Reply to comments in order of urgency: complaints and questions first, then praise, then general chat. Keep replies short, specific and human, answer in public when the answer helps others, and move to a private message when someone needs to share personal details. Hide or report only spam and abuse, never honest criticism.
Why replies matter
- Other people read them. A reply to one person's question answers everyone with the same question.
- They keep the conversation going. Comments with a response tend to attract more comments.
- They show someone is there. An account that posts but never answers looks automated or abandoned.
- Complaints handled well build trust. How you respond to a problem in public says more about you than the problem did.
Sort comments before you reply
When you open your comments, sort them into five groups and work through them in this order:
- Complaints and problems: an order went wrong, a service failed, something broke.
- Questions: prices, opening times, availability, how something works.
- Praise and thanks.
- General conversation: jokes, tags of friends, emoji.
- Spam and abuse: links to scams, harassment, hate.
How to reply to each kind
Questions
Answer the question directly in the first sentence, then add anything useful.
"Yes, we're open until 8pm on Saturdays. Booking ahead is a good idea in December, as we fill up fast."
If the answer is long, give the short version and a link, and say where the link goes.
Praise
Thank the person by name and say something specific, so it does not read as a template.
"Thank you, Sam! So glad the birthday cake was a hit. Happy birthday to Mia from all of us."
Complaints
- Acknowledge the problem and the person's frustration without arguing.
- Apologise for the experience, even before you know whose fault it was.
- Move it private if you need an order number, address or other details.
- Follow up in public once it is resolved, if the person is happy for you to.
"Hi Alex, I'm sorry your delivery arrived late and cold. That's not the standard we aim for. Could you send us a message with your order number so we can put it right?"
Avoid copying the same apology onto every complaint; people notice.
Unfair or angry comments
Reply once, calmly and with facts, for the benefit of other readers rather than to win the argument. If the person keeps going, stop replying in public and offer a private channel. Do not delete honest criticism, because deleting it usually draws more attention than the comment did.
Spam and abuse
Hide, delete or report spam, scams and abusive comments, and block repeat offenders. Write a short policy on what you remove, so the whole team handles it the same way.
How fast should you reply?
As fast as you can sustain. Set a realistic target for your team, such as checking comments twice a day on working days, and stick to it. A predictable rhythm beats occasional bursts. Prioritise anything posted in the last day, because that is when a post is most visible.
A simple comment policy for your team
Write down, in a shared document:
- Who checks comments and when.
- What is answered publicly and what moves to private messages.
- What gets hidden or reported, with examples.
- Who handles complaints, refunds and anything legal or sensitive.
- The tone to use, with two or three example replies.
Using AI to draft replies, safely
AI can draft first replies quickly, especially for common questions and thanks. To use it without risk:
- Review before posting. Read every AI-drafted reply before it goes out, at least until you trust the drafts for a specific kind of comment.
- Keep complaints human. Let a person write replies to negative comments.
- Give it facts to work from. Opening times, prices and policies should come from your own information, not the AI's guess.
- Check the tone. Edit anything that sounds stiff, salesy or over-apologetic.
Handling comments in Orbin
Orbin's AI comment replies draft answers to comments on your Facebook and Instagram posts in your brand voice. Each draft waits in a review queue for your approval. On the Business plan and above you can switch on automatic posting, and the "Always review negative comments" setting keeps complaints in your queue for a person to answer. Sentiment detection is automated and can be wrong, so keep approval on while you get to know the drafts. Teammates with the Member role can review and approve replies, so this does not have to fall to one person; see team collaboration.