The other day I had lunch with the Connie Kandansky, renowned trainer and owner of Exceptional Sales Performance. Connie asked me a profound question . . .
How do you think the face of American Business
will change in the coming years?
One thing is clear; businesses, whether they provide a service or distribute products will feel the pressure to live up to a higher standard of service and ethics.
Social Media, blogs and sites such as www.yelp.com www.ripoff.com, www.Ihatemyboss.com, www.my3cents.com, www.ratemd.com give consumers a place to voice their complaints, concerns and even their rants.
Larry Winget, the Pit Bull of Personal Development, ripped a guy to shreds on his blog because the guy pulled a prank and stole Larry’s name for Facebook. Reading Larry’s blog was like watching public flogging. I felt drawn to read the details, yet repelled by the brutality of it at the same time.
Think about it, Ashton Kutcher has over 2 million followers on Twitter. In 140 characters he has the power to make a break any business.
There is a huge population of folks who enjoy complaining and feel it’s their duty to warn others of bad service. I don’t think I have ever posted a bad review, even in the light of bad service. I don’t want negative comments to be tracked back to me as a business person. After all, it always looks bad when you own a business and complain about someone else’s business - regardless of if they are a competitor or not.
However, I like to read the reviews. For instance, I never book a hotel without first reviewing their rating and reading some reviews. I have avoided some restaurants in my neighborhood due to poor on line reviews. And felt strangely justified when a business I don’t care for is blasted by someone else on line.
Real people, with real opinions. Its not big brother watching you, but everyone you come into contact with.
This will be interesting to watch to see how things balance out.
Would you ever voice a complaint on one of the above sites?
Comments