With the advent of the Internet, when customers have an unpleasant customer experience, the company no longer has to worry about them telling a few friends and family; the company has to worry about them telling everyone.
Internet service providers are giving consumers frustrated with how they were treated by a company another means of fighting back.
Free or low-cost computer space for Internet Web sites is empowering consumers to tell not only their friends, but also the world about the way they have been treated.
A few examples of disgruntled customer stories from the Internet include: Bad Experience with Blue Marble Biking-Tourist on biking tour is bitten by dog, requires stitches.
Company is barred from hotel because of incident, and in turn it bars the tourist from any further tours. Best Buy Receipt Check-Shopper declines to show register receipt for purchase to door guard at Lakewood Best Buy, which is voluntary. Employees attempt to seize cart, stand in shopper's path, and park a truck behind shopper's car to prevent departure. Enterprise Rent-
A-Car Is a Failing Enterprise-Enterprise Rent-A-Car did not honor reservations, did not have cars ready as stated, rented cars with nearly empty tanks, and charged higher prices to corporate account holders
PROJECT FOCUS
The Internet is raising the stakes for customer service.
With the ability to create a Web site dedicated to a particular issue, a disgruntled customer can have nearly the same reach as a manufacturer.
The Internet is making it more difficult for companies to ignore their customers; complaints.
In a group, search the Web for the most outrageous story of a disgruntled customer.
A few places to start include: Complain Complain - Provides professionally written, custom complaint letters to businesses.
The Complaint Department - A for-fee consumer complaint resolution and letter writing service.
The Complaint Station- Provides a central location to complain about issues related to companies; products, services, employment, and get rich quick scams.
Complaints Consumer Complaints - Database of consumer complaints and consumer advocacy.
Baddealings - Forum and database on consumer complaints and scams on products and services.