During the mid-1980s, business owners were warned about an
American Management Association study that found on average a
satisfied customer tells three people about a good experience while
an unhappy customer complains to 11. The message was clear: One
dissatisfied customer quickly can undo much of the effort a
business owner has invested into building a good reputation.
Fast forward to today, and what has changed? A lot. In his 2008
book, Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers
Tell 3,000, author Pete Blackshaw says to succeed in a world
where consumers control the conversation, companies must achieve
credibility on every front. But given the proliferation of consumer
review sites and those focused entirely on customer complaints,
managing a company's reputation is getting more difficult.
According to a 2009 survey by Opinion Research Corp., Princeton,
N.J., 84 percent of U.S. consumers say online customer evaluations
influence their decisions to purchase products or services.
Commonly checked sources include online rating sites, consumer
advocacy websites and company websites. Although consumers
especially trust people they know, they trust online consumer
opinions over strangers and many forms of ...
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