I really don’t mean this in a nasty way at all but if this has shaken you to your core you really need to toughen up a bit.

I’ve run my own small business for about eight years now. People are mostly friendly and appreciative of what I do but there will always be the odd asshole out there who will say unkind or hurtful things and you need to develop a tougher skin to protect yourself from hurt.

The more people you serve, the greater the likelihood that you’ll encounter assholes. Those sorts of people are not worth your time. Most importantly they are not your customers. Focus on the people you do want to sell to or serve.

Miserable moaners are just a fact of life (and I’m sorry to say, more so in the UK than anywhere else I’ve lived). You cannot fix them or get away from them if you want your business to thrive. Kill then kindness or ignore them and move on. You’ll get better at it with practice. It used to bother me a lot too but now I just roll my eyes, share the latest absurd comment or demand with my friends so we can have a good laugh, respond professionally and with firm boundaries and then brush it off and get on with it.

Dealing with the public, Esp online is terrible.I worked on an indie video game for a few years, first as a volunteer. Then as a dev. Every time we released and update, patch, content, anything, it was just a flood of 'Well what about xyz? Useless devs." (In worse language, with personal attacks and threats). For years and years until they decided they couldn’t deal with it anymore and shut the game down. People are not nice out there. I wrote the wiki to the game myself and all i ever got was people wanting more in the wiki and twlling me how terrible it was (it was objectively the deepest and most up to date wiki the game ever had and was a great resource for players).

Haters are everywhere. If you’re running a business, you’re going to need to develop a thicker skin because you’re going to encounter this a LOT.

The bottom line is if they don’t love your products, they don’t matter. So when it comes to negativity, either learn from it (if it’s useful feedback), ignore it, or use it as fuel. But don’t let it bother you - because that’s not useful.

If you haven’t already, look out for reactions on other brand accounts. You’ll see what you could be in for, and learn what mistakes to avoid as well. Idk if you’ve ever worked customer service but it teaches you that many people are insane and impossible to please.

If all goes well you could be in the position to hire someone to work social media so it won’t be on you to take in criticism from the public.

I don’t get this response, at all. You’re “horrified” and “shaken to your core” by a comment about a tiny price quibble? Why? Do you believe in your product or not? Sell it to the people who want to buy it at your price point, and ignore everybody who doesn’t want it. Non-buyers are irrelevant, except perhaps as data.

I don’t mean to be unkind.

$1 or £1 savings isn’t enough information. What is the offer as a % of original cost?

Also, as a business owner you will be facing a lot more hardships and comments than this one which is pretty benign. Price shoppers always exist. They don’t mean to be mean. Just cheap and price sensitive. Don’t let these things get to you. Phrases like “Shaken to the core” are generally reserved in business for situations as serious as a business partner betraying you, a kind creditor turning on you, a major life event happening (loss or disability), a former employee turning into a competitor by stealing your trade secrets, a new productor technology entering the market rendering yours irrelevant. You get the idea.

This stuff? Pssh take it in your stride and move on from the leeches.

Honestly, if this has “shaken you to your core” maybe this isn’t the right job for you… not trying to be mean but you need thick skin as a business owner.

I had such a hassle ordering from their clearly low budget and badly designed Shopify page. Spoke to their “customer service” manager, who was just really rude and didn’t seem to have a clue. Eventually received my order and they’d sent me the wrong size! Quality was also poor. Absolute joke, returned it right away. Don’t order from here. 1-star.

^ How does this make you feel? This is just something I’ve made up but you are going to get occasional reviews like this someday. You need to have a thick skin to be in business and not take customer comments personally.

I’d suggest you sit down and consider if this is something you think you can handle. Perhaps you’ll find it helpful to have a friend dish out made-up rude customer feedback to you for you as a form of exposure therapy so you’re more prepared for when it does happen.

Grow a thicker skin. You said very new right? This is nothing!

I missed the “protectors” word so I thought this was a joke post.

Only after reading all the serious responses did I realize OP is NOT selling under boob sweat.

A single comment about pricing “shoot you to your core”? That’s pretty whatever as far as comments go.

I had someone target me for being a queer owned business and bounced back faster than you.

I’m not a business owner, but if this is what “shakes you to your core” I’d be concerned about what will happen when something bad actually happens

If something like that shakes you to your core then being in business might not be for you.

That’s incredibly tame.

Wait till someone blasts your business with a bad review (it will happen despite best efforts). What will you do then?

Lots of people hate their lives and have to project that onto others. Don’t let it feed into your perception of success!

You need to get yourself together. If every negative comment shakes you to your core, you’re too sensitive to be in business.

Hack: the comment is not about you. Learn to differentiate what you offer v what someone says about it. Often times, a “hater” is admiring you in reverse with envy. They can’t make a business work, so they’ll complain to you about yours.

Learn to filter legitimate customer issues v projection and insecurity. Have confidence in your abilities and with what is true. Accept constructive criticism, and let the negative sabotage roll off your back.

You can do this. ✨