Where Web Customers Complain

There are two kinds of online reputation management (ORM) – proactive and reactive.

Proactive ORM is built in to the fabric of the enterprise; for example, by providing great products and exceptional customer service your customers are more likely to say good things about you and recommend the business to others. Reactive ORM however is much different – and much more dangerous.

Today’s Web relies heavily on consumer ratings and reviews. While it’s often hard to motivate the happy customers to become an advocate for your brand, it’s not difficult at all to give them reasons to become brand detractors – those that share their poor experiences. One slip up, and you may find yourself doing more reactive ORM than proactive – and there are plenty of digital destinations where consumers can voice their opinions and experience with your company.

So, where do customers complain? While blogs and social networks (Facebook, Twitter, et al) are often the first line of offense, there are many other individual destinations that are dedicated exclusively to giving customers a voice and an opportunity to complain. As the holiday season is fast approaching, keeping tabs on the following networks might just help you prevent a bigger problem as you tally up your seasonal sales.