Reputation Changer: Complaints Pose Major Online Threat to Businesses

Online, August 17, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Social networking offers myriad benefits, not just for individuals but for businesses, as well. In fact, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are becoming increasingly integral to the business and marketing worlds, as they offer companies numerous opportunities for self-branding and for customer engagement. With its many benefits, however, social networking also poses drawbacks. A recent article from the Business 2 Community blog notes that the things that make social media effective-namely, the ease with which businesses and clients can communicate with one another-can also be detrimental, particularly when clients start using social media sites to voice their complaints about a given business. According to Reputation Changer, complaints like these can be disastrous for businesses of all kinds.

Reputation Changer is an industry-leading reputation defense organization, and has offered brand enhancement services to Fortune 500 companies, small-business start-ups, and everything in between. The firm has responded to the Business 2 Community article with a statement to the press.

According to Reputation Changer CEO Cliff Stein, the article's take on social media is spot on. "Social networks can really become double-edged swords for companies," says Stein. "The great thing about something like Facebook is that companies can spread their message, and also receive positive feedback from customers. Sometimes, however, that feedback turns negative, and that's when a company's reputation begins to suffer."

Stein also says that companies can do harm to themselves by failing to respond to social media criticisms effectively. "When a client posts a complaint on Facebook, the first instinct of the business owner is to respond, perhaps hastily or angrily," he observes. "What must be remembered is that a business' Facebook page is essentially an online stand-in for its customer service department. Lashing out at a client, or being anything less than cordial and professional, can prove detrimental to the company's online reputation."

For Reputation Changer, complaints on Facebook pages might prove manageable for a short while, but Stein says it does not take long for them to get out of hand. "When the criticisms and bad reviews are only on the company's own social media page, that's one thing," he says. "Vigilant business owners can probably work to suppress and control these complaints. It is when consumers start posting complaints to their own, private Facebook or Twitter accounts that the business has problems."

This is why more and more businesses are turning to companies like Reputation Changer, Stein says. "For Reputation Changer, complaints like these are serious concerns, and we are passionate about helping companies respond to them appropriately," he says. "We cannot stop customers from leaving negative feedback, but we can do our best to minimize the visibility and effect of these complaints."

Stein notes that, in addition to taking complaints seriously, Reputation Changer also takes social media seriously. The company, which was founded by online marketing and SEO experts, also employs a social media team. The company is zealous for helping clients-both businesses and individuals-use social media to their full advantage, while minimizing the impact of social media complaints and bad reviews.

Still, the heart of what Reputation Changer does is in brand enhancement and the suppression of negative listings. "Our priority is to present our client's brand as a brand of preference among consumers," Stein says. "That means ensuring that, when someone conducts a Google search for the name of your business, the first thing they see is not a complaint from one of your Facebook fans, but rather that it is something positive, that portrays the brand in the best light possible."

ABOUT:

Reputation Changer is known all over the world as the #1 reputation defense firm. Reputation Changer was founded in 2009 by a group of online marketing and SEO experts, as well as sales pros and social media gurus. Since its inception, Reputation Changer has developed a client list that includes all kinds of businesses, from small start-ups to Fortune 500 brands, as well as private citizens, elected officials, medical offices, and more. The company is passionate for helping individuals and businesses take control of how they are portrayed on the Internet.