In a multi-channel world in which brands are routinely conversing with customers, are they paying enough attention to the negative comments, or only monitoring positive sentiment?
During a breakfast debate hosted by MediaTel and Experian on Monday, both clients and agencies said brands might have learned to be better listeners, but often what they hear is selective – and it can cost them business.
Naomi Hansford, head of digital performance marketing at Clarks, said it is currently a “massive challenge” to find a consistent strategy when listening and responding effectively to customers and “not many brands get it right.”
Yet Karmarama’s chairman, Jon Wilkins, said he has seen first-hand that companies that deal with problems quickly have the opportunity to turn negative sentiment into something positive.
“Some of our clients have complaints databases, or their call centres will monitor or log problems. That’s gold,” he said. “Using that in a really effective way creates positive sentiment very quickly.”
Citing Virgin Atlantic Airways as a best-practice case study, Wilkins said other brands could learn from the company’s attitude towards the customer experience.
“Virgin are brilliant at dealing with problems instantly,” he said. “They could simply not do more to combat the negative.”
However, at the opposite end of the scale, Wilkins cited well-known, global brands that only measured and acknowledged positive sentiment towards them. The results could turn into business and financial disasters, Wilkins said.
“[Ignoring any negative sentiment] can turn into a crises ,” Wilkins said. “You can’t just be interested in how great you score for brand love.”
Hansford added that every brand needs to be able to say that it is listening to its customers, but actually acting on that and creating a consistent approach is “very difficult”.
One simple solution, she said, was to ensure communication channels for an always-on, digital world, ran 24/7 rather than normal business hours.
Noting British Gas recorded 5,400 negative comments on an unattended social media account after a price increase, Wilkins added: “This is a growing challenge for service businesses in particular.”
