They're talking about you

And there's nothing you can do to stop them.

Ever wonder what your businesses reputation is among your customers? I hope you care.

There's two sides to the issue of customer complaints that the web has made possible.

First of all, unhappy customers can tell others and the word can spread faster than ever. Also due to the way people behave, most of the unhappy customers will never tell you directly. Just Google your name or company and see what pops up.

Which brings me to the other side of the issue. Create a way for customers to contact you and encourage them to give you their honest opinion of what they dislike, what they like, and anything else that is on their mind.

Then reward them for taking the time to communicate with you. Give them something. Don't tell them that you are going to give it, just give it.

Here's the story from MarketingCharts.com that inspired my comments:

Consumers Using Social Media to ‘Vent’ about, Research Customer Service

When making purchase decisions, affluent online consumers are using social media channels to share their own customer-service experiences and learn about those of others, according to a new study from the Society for New Communications Research.

More than 300 consumers who are active internet users participated in a survey, sponsored by Nuance Communications, focusing on how customer care influences brand reputation in light of the quickly growing adoption of social media.

Key findings from the report, “Exploring the Link Between Customer Care and Brand Reputation in the Age of Social Media,” include the following:

• 59% of respondents use social media to “vent” about a customer-care experience.
• 72% research companies’ customer care online prior to purchasing products and services at least sometimes.
• 84% consider the quality of customer care at least sometimes in their decision to do business with a company.
• 74% choose companies/brands based on others’ customer-care experiences shared online.
• 84% consider the quality of customer care in their decision to do business with a company at least sometimes.
• 81% say blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums can give consumers a greater voice regarding customer care, but less than 33% say they believe that businesses take customers’ opinions seriously.
• Search engines are the most valuable online tools for this research. Those rated of no value include micro-blogging sites like Twitter or Pownce (39%), YouTube (27%) and social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace (22%).

Dell and Amazon were cited more often than any other company when asked which types of companies have done the best job in using social media to respond to customer care issues.

As for industry segments, technology, retail, and travel companies were reported as doing the best job, while utilities, healthcare, and insurance were least likely to receive positive endorsements.

“[T]here is a growing group of highly desirable consumers using social media to research companies: 25- 55-years-old, college-educated, earning $100,000+ - a very powerful group in terms of buying behavior,” said Dr. Ganim Nora Barnes, senior fellow, Society for New Communications Research.

“These most savvy and sought-after consumers will not support companies with poor customer care reputations, and they will talk about all of this openly with others via multiple online vehicles. This research should serve as a wake-up call to companies: listen, respond, and improve.”

About the study: The team of SNCR research fellows who conducted the study included Dr. Nora Ganim Barnes, John Cass, Susan Getgood, Paul Gillin, and Francois Gossieaux, working in conjunction with TWI Surveys, Inc. The final results will be highlighted in the Society’s Journal of New Communications Research and published in a full report later this year.

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