Amy’s Baking Company’s Massive Social Media Melt Down
While your online reputation is important to manage, if managed incorrectly, it can backfire into a viral disaster with devastating repercussions. A perfect recent example of bad online reputation management and nonsensical rants over social media is the recent meltdown of Amy and Samy Bouzaglo of Amy’s Baking Company.
Amy’s Baking Company is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and run by the Bouzaglos. After receiving negative reviews online and a bad experience on the show “Kitchen Nightmares” the couple had a severe melt down over social media sites complete with salty language, all caps and the lines, “I AM NOT STUPID YOU ALL ARE. YOU JUST DO NOT KNOW GOOD FOOD.” This just about pitched the company over the edge resulting in the bakery temporarily closing and the social media world grabbing their pitch forks and attacking the company from all angles, including allegations about tip withholding from employees. To make matters even worse, the company posted the following statement on their Facebook page denying responsibility for the posts:
This recent fiasco is a perfect case study of what NOT to do. Our natural instinct is to get defensive and fire back at the customer. However, this is never the appropriate response. In the business of customer service, it’s important to keep calm and remember the old saying, “the customer is always right”.
No matter how ugly, inaccurate or rude the reviews get, businesses need to acknowledge mistakes and offer incentives such as discounts or a free dessert to bring back those negative customers. When you resolve conflicts online, others are impressed with your response and your willingness to correct a mistake.
Companies can no longer stand by and let bad reviews sneak past without responses. Customers and potential customers will see it. According to Jay Baer, president of the social media marketing consultancy Convince and Convert, “You have to respond 100 percent of the time, whether you like it or not.” Baer said. “Businesses need to assign someone to stay on top of it.”
Idyllwild Advertising can manage your online reputation with our social media and directory optimization services, contact us today: 801-733-8400.





