Social Media Fail: Boners BBQ’s Big Blunder

I’ve written previously about brands making huge gaffes when handling negative comments via social media networks, but this one takes the cake! You may have never heard of Boners BBQ in Atlanta, GA but they’ve gotten some unwanted publicity in the last few days, all due to the way the owner responded to what he considered to be a negative review on Yelp.com.

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It all started innocently enough. A woman named Stephanie and her husband got a $10 off coupon for Boners from Scoutmob. After their visit, Stephanie wrote a review on Yelp. Her review was less than stellar, but it certainly wasn’t the most scathing review I’ve ever read on Yelp. It was well-written and laid out exactly what she believed to be the strengths and weaknesses of the of the restaurant’s foo,service, and atmosphere. You can read her actual review here. In no way did she trash the place in her review; in fact, she actually gave some constructive criticism.

This unflattering review didn’t sit well with Boners’ owner, Andrew Capron, however. He decided that he didn’t need customers like Stephanie darkening the doorway of his establishment, so he posted the following (which has since been removed) on Boners BBQ’s Facebook page:

I’ve edited the photo to blur her face – Andrew did not.  As you can see, he was not impressed with her review. He says she didn’t leave a tip; she says she did. The first few comments on his post were positive with people “liking” and sharing the post, which must’ve encouraged Andrew because he decided it’d be a good idea to add a follow-up comment:
Well then, that explains it! This is when things really got fun! As word (and Andrew’s post) started to circulate around the Internet, comments began flooding in to Boners Facebook page with some rather harsh words for the business owner. Many people mentioning that he had no right to post Stephanie’s picture and reminding him that calling customers names via social networks (or anywhere else) might not be the best business decision he’s ever made. Andrew heeded this advice – sort of – and posted the following on Facebook:
The initial “apology” simply apologized for being inappropriate. Really, Andrew? That’s it? As you can see from the number of comments on this post, that wasn’t enough for most, and it certainly didn’t convey a sense of remorse or an attempt to rectify the situation. In fact, as he started getting flak about his lack of remorse, Andrew decided to explain why he’d felt the need to post Stephanie’s picture and rude (to say the least) comment:
He must’ve believed that once we realized she hadn’t left a tip and that he and his staff had been working so hard, we would understand, see his perspective and it would all go away. He was obviously ready to move on and, I guess, thought that making light of it would work:

But it didn’t go away. No one seemed to appreciate his humor. The comments kept coming and several people pointed out that perhaps a sincere apology directly to the customer would go much further toward righting the wrong that he’d created. Poor Andrew tries one more time to put out the fire:
As you can clearly see from the comments, it was a case of too little, too late for most. Andrew has obviously learned the power of social media the hard way. Had this been his first response to the review, he’d have looked like a hero, would’ve garnered some brand loyalty, and may very well have gained some new customers. Unfortunately, too much had already transpired before his common sense kicked in and he most likely lost customers and certainly didn’t inspire any loyalty. And, sadly, even though the firestorm will die down, the damage will remain. Anytime someone searches for Boners BBQ many articles about this debacle will pop up – for eternity.

As someone who manages social media for small businesses, I’m constantly amazed at how some business owners (and social media managers, in some cases) choose to handle negative comments via social networks. No matter how fabulous your brand is, there will always be some negative comments or complaints. Stuff happens. How you choose to handle these incidents can literally make or break your business. No longer can you have an argument with a customer that stays between you, the customer, and 10 of her closest friends. Complaints now have a tendency to go viral, especially when handled poorly, as in the case of Boners, Ann Taylor, Papa Johns, and many more. Some brands do it right, such as the way FedEx handled the viral video of its employee tossing a box over a fence. FedEx took to YouTube, owned up to the mistake, and made things right with the customer which was the wisest move they could’ve made. Here’s a link to the video by FedEx Senior Vice President of US Operations, Matthew Thornton, III.

Social media is a new medium for business owners which is why it’s important to have someone on the team who is adept at dealing with negativity in a constructive and impartial way that could actually help your business shine (and grow!) at times like this as opposed to igniting a firestorm and possibly destroying your business in the process.

 SEE ALSO: 5 Ways Brands Respond to Negative Comments on Social Networks and Why Only One is Effective

If your business is considering jumping on the social media bandwagon (or if you already have), you should consider hiring a professional to manage these accounts for you. For more information about our services, please click here. Seek Social Media is here to help you connect and engage with current and prospective clients and grow your business online by harnessing the power of social media!

Let me know what you think about the way Boners BBQ handled this situation in the comments below! 

Carole Billingsley (@YouSeekSocial) is a social media consultant and trainer. Combining her social media expertise with her decades of experience in entertainment and education, Carole founded Seek Social Media in 2011. She is known for her ability to make technical and social media topics easy to understand for even the least tech-savvy business owner. Specialty areas: social media, customer experience, digital presence, crisis management.