Adidas experienced a consumer revolt on its Facebook page this week.

Likewise, fans of the cosmetic brand Urban Decay slammed the company on its Facebook page.

Facebook, as social media managers know intimately, is a pubic sounding board for grievances. An event can trigger a run on a Facebook page, in which angry customers cover a brand’s wall with vitriolic comments. Some companies climb into their shells, others go with the nuclear option and turn off comments on their page; the smart companies respond—and they’re guided by a social media policy.

According to a new study by Socialbakers, brands in the telecommunications industry are the most savvy at responding to customers on Facebook. Socialbakers, a social media analytics firm, determined the most “socially devoted” industries and companies—in other words, the ones that respond well to customer complaints on Facebook.

Telecom and airline companies were Nos. 1 and 2 on the list of brands.

“Socially Devoted companies communicate openly, actively respond to fans and make sure customers receive a quick answer to feedback or questions,” Socialbakers CEO Jan Rezab said in a press release.

Here’s how industries stack up:



The top 10 socially devoted brands are:



As you’ll notice, none of the top 10 companies are based in the U.S. According to the study, U.S.-based firms are less effective on social media than their peers elsewhere. Other notable stats from the study:

• On average, companies respond to only 30 percent of comments from fans;
• Local companies outperform their global counterparts, with 40 percent responding to customer queries;
• More than 25 percent of global companies have a closed wall;
• The average response time for companies on Facebook is 26 hours.

Socialbakers determined the rankings by looking at the number of fans on page, the number of questions, the brand’s response time, and its response rate. It should be noted that the study leads to a sales pitch for Socialbakers’ proprietary service.