Internet Provides a New Voice for Unhappy Customers

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In order to file a complaint about a service or product, consumers used to have to wait on hold, sometimes for hours, for customer service reps. This was useless, time consuming, and it rarely proved to be a positive outcome. The Internet has recently provided an alternative solution for most individuals to lodge their dissatisfaction. Online complaint websites have begun to pop up all over, and it gives unhappy customers a solid vehicle to air their concerns. Because the sites have been gaining in popularity, businesses are now paying attention to the customer, and they are helping them to seek a resolution for their problems.

Outlet for Support

Internet complaint sites are different from the Better Business Bureau. They provide an outlet to air your tale, so it doesn’t get lost in the shuffle. Some sites will even go so far as to notify the company of your complaint and invite them to make a response. To make your complaint more solid, you want to provide as much information as possible. Additional facts, amounts, and timelines will help your case prove legitimate since most sites are anonymous.

Sharing Feedback for the Greater Good

Consumer complaints websites can sway a customer by way of their opinion. When other people see the problems certain individuals are having with a business both small and large, this could influence where people choose to shop. Reading about a customer’s difficulties is quite beneficial to the consumer, and it could save them time and help them avoid a similar situation. Complaints.com, Ripoff Report®, and Gripevine are just a few of the online sources for personal, first-hand, customer experiences involving services and products from a variety of companies.  Experiences are collected from website visitors themselves, and published primarily for the benefit of the everyday consumer, allowing many to learn from the personal experiences of a few. Because reports are taken directly from consumers, accuracy and opinions will vary.  All the sites encourage individuals to be educated and informed consumers by reading all information available about a company or service before choosing to utilize it.

Repeat Offenders

Internet complaint websites are the perfect avenue for consumers to see businesses that are repeat offenders. If a variety of consumers are having the same problems with a company or product, consumers can be wary of their services and choose to look toward more reputable businesses. This also gives the company a chance to get their act together if they see the same complaint being directed at them.

The only avenue most consumers had in the past was to call the Better Business Bureau, voice their concerns to a customer service representative, or send a letter through the mail. Most of the time, the company in question shrugged off these outdated attempts at vindication, and complaints were seldom respected. Consumers all over the globe now view complaint websites and this exposure pushes businesses to take notice. Many customers are actually having their situations rectified. It’s nice that companies are being held accountable for poor service and product performance, and the consumer has finally found a way for their voice to be heard.

Author Molly P. is an avid shopper, concerned with consumer rights. She is also a contributor at Gripevine, a well-known consumer complaints website that was designed by co-founders David Carroll and Richard Hue to help the customer service process by allowing consumers a place to tell their story. It also provides the tools to get your complaint noticed by the right people within a company, giving both sides of a complaint a chance for a happy resolution. If the company ignores the request to view your complaint, you can also share your complaint via the social network.