The interaction between customer and business has absolutely changed over the years. When communities were full of small businesses, word-of-mouth and the reputation of the business would quite literally make or break them. As large corporations began to take over many small businesses, the customer lost their voice and the impact they had with their buying power.

With the emergence of the internet and social networking, the customer now has their voice back and they are certainly using it! A cleverly-written post about a customer's negative experience doesn't take long to go viral, and can be damaging for even the most popular and well-liked brands. So how do you deal with an unhappy customer who posts on your social networking site?

Here are a few helpful Do's and Don'ts

Don't ignore it and think it will go away. Address the complaint using social media, if you can. Giving them the number for customer service will not solve the problem.

Do help them problem-solve and resolve the conflict as soon as possible - this will allow them to feel heard.

Don't get angry.

Do listen and apologize for the experience they had. Use good customer service. Remember: The same techniques that work for face-to-face customer service, work in social media too.

Don't hide the feedback. Sharing the information with the appropriate powers that be will help you address the problem and find a solution together, rather than sweeping something away as "out of sight, out of mind".

Do be open to feedback. The truth is, if you're brand appears open and honest about receiving constructive criticism, people are much less to talk about an issue behind your back.