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?

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