I am currently in the market for a new bathroom, and spent Saturday morning with a designer from one of the larger bathroom design companies. Everything was all set, my partner and I were happy with the proposed design and we were happy to proceed. That was until we started reading online reviews of the company in question – and over 80% of them were overwhelmingly negative.
This has caused us to think again about using this company – but part of me started to wonder about the fairness of this attitude (and I’m sure we are all guilty of having reconsidered a restaurant, hotel or movie based on something we’ve read online). This company has set itself up in business, put a website out there with all the information homeowners need, sends out its people to measure up bathrooms, and does whatever else it needs to in order to promote itself – but then has to contend with anonymous posters on a website over which it has no control which is doing serious harm to the company’s image.
Part of me says that people who’ve had a negative experience are always more prone to venting some rage on a suitable message board or forum – so the sample is unrepresentative. Another part of me says I don’t want to risk going ahead after reading what I read – which I think you will agree is a prudent course of action. But, moving forward, how can we create online forums which provide a more nuanced, and dare I say objective, version of the truth about the service we as customers can expect from a given company? One day, we could all as professionals with websites to maintain be the victim of something someone out there writes about us – is it fair to demand a right of reply? Or should we just chalk this up under the “Dangers of the Web” category? Readers, let us know what you think…
Tags: business, digital, marketing, online, web 2.0, website
March 20, 2008 at 1:43 pm
A website isn’t all. I think the new order to promote yourself is to take part part of the conversation. The dangers on the web isn’t more dangerous than the ones on the streets. Even bathroom design companies needs to act more socially on the web.
March 20, 2008 at 9:27 pm
Isn’t this simply an extrapolation of the old chestnut that a dissatisfied customer will tell 20 people about their bad experience, whereas a satisfied customer may only tell one person?
This is only amplified in the age of the internet so that everyone has a voice that can be heard. It is not unrepresentative of the strength of opinion; it merely skews the statistics so that it is probably incorrect to say that 80% of customers are dissatisfied because 80% of online reviews are bad.
If we assume that reviews are truthful and that it forces companies to be less cavalier in their attitude to customers what is so wrong with this?
Also, we all expect different things from IKEA, Dell or Ryanair than we do from Marks and Spencer, BA or Apple.
Let’s face it, most companies get it wrong or do things cheaply and/or for their benefit rather than the customers. Most online forums (fora?) should provide an opportunity for a right of reply and for the customer to provide an update if the company has rectified the problem (this would encourage firms to do so). Such forums should provide these features alongside the original comment/review so that others can see the logical progression.
Finally, let’s not forget that we can use our discretion and decide to simply ignore such reviews and live in blissful ignorance if we prefer!
April 22, 2008 at 4:32 pm
If companies engage with online complaints they stand a much better chance of diffusing the negative message and turning it into a positive communication channel for an organisation.
If there are so many people complaining then its likely to be “no smoke without fire”. The only way to combat it is to publicise their efforts to deal with the problem and engage with their customers.
Surely that is the only web 2.0 method of handling complaints?
May 20, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Listen. Do not have an opinion while you listen because frankly, your opinion doesn?t hold much water outside of Your Universe. Just listen. Listen until their brain has been twisted like a dripping towel and what they have to say is all over the floor.
August 15, 2008 at 11:21 am
Ciekawa strona, trafilem tu przypadkowo, ale od dzis bede wpadal czesciej, pozdro