“Empathy and Action ”
episode #789 – November 24, 2022
GUEST: David Oates
Respond to negative reviews with empathy and action.

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the episode
Since we were in middle school there’s always been someone who said something negative about us. You’d think after all this time we’d learn how to respond but the truth is when you get a negative review or a negative social media comment it still hurts.
This week, guest David Oates shares some tips on how to deal with negative reviews and comments. It all begins with empathy and action. It is important to acknowledge the person writing the review is unhappy and open a dialogue, offline, to resolve the issue so others see you are willing to take action.
our guest David Oates
Dave possesses more than 25 years of strategic public relations experience dealing with a wide array of adverse public events. Starting as a U.S. Navy Public Affairs Officer and later as a Corporate Chief Marketing Officer and Non-Profit President, he excels in expertly addressing a myriad of crises spans military, government, corporate, charity, and start-up environments. His Crisis Communications experiences, including handling employee and executive misconduct, cybersecurity attacks, product recalls, mass layoffs, large-scale accidents, criminal investigations, and civil litigation matters.
A sought-after speaker, Dave served as a lecturing professor teaching the semester-long PR Media & Messaging program to upper-division undergraduates at San Diego State University. He actively gives back to others through his role as Past President of the Rotary Club of San Diego, the fourth largest service club in the world. Dave previously served on leadership roles that raised tens of thousands of dollars for organizations that include the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Operation Homefront, Free to Thrive, and others.
Dave authored three Amazon e-Books and co-produced two LinkedIn Learning courses, Crisis Communication for HR, and HR Communication in Today’s Fluid Workplace. He is an accredited PR specialist (APR) who received his MBA from San Diego State University in 2004 and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland in 1991.