to me. Knowing that actually empowered them to think it through strategically.

Adopt the "If it gets to me, it’s free" policy. Instead of having to always be on the defensive, take the offensive approach. You may find, too, like I did, that you can make your "loss" back with the next deal. Either way, these types of highly-amplified situations will reduce down to zero, and your online reputation won’t ever have to suffer the attack of a social media assassin.

Kathi Kruse is an automotive social media expert, blogger, speaker, coach, author and founder of Kruse Control Inc. Born in the heart of Los Angeles to a family of “car people,” Kathi’s passion for the car business spans a 30-year career managing successful dealerships in Southern California.  Kathi is co-author of the book Next Up – Essential Social Media Strategies for Auto Dealerships. Her Kruse Control Blog is the leading Automotive Social Media blog in the U.S.