Monica Valentinelli: Author, Game Designer and Consultant

Posted on January 21, 2010 - by Monica Valentinelli

Do You Need to be Heard, Or Do You Need an Answer?

One of the things I’m beginning to find pretty frustrating, is the need for people to publicly rant about something that they haven’t tried to resolve on their own. From misprints to crappy downloads, it seems like ranting about bad business experiences, politics and other frustrations is the “thing” to do. The trouble is, there’s this little link on most websites that offers you the ability to “contact us.”

I often have to quash the internet myth that once you post something online — everyone will read it. Yes, everyone can read it but that doesn’t mean that everyone will.

Online reputation management can be very time-consuming for businesses, especially since they already have protocols in place to handle customer complaints and troubleshoot issues. Using Google Alerts is one way anyone can monitor what people are saying, but even that has its limitations depending upon how someone uses them and when they get around to reading the emails. Even then, there is no hard and fast rule for businesses to deal with public rants about customer service. Often, contacting customers directly opens the door to several, different types of reactions: some customers get even more upset, others expect the attention or appreciate it and many freak out about “big brother” watching them.

I understand that it’s easy to complain about things that happen in your daily life. Believe me, I really do. However, if you want an answer to your woes, if you want someone to address your concerns and listen to what you have to say, try to contact that person or business directly. If you’re unhappy with politics, write your local congressman or woman! If your coffee maker failed, then try to contact the manufacturer and get your issue resolved. Or, if you’re frustrated with publishers for not releasing digital files on time, take it up with the publisher rather than stage a “protest.” (See this article.)

Companies, from the small mom-and-pop shops to larger corporations, have systems in place to help customers. Use those channels, and you’d might be surprised not only how quickly your voice is heard, but also how much they care about you as a customer. While not every issue can be resolved, you have a better chance of getting the answer you want if you deal with the company directly.

Just something to think about.

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1. This Is Not Another Amazon Post
2. How to Make Your Voice Heard in a Sea of Content