Business and Consumer Relationships

Feedback online changes business practices  

The internet has created new relationship dynamics/interactions with for businesses and their customers.  With the creation of the internet, customers can leave open feedback in public causing the products to both look better, or worse, for the entire world to see. Amazon has a one to five star rating system with open, honest feedback from verified purchasers. Other businesses have created similar feedback systems for their own customers because of how helpful Amazon customers have found this option. Feedback options such as this have inevitably made an impact on the consumer behaviors. For instance, if a person is unsure of a product because they have never purchased it before and are unsure if it will be compatible with something else, other customers who have purchased that item for such a purpose can inform others on if it would be a good fit. This has reduced the need for front line customer service and returns on products. 

Twitter is known for causing PR disasters. The employees in charge for creating tweets have been known for forgetting to switch from their person account to the business account. Gloria Huang [1] mistakenly sent a tweet to from the @RedCross Twitter account, believing they were sending it from their own personal account saying “Ryan found two more 4 bottle packs of Dogfish Head’s Midas Touch beer…. When we drink we do it right #gettngsizzerd” [2]. The Red Cross was able to avoid a PR disaster while using humor to directly respond to the tweet. Saying “We’ve deleted the rogue tweet but rest assured the Red Cross is sober and we’ve confiscated the keys.” Public figures are perhaps the most at risk for the negative effects of twitter. Anthony Weiner, Mark Cuban, and Gilbert Godfrey have all suffered the consequences of believing that such public forums aren't nearly as private as they'd like to believe. 

References:

[1] https://twitter.com/riaglo

[2] Todd, W. (2011, February 16). Red Cross Does PR Disaster Recovery on Rogue Tweet. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/02/16/red-cross-tweet/