First, sort the comment into one of four types
| Type | Example | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Real problem | "My order hasn't arrived after two weeks." | Reply publicly, then solve it in private messages |
| Criticism or opinion | "Too expensive for what it is." | Reply calmly once, or leave it |
| Abuse or trolling | Insults, provocation, off-topic fights | Hide, and ban repeat offenders |
| Spam or scams | Fake giveaway links, impersonation | Delete and ban |
The mistake most Pages make is treating the first two types like the last two. Deleting a genuine complaint usually makes it worse: the person posts again, angrier, and often screenshots the deletion.
How to reply to a real problem
A good public reply does four things in one or two sentences: acknowledges the problem, apologises once, gives a next step, and moves details to private.
Then actually follow up in private. When it's resolved, many customers update their comment on their own. If they don't, a short public "Glad we could sort this out" under the thread closes the loop for everyone reading.
How to reply to criticism
You don't have to win the argument. Reply once, without being defensive, and give a fact if you have one:
If the person keeps going, stop replying. Other readers have seen your answer, and that's who it was for.
Hide, delete or ban: what's the difference?
- Hide: the comment stays visible to the person who wrote it and their friends, but not to everyone else. Good for trolling, because the author usually doesn't notice and doesn't escalate.
- Delete: removes it for everyone. Use it for spam, scams, personal data and illegal content.
- Ban: stops the person commenting on your Page. Keep it for repeat abuse and spam accounts.
Facebook also lets Pages hide comments containing words you choose, and filter profanity, in the Page's moderation settings. It's worth adding the scam phrases you see often.
What not to do
- Don't reply when you're annoyed. Wait ten minutes.
- Don't argue facts in public at length. One clear answer, then private messages.
- Don't copy-paste the same apology under ten complaints. It reads as a script, and people notice.
- Don't ask for order numbers, addresses or phone numbers in public. Always private.
Where AI helps, and where it doesn't
When you're tired or annoyed, the hardest part is finding calm words. AI Meta Suite drafts the reply for you in one click, and its default rules tell it to respond to complaints with empathy and an offer to help, as in the examples above. You still decide whether to reply, hide or delete, and you check every reply before it's posted. That's on purpose: an angry customer deserves a person's judgement, just with less typing.