Week 2 - Talking to a Business

On the topic of communicating with businesses, two negative issues that I come across frequently are the difficulty in finding a business person that will take in my words (customer service rep, manager, etc.) and not feeling understood by that source. Some time ago, my family was trying to cut down on our cable bill. The cable rep was incredibly persistent, trying to hold on so firmly to every feature of the account that it turned into bullying. He insinuated that my family didn't make enough money if we couldn't afford cable, which I thought was incredibly belittling. I tried to complain to two different people from that company about the experience, feeling that neither one understood why I had been offended by the interaction. 

At the time, I didn't think of using social media as a tool to verbally release my frustrations. I'm still not sure I would use it today since I'm a private person, but I'm beginning to see the power in it. Social media would have addressed my two issues with one post. There are a bunch of social media platforms, which are easily accessible and free (since I come from an underprivileged family by cable standards). The "finding" part would have been quick, and certainly quicker than waiting on hold for a company rep. Also, with that post, I would have found a solid selection of friends and family that would have supported me and possibly given me recommendations for other cable companies, giving me the satisfaction of feeling understood.

The only online reviews I've left for a business (that were not part of a satisfaction survey) is on Amazon because they make it so easy for the consumer to give feedback. I talk about the quality of the product and the speed in which I received it. If I do leave a less than favorable comment, I try to give information that would help the next buyer understand why I was displeased and help them make an informed purchase. When someone goes on a rant in a review, it's difficult to take the reviewer seriously. They lose credibility with me. I start to wonder if they were a jealous ex-partner of the server from "that garbage bag of a restaurant."

If I saw a negative comment about my place of business, I would try to reach out to the reviewer to learn more of the circumstances and see if the review was really warranted. I would also try to mend the situation within reason, but I don't follow "the customer is always right" motto blindly. With a really good positive review, there's not much else to do but improve on products and practices that the consumer enjoyed, and use the review in future advertising. 

In the past, I used to think that a face-to-face interaction was more personal or that it was more valuable to talk to someone live. Today, I think establishing a positive connection across any medium is more valuable.   

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