Using Facebook to complain about companies

[Foogirl]

I don't know if anyone else has seen the most recent viral "complaint" about a company acting in a discriminatory way (I don't want to give it any more publicity!)

Is it right that Facebook should be used to ruin the reputation of a company or organisation on the say so of only one person? I'm all for free speech but surely this carries a responsibility too? In these situations we only ever get the ranting story of what seem to be some very angry people, and no matter what the company does, it is never enough for the baying mob that ensues.

Should Facebook allow these pages?

 

[Button#]

I suppose it's between the company in question and Facebook. If it's something they can take Facebook or the individual to court over I'm sure they will

 

[lhancock90]

Honestly is it not libel? I mean the thousands of likes have no idea whether what are supporting is actually the full story.
I don't agree with it.


And i'm bloody sick of "my 12 year old ran up a huge bill on itunes/contract phone" as if thats the fault of the company!

 

[Foogirl]

Honestly is it not libel? I mean the thousands of likes have no idea whether what are supporting is actually the full story.
I don't agree with it.


And i'm bloody sick of "my 12 year old ran up a huge bill on itunes/contract phone" as if thats the fault of the company!

Oh those bother me too.

I'm not sure people actually care if it is true or not. They want to believe that any company exists only to screw people over.

Why let the truth get in the way of a real rant!

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I don't know the story you're on about but I guess this is the risk companies run when using social media to market their business. It's all about how they handle it.

 

[Eternal]

I never done it but find it interesting and useful seeing how they deal with complaints like that, sometimes it's impossible to make a compliant and they just ignore you, I think it's good to see how companies handle complaints.

But I get what you are saying too, plus those mobile ones are crazy, people just take no responsibility for themselves or their children, if you run up and huge contract then it's your fault.

 

[AP]

Don't even start me...

 

[Foogirl]

Don't even start me...

Oh go on...

WTF HAHA LOL......

 

[AP]

The page that sparked this has gone, as has the status that went viral.

In general I think no. it could spark off serious trouble.it takes one
Biased or misinformed person and before you know it , it could destroy jobs and lives.

Sit down, type a complaint. Formally. That's how it should be done.

 

[Foogirl]

The page that sparked this has gone, as has the status that went viral.

In general I think no. it could spark off serious trouble.it takes one
Biased or misinformed person and before you know it , it could destroy jobs and lives.

Sit down, type a complaint. Formally. That's how it should be done.

Measured. Calm. Point well made. Well done - I knew you could......

 

[AP]

First time for everything

 

[Tiff]

I don't think its fair to slander a company no. However, I have used FB when I've had an issue with something, its easier to get in contact that way. However, when I have I've always sent them a PM rather than blasting them over their FB page.

That being said, I did do that very thing once. A radio DJ here made a disgusting comment on air about children with cancer. I ranted about that one, for sure and made sure I shared the link where it happened.

 

[Foogirl]

Contacting via PM is a good way to do it. Opening a public "boycott" page is what I'm on about here.

 

[AP]

I think when something goes viral its game over for both parties , everyone's got an opinion and the negative ones will always be the ones to enrage and upset others

 

[deafgal]

Well, defamation can be illegal so if they are making false lies about the company, there is a chance you can ask them to take it down. Not sure though.

 

[Dragonfly]

I Dont know what page you are talking about but I have complained to facebook pages and got instant response where as the customer service ignored me. Not to slander just to get results. I find so many trolls on them pages waiting to hammer people who where done out of stuff.

 

[kit10grl]

I worked in retail for 15 years.

One of the biggest training phrases we had for customer service was

'Treat a customer well and they will tell 5 friends. Treat them badly they will tell 20'

I think the greater access facebook gives to people is just a bigger extension of this. If it was someone verbally telling friends who then passed it on it wouldn't be seen as a problem.

I think I know which status you are referring to and if it is the one i'm thinking of (it might not be) I think it hould be allowed and I shared too. I think discriminatory behaviour is awful and each tiny incident affects the person in question for life. Why should the consequences for the business not also last that long?

 

[Foogirl]

Because it is only one person's events of what happens? Because people act as judge and jury without accepting they may not be getting the whole truth? Because more often than not the person making such a public statement about such things has made no attempt to first deal with the problem in the appropriate manner. I'd be much more likely to have sympathy if the management have been given the opportunity to deal with the complaint and show they in fact don't have a company policy of doing what they are accused of. Working in retail you should also be aware that the measure of a good company is not that mistakes don't happen, but how those are rectified.

I suspect it was the page you shared on FB, but given everything that had happened since, the fact it became clear there was no discrimination, not in the way that was accused, doesn't it just show how easy it is to ruin a business' reputation needlessly?

 

[Tiff]

True. I've always liked the saying how a lie can be halfway across the world before the truth even gets its shoelaces tied.

 

[kit10grl]

Because it is only one person's events of what happens? Because people act as judge and jury without accepting they may not be getting the whole truth? Because more often than not the person making such a public statement about such things has made no attempt to first deal with the problem in the appropriate manner. I'd be much more likely to have sympathy if the management have been given the opportunity to deal with the complaint and show they in fact don't have a company policy of doing what they are accused of. Working in retail you should also be aware that the measure of a good company is not that mistakes don't happen, but how those are rectified.

I suspect it was the page you shared on FB, but given everything that had happened since, the fact it became clear there was no discrimination, not in the way that was accused, doesn't it just show how easy it is to ruin a business' reputation needlessly?

To be honest I haven't heard much about how the original story has been discredited except for on this thread. But again the fact that it is one persons story doesn't change the fact that they could still be saying these things to people in the street and the same story would still spread, they are just reaching a wider audience now as that is what technology has given us access to. It would be the same if they wrote a letter to the paper. Just saying that in this day and age I don't think its inappropriate to use facebook as a communication tool. Many companies now use it to reach there customers so I don't think they can then be totally surprised if customers then use it to communicate with them, with good and bad reviews/feedback. (and I agree that they didn't communicate with the business in question in this instance and that, that may have been a better course of action)

I see your point about being given the chance to fix something and that being the measure of the business. Absolutly that's how things should work but I don't neccesarily think that it was a bad thing to put on facebook if it helps achieve the original purpose which was to reduce discrimination at this place and in the future in other places.

JMO