Woolworths customer congratulates staff for having to put up with “nasty” Facebook comments every day

Employees at Woolworths have a reason to smile this week after one woman decided to leave a positive message on the supermarket giant’s Facebook page, complimenting them on their hard work and lashing out at people who have nothing better to do but complain.

Facebook user Abi Jones took to Woolworths’ Facebook page on Tuesday to say how disappointed she is by all the “nasty comments and complaints” people manage to write about the supermarket.

“On behalf of the customers who don’t complain just for the sake of complaining, I apologise your day is filled with nothing but complaints and I want to say thank you for all the good things your whole company does and all the hard work your employees put in,” Jones wrote.

“Unfortunately we now live in a ‘pull-down’ society and people are too eager to complain. I hope you read this message, go get a coffee and go ‘yup, we do good things too!’. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

The post has since been liked almost 10,000 times and shared by more than 400 people.

Numerous Woolworths employees and customers have since commented on the post, thanking Jones for her support.

“After the morning I’ve just had at work… This kind of makes it better,” one employee wrote.

Woolworths’ Facebook page is regularly flooded with complaints and customer feedback.

In December the supermarket’s Facebook page was swamped with customers complaining about the supermarket’s new loyalty program.

Small businesses are not immune for social media backlash either, with a Sydney pub quitting Facebook altogether last year after copping numerous online complaints from people furious at the business’s decision to enforce its dress code.

A spokesperson for Woolworths told Fairfax it is nice to receive “positive feedback” from customers.

“Woolworths is always looking to give the best possible service to our customers so we encourage them to let us know how they think we’re doing, both the good and the bad,” the spokesperson said.

Catriona Pollard, social media expert and founder of CP Communications, told SmartCompany social media platforms are increasingly being used by customers to complain about businesses, as well as show gratitude.

“One of the issues that brands have to face is this idea that it’s so easy to complain about the brand now on multiple social media channels,” Pollard says.

“I think that it’s human nature really to be negative in situations where brands can be knocked down to size. We see it with Qantas, we see this with Woolies, we see it with the banks.

“This is a really nice example of when you can use social media positively and the power of gratitude.”