Using Facebook to complain about companies

[summer rain]

Unfortunately it is the case now that complaints via twitter and Facebook get answered and taken seriously far more than complaints via email or letter. Some of the major supermarkets their email doesn't even work, grr. I'm not sure about the case mentioned in this thread but yes I have used Facebook or twitter to complain to various companies and got the results I was looking for. Xx

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Is it just me that doesn't have a clue what this page was about but really wants to know now?

Also I take most of what I read online with a pinch of salt. if i dont have the 'facts' from both sides i can make an informed decision. If i had a complaint I would private message.

 

[Foogirl]

Is it just me that doesn't have a clue what this page was about but really wants to know now?

Also I take most of what I read online with a pinch of salt. if i dont have the 'facts' from both sides i can make an informed decision. If i had a complaint I would private message.

Well, now that the hoo haa has died down, and the page has gone, I can mention it without giving it publicity it was craving.

A woman started a boycott page against a hotel because they had allegedly discriminated against her uncle who had downs syndrome, by refusing to serve him fish fingers from the childrens menu and then they were asked to leave. Never mind a pinch of salt, this woman's story deserved to be taken with a ton of salt. Nonetheless, 30 odd thousand people (or should that be 30 thousand odd people....) liked and shared the page, flooded the hotels FB page, and posted fake reviews on it and on trip advisor. Basically people were encouraged to harass the hotel until they apologised. It was a lesson in how not to use social media for the hotel and to show how people can get sucked in at the mere hint of a discriminatory story.

The page has gone now, but here is a link that gives the background of it, along with an interesting take on how discrimination can be in the eye of the beholder.

https://chocolatepillow.com/discrimination-truth-or-perception/

 

[Foogirl]

Unfortunately it is the case now that complaints via twitter and Facebook get answered and taken seriously far more than complaints via email or letter. Some of the major supermarkets their email doesn't even work, grr. I'm not sure about the case mentioned in this thread but yes I have used Facebook or twitter to complain to various companies and got the results I was looking for. Xx

Fair enough, large organisations may not deal with emails effectively. But why not take it up with the organisation face to face? I had a problem at a travel inn the other night. I could have gone on to their FB page and made a big deal about it, but instead I spoke to the manager and it was resolved. No need to drag it out into a public domain. Sure if they refused to deal with it, go that step further, but I'm just not sure why it would be an instant go to.

And to clarify, I'm not talking about using their FB to send a PM. More about setting up pages against them or ranting on their public page.

 

[kit10grl]

Is it just me that doesn't have a clue what this page was about but really wants to know now?

Also I take most of what I read online with a pinch of salt. if i dont have the 'facts' from both sides i can make an informed decision. If i had a complaint I would private message.

Well, now that the hoo haa has died down, and the page has gone, I can mention it without giving it publicity it was craving.

A woman started a boycott page against a hotel because they had allegedly discriminated against her uncle who had downs syndrome, by refusing to serve him fish fingers from the childrens menu and then they were asked to leave. Never mind a pinch of salt, this woman's story deserved to be taken with a ton of salt. Nonetheless, 30 odd thousand people (or should that be 30 thousand odd people....) liked and shared the page, flooded the hotels FB page, and posted fake reviews on it and on trip advisor. Basically people were encouraged to harass the hotel until they apologised. It was a lesson in how not to use social media for the hotel and to show how people can get sucked in at the mere hint of a discriminatory story.

The page has gone now, but here is a link that gives the background of it, along with an interesting take on how discrimination can be in the eye of the beholder.

https://chocolatepillow.com/discrimination-truth-or-perception/

Discrimination is in most cases in the eye of the beholder though. For example if someone felt they were being bullied at work it doesn't matter if the person doing the bullying believes it was just a joke. As long as someone feels bullied then the situation is classed as bullying.

I do understand there are two sides to every story but what were the chances that the restaurant were going to admit they did what was claimed? Unlikely, and I also believe its possible the lady in question added arms and legs to her story but it probably wasn't based in nothing either.

I stand by the fact I shared the story but never felt encouraged to harass the business at all. I dislike their alleged behaviour so, as is my consumer right I would express this by never eating there. end of. I don't feel 'sucked in' and still feel the way the people were treated wasn't right. Having been on the receiving end of being treated badly due to a special need I still think it was right to share the story.

JMO

 

[WelshOneEmma]

Is it just me that doesn't have a clue what this page was about but really wants to know now?

Also I take most of what I read online with a pinch of salt. if i dont have the 'facts' from both sides i can make an informed decision. If i had a complaint I would private message.

Well, now that the hoo haa has died down, and the page has gone, I can mention it without giving it publicity it was craving.

A woman started a boycott page against a hotel because they had allegedly discriminated against her uncle who had downs syndrome, by refusing to serve him fish fingers from the childrens menu and then they were asked to leave. Never mind a pinch of salt, this woman's story deserved to be taken with a ton of salt. Nonetheless, 30 odd thousand people (or should that be 30 thousand odd people....) liked and shared the page, flooded the hotels FB page, and posted fake reviews on it and on trip advisor. Basically people were encouraged to harass the hotel until they apologised. It was a lesson in how not to use social media for the hotel and to show how people can get sucked in at the mere hint of a discriminatory story.

The page has gone now, but here is a link that gives the background of it, along with an interesting take on how discrimination can be in the eye of the beholder.

https://chocolatepillow.com/discrimination-truth-or-perception/

Ahh, ok. I remember reading something about that but never thought it was enough to try to ruin a business. Apart from which unless you were there to see it, how do you know who's telling the truth??

I used to work in restaurants and understand just because its not full doesn't mean a 20 minute wait won't happen - people dont see what's happening behind the scenes. And from the start i would have explained the situation about food and asked to order something like goujons but replaced with fish fingers - i would never ask for a childrens meal for an adult.

people piss me off these days. why is everyone entitled to everything at half the price and screw everyone else? and if they don't get their own way its discrimination? not being able to order a childs meal for an adult (especially as its kids eat free!) is not discrimination!! being fired for being gay is an example of discrimination. that woman should be ashamed of herself for trying to destroy someones business. Rant over!

 

[summer rain]

Unfortunately it is the case now that complaints via twitter and Facebook get answered and taken seriously far more than complaints via email or letter. Some of the major supermarkets their email doesn't even work, grr. I'm not sure about the case mentioned in this thread but yes I have used Facebook or twitter to complain to various companies and got the results I was looking for. Xx

Fair enough, large organisations may not deal with emails effectively. But why not take it up with the organisation face to face? I had a problem at a travel inn the other night. I could have gone on to their FB page and made a big deal about it, but instead I spoke to the manager and it was resolved. No need to drag it out into a public domain. Sure if they refused to deal with it, go that step further, but I'm just not sure why it would be an instant go to.

And to clarify, I'm not talking about using their FB to send a PM. More about setting up pages against them or ranting on their public page.

Because in the case of supermarkets the staff usually tell you to either call their customer services helpline or to write to them. I had a problem with Shell Club Waitrose vouchers not scanning in Waitrose and they refused to accept them, as well as some other money off coupons that were genuine and would scan, but again they refused to accept them. Furthermore the staff were very accusatory and the assistant manager tried to claim they were fake and that they didn't sell the products the other coupons were for (they did-and I had just bought them!). I tried to resolve it with them in store but they kept saying its head office's business and not really their problem and to complain to them. Now with Waitrose their customer services at their head office are great, they aren't based in a call centre elsewhere and they resolved everything quickly and sent me JL group vouchers for twice as much as the original coupons and vouchers had been worth. However some other supermarkets when similar has happened the only way to get a response from them is to go on their Facebook or twitter about it. Their email form on the website often doesn't work and when you call their helplines you are kept on hold for up to an hour or they keep putting the phone down on you, and writing a formal complaint letter when it's really quite a minor issue is a bit OTT IMHO. Most of the queries I raise on FB and twitter aren't complaints anyway, they tend to be product queries or compliments. Also if it is a complaint and has been resolved I then delete the post or twitter message in question where possible xx

 

[Foogirl]

And if they do something good, like when waitrose had very good customer service, did you post that on their wall too?

 

[Tasha]

Oooh I have posted various times on Tesco's wall to thank them, once went a delivery driver was exceptionally good, another time when I fainted in Tesco (due to the heat in there) and the staff went out of their way to look after me, getting me cold water, lucozade, standing in the queue for me etc.

 

[hayz_baby]

A lot of people do this to be "Facebook famous" I had heard this story and like the rest, read it and carried on.i don't know the full story, I don't even know if its even true (not saying it isn't buy lets face it, it's the Internet) every so often oh shows me a story he's read on fb and I say him forget it odds are its some one wanting to be fb famous. You know like those stupid "share if u love your mum ignore if you want her to die" things (god I hate those I wish people would STOP that)
However, I have(including recently) posted on our bus company's wall (you can't see their wall on their page only what they have posted, at least on the mob app anyway) asking where a bus is as it hasn't turned up and one time we were late for an appt (we were my scan we had to run to get there on time) I have had no reply. Probably because it isn't public enough, if I comment on a post then they probably will but from what I have seen they just tell u to ring cust services. On the flip side I was very confused about a delivery, the companies tracker wasn't clear and it made it seemed that it had been an attempt of delivery when they hadn't. I tweeted and then pm then full story. The guy got it sorted quickly, I had rang up first, twice in fact before I went to twitter and twitter was much more helpful then who I spoke to on the phone. I gave them a positive tweet.
There has also been an incident at my work recently when someone dealt with another part and had posted a negative tweet, the guy then came in and we tried to help him but hands were tied (which he saw and knew we had tried) and he sent another negative tweet (with a hint of discrimination) but with praise to use. Well the social media team were ringing us 3 times asking us all about it and loads! Crazy!

 

[summer rain]

And if they do something good, like when waitrose had very good customer service, did you post that on their wall too?

I tweeted about their good customer service as I don't really use Facebook that much. I didn't complain about their bad customer service on Facebook, I did so about Sainsbury's as it was the only option. My point was a face to face complaint is often made nigh on impossible by the companies themselves, they often leave the only avenue for feedback whether good or bad via public sites on the Internet. Xx

 

[Foogirl]

Discrimination is in most cases in the eye of the beholder though. For example if someone felt they were being bullied at work it doesn't matter if the person doing the bullying believes it was just a joke. As long as someone feels bullied then the situation is classed as bullying.

I do understand there are two sides to every story but what were the chances that the restaurant were going to admit they did what was claimed? Unlikely, and I also believe its possible the lady in question added arms and legs to her story but it probably wasn't based in nothing either.

I stand by the fact I shared the story but never felt encouraged to harass the business at all. I dislike their alleged behaviour so, as is my consumer right I would express this by never eating there. end of. I don't feel 'sucked in' and still feel the way the people were treated wasn't right. Having been on the receiving end of being treated badly due to a special need I still think it was right to share the story.

JMO

No, discrimination is where a person or an organisation treats someone differently because of a disability. Too often people use a disability (or their gender or race or sexuality) to blame these organisations for them not being able to do whatever they want to do. It is not discrimination to not serve a child's meal to an adult, no matter what their disability. It is not discrimination to keep a disabled person waiting for 20 minutes to be seen to in a restaurant. This woman claimed the staff refused to serve them because of her uncle. Clearly this was not the case and even her own story doesn't stack up.

Just because you think you are being discriminated against, doesn't mean you are. Sometimes people are not good enough for the job no matter how disabled, female, black or gay they are. Sometimes people can't accommodate wheelchairs. Sometimes establishments aren't able to bend over backwards to meet every single request from a customer. It's not always discrimination.

Speaking as a woman who works in a male dominated industry, and the parent of a child with a disability, I'm more than aware that discrimination exists. I just don't believe that everything that doesn't go my way is because of it.

 

[kit10grl]

Discrimination is in most cases in the eye of the beholder though. For example if someone felt they were being bullied at work it doesn't matter if the person doing the bullying believes it was just a joke. As long as someone feels bullied then the situation is classed as bullying.

I do understand there are two sides to every story but what were the chances that the restaurant were going to admit they did what was claimed? Unlikely, and I also believe its possible the lady in question added arms and legs to her story but it probably wasn't based in nothing either.

I stand by the fact I shared the story but never felt encouraged to harass the business at all. I dislike their alleged behaviour so, as is my consumer right I would express this by never eating there. end of. I don't feel 'sucked in' and still feel the way the people were treated wasn't right. Having been on the receiving end of being treated badly due to a special need I still think it was right to share the story.

JMO

No, discrimination is where a person or an organisation treats someone differently because of a disability. Too often people use a disability (or their gender or race or sexuality) to blame these organisations for them not being able to do whatever they want to do. It is not discrimination to not serve a child's meal to an adult, no matter what their disability. It is not discrimination to keep a disabled person waiting for 20 minutes to be seen to in a restaurant. This woman claimed the staff refused to serve them because of her uncle. Clearly this was not the case and even her own story doesn't stack up.

Just because you think you are being discriminated against, doesn't mean you are. Sometimes people are not good enough for the job no matter how disabled, female, black or gay they are. Sometimes people can't accommodate wheelchairs. Sometimes establishments aren't able to bend over backwards to meet every single request from a customer. It's not always discrimination.

Speaking as a woman who works in a male dominated industry, and the parent of a child with a disability, I'm more than aware that discrimination exists. I just don't believe that everything that doesn't go my way is because of it.

Treating someone differently includes making them feel like they are in a hostile environment due to their difference. No keeping a person waiting 20 mins in a restaurant isn't necessarily discrimination but it is if its done because of the difference ie disability etc Then it IS. Its very hard to prove motive I agree and in this circumstance there are discrepancies now more of the story has come out.

But treating someone differently comes down to very subtle things, a look can be discriminatory in certain circumstances. And specifically for disability its actually in the law that companies do have to make reasonable allowances to accommodate disabilities. Yes not everywhere can accommodate wheelchair access but when this law was passed they had to make every effort to see if they could accommodate these requirements. And I also have been in situations where things have not gone my way and not jumped to 'its discrimination'. No one can know for sure how much of this woman/restaurants story is true as we weren't there.

You seem convinced the restaurant is whiter than white here and as I said previously I'm sure there were failings on both sides.

 

[deafgal]

I complain about a company all the time on the internet because they don't do enough to accommodate deaf people .They don't do anything and other people just sit there thinking it is all part of disability that I have to accept when in fact it is actually them who put up a wall.

 

[Foogirl]

Treating someone differently includes making them feel like they are in a hostile environment due to their difference. No keeping a person waiting 20 mins in a restaurant isn't necessarily discrimination but it is if its done because of the difference ie disability etc Then it IS. Its very hard to prove motive I agree and in this circumstance there are discrepancies now more of the story has come out.

But treating someone differently comes down to very subtle things, a look can be discriminatory in certain circumstances. And specifically for disability its actually in the law that companies do have to make reasonable allowances to accommodate disabilities. Yes not everywhere can accommodate wheelchair access but when this law was passed they had to make every effort to see if they could accommodate these requirements. And I also have been in situations where things have not gone my way and not jumped to 'its discrimination'. No one can know for sure how much of this woman/restaurants story is true as we weren't there.

You seem convinced the restaurant is whiter than white here and as I said previously I'm sure there were failings on both sides.

A look isn't discriminatory, only actions can be discriminatory. You can't always interpret a look properly and that why I say it is in the eye of the beholder. Often people want to see the worst in people rather than thinking the best.

I don't think the restaurant was whiter than white. Clearly they have service issues if all their previous reviews are anything to go by. And of course they could have handled the situation better. But being a crap service provider doesn't mean they discriminated and also doesn't deserve the level of unadulterated vitriol that was thrown at them by people who believed one idiotic teenager who clearly has an anger problem herself, along with a sense that the world needs to revolve around her and her disabled uncle.

 

[Foogirl]

I complain about a company all the time on the internet because they don't do enough to accommodate deaf people .They don't do anything and other people just sit there thinking it is all part of disability that I have to accept when in fact it is actually them who put up a wall.

This is quite interesting, and I would say, complaining over a text based medium is probably far more effective for someone who is deaf.

Thing is, you make a good point. I actually would have no idea how to go about making things easier for a deaf person if I were a service organisation. I know the general advice about making sure I speak clearly and face someone who is deaf, but that assumes they can lip read and I have lips that can be read! What sort of others things would be useful for you?

 

[deafgal]

Each deaf are different based on how their parents feel works for them. Some need interpreters (deaf who have their own language... visual language and they have a hard time with spoken language which some of them have trouble with written spoken language). You have to ask them individually. I like visual signs and people looking at me when speaking and that they don't mumble. I can't always prounounce words correctly so I like to be able to point out what I like. I have a cochlear implant but I still struggle to understand everything (like a distorted recording since what I hear is tinny....don't make me listen to speaker phones because that's like listening to tinny sounds on top of tinny sounds....I have the most difficult time the most on that and thats why I avoid phones at all cost.

 

[Foogirl]

Might be a silly question but.....how do you ask if they have might have problems with written or spoken language?

See, my instinct if someone was deaf and we were having communication problems would be to whip out a pen and paper. But that might not be right either?

 

[deafgal]

They will let you know just go with the flow. If you know basic sign languages like "deaf" and "interpreter" you probably know. Most know how to write their basic needs though although for some, it may seem very weird as they tend to think visual language. Some have trouble as Written english as their second language as they started their first language very late.(parents attempt to try other methods before they had access to any language).

Sometimes I do need a pen and paper . sometimes my battery went dead...or I am exhausted... and I can no longer speechread. I am a terrible lipreader. But I can't understand people without lipreading either which is why I call it speechreading...I use a combination if both (using all the sounds I got and use lipreading to fill in the blank).

 

[kit10grl]

Treating someone differently includes making them feel like they are in a hostile environment due to their difference. No keeping a person waiting 20 mins in a restaurant isn't necessarily discrimination but it is if its done because of the difference ie disability etc Then it IS. Its very hard to prove motive I agree and in this circumstance there are discrepancies now more of the story has come out.

But treating someone differently comes down to very subtle things, a look can be discriminatory in certain circumstances. And specifically for disability its actually in the law that companies do have to make reasonable allowances to accommodate disabilities. Yes not everywhere can accommodate wheelchair access but when this law was passed they had to make every effort to see if they could accommodate these requirements. And I also have been in situations where things have not gone my way and not jumped to 'its discrimination'. No one can know for sure how much of this woman/restaurants story is true as we weren't there.

You seem convinced the restaurant is whiter than white here and as I said previously I'm sure there were failings on both sides.

A look isn't discriminatory, only actions can be discriminatory. You can't always interpret a look properly and that why I say it is in the eye of the beholder. Often people want to see the worst in people rather than thinking the best.

I don't think the restaurant was whiter than white. Clearly they have service issues if all their previous reviews are anything to go by. And of course they could have handled the situation better. But being a crap service provider doesn't mean they discriminated and also doesn't deserve the level of unadulterated vitriol that was thrown at them by people who believed one idiotic teenager who clearly has an anger problem herself, along with a sense that the world needs to revolve around her and her disabled uncle.

Looking IS an action though.

And yes looking can be discriminatory. I have seen people look at my baby in a discriminatory manner. And no im not one to assume its discrimination every time someone notices my child is different, there are subtle difference between curiosity and judgey discrimination. Looking then usually follows into another action but yes when people look at my child in one spot then continue looking as I move away including shifting their seated position to continue looking that becomes discriminatory as they are causing me to feel like I am in a hostile environment due to my childs disability. Making my child feel different due to her appearance etc is harmful to her not in a physical way maybe but is damaging to her self confidence etc this IS discrimination.


Oxford definition of discrimination
noun
[mass noun]
1the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex:


Just as an aside, the whole post is about not bad mouthing the restaurant or any business on the internet. But have you not just done the same thing by calling this girl idiotic, judging her mental health and saying she needs the world to revolve around her? Assuming you don't know this girl personally you cant possibly know this from one thing she posted on the internet.