Pissed Consumer – Anti-Brand Community
For the last year or so I’ve been speaking – at conferences, in courses, wherever – about the dangers of going to war with your customer. And how the next wave is going to be companies concentrating all their energies on damage control. No more questions of ‘should we be involved in social media’ but…
For the last year or so I’ve been speaking – at conferences, in courses, wherever – about the dangers of going to war with your customer. And how the next wave is going to be companies concentrating all their energies on damage control. No more questions of ‘should we be involved in social media’ but ‘what the hell?!! quick, start a blog or something!”. *rolls eyes*.
Here’s a typical community:
Shall we start one up in Australia? Which Australian brands would head the list – don’t say Telstra, boring – pick another one. Here’s the about us page:
Are you PISSED?
Our site is dedicated to let you vent your aggravation about consumer experience that you had about a product or service. We would like you to post your complaints or reviews about a product or a company on our website. We will publish your complaint on our site to be seen by many other consumers all over the world.
Feel free to learn more information about us on our blogs:
We also partner with the following companies to provide you with the greatest level of service
Excellent resource for you to check out consumer product reviews and post your own opinion about goods and products of general consumer consumption.
Reviews from average consumers of retail bank and commercial banks. Variety of different banking products and rates. In addition, site provides banker reviews. Tips to obtaining the gratest banking experience possible.
This is blogger allowing clients to express their opinions about services that they have received. Both complaints and praises are available on the site.
Corporate Reviews Blog gives you insight on American Corporate life. Bloggers from all over the country come together to share their experiences about their corporate life. Users of the site express their satisfaction and complaints about different issues facing corporate America.
They’ve plastered it with Ads, which is dangerous – one of your advertisers might show up in the Anti-tirades. Heh. I would’ve chosen another method, perhaps the one that eBoss (Rate your Boss) took. But still, an interesting example of the Customer Is Talking.
Would be great to have an Aussie site. I speak speak and train about service every day but many of the great examples are American. Would love to see what’s happening in Oz.
You last point is the most salient. “the Customer Is Talking”
Maybe I’ll start one myself.
Steven
The obvious targets in Australia would be banks, which you’ve already mentioned. Not for the interest rates (realistically, they’re at the mercy of international markets), but for things like:
* Information disconnect – different stories from different staff
* What DOES happen to the money between the time I cash a cheque and I get the funds in my account ?
* Generally shoddy web access and security
and so on…
Another would be computer hardware and software wholsesalers / retailers… Why DO people like Apple generally put on a surcharge 10% – 20% (after the exchange rate) for stuff from overseas ?
I Would have to say Australia Post would be a reliable target.
For that matter, so would public facing branches of Government.
What a coincidence..I just unofficially launched PABCO (Pepsi Anti Branding Committee) yesterday after they dropped Sachin Tendulkar as their brand ambassador!
The telcos have not a guernsey yet! I think it was US research that said most people would rather deal with a used car salesman than use their telecommunications provider call centre.
There are a number of obvious targets, so setting up a similar service in Oz would be a good idea.