Digital Assassination
True, it was just a local
Facebook group—nothing of interest to anyone beyond the city limits. But when
someone posted an angry complaint about a business it quickly escalated to a
collective rant.
I read the original complaint and then kept scrolling down as
each new gripe was added. It was like passing the scene of a car
accident—knowing it didn’t help to look, but unable to stop gaping.
In social media land, bad
reviews are a target over the heart of a business. And the barbed arrows hit their
mark. The business owner had been thoroughly humiliated.
In the old days, pre-Twitter (#badreview)
and Facebook, a customer would ask to speak to a manager, call customer service,
or maybe write a letter to the company.
Now all that’s needed is a hastily
written post where people can heap on their own garbage.
Welcome to 21st
Century Customer Review. Savvy business owners work hard to earn four and five
star reviews. But here’s the truth: sharks are circling, waiting for the scent
of fresh blood if customers aren’t satisfied.
Oh, this local business will
recover. But was it necessary to be publically humiliated? I don’t think so,
but then, I’m living in a new America—where even our President tweets whatever
he wants when someone ticks him off. Sigh.
Thanks to technology’s race
for speed, complaints have become instant digital weapons. But will old-fashioned good manners ever catch up?