How Companies Can Capitalize When Their Competitor’s Customers Are Miserable

Everyone has had moments when they have had negative experiences with companies. It could be anywhere from a defective product to bad customer service. Regardless, whenever a customer is upset, one thing they love to do is talk about it. That’s where social media comes into play. Some of my rants on Facebook or Twitter have included: how I’m sick of AT&T constantly dropping my calls, Delta overbooking me and how I have to suffer, how I was on the phone with Dell for two hours trying to get a replacement part for my laptop, having to go to TWC yet again because my cable box refuses to work etc… You get the picture. Well what was once one company’s trash can now be another company’s treasure. In a recent article, we see the rise of a new venture emerging called PublikDemand, whose objective is to empower the dissatisfied customer while trying to make a profit in the process. According to the article:

Essentially, the platform is designed to allow users to garner support from those who experience similar issues and rally friends and other consumers around their complaint. Once a gripe gains enough traction, PublikDemand reaches out to the brand in question to try to resolve the situation. And here's where things get interesting -- if the company refuses to help, PublikDemand then reaches out to competitors to broker a deal that will appease the unhappy group of consumers and convert them.

Thus far PublikDemand has already struck a deal with a telecom provider to offer deals for unhappy AT&T customers if they jump ship. Although this is one strategy to the company’s success, they are also interested in helping customers attain better customer service. PublikDemand tries to help consumers and companies resolve their issues before turning to their competitors. I think this is a great idea and something that’s never been done before. It makes sense for advertisers to take advantage of this opportunity not only to retain their customers but also to attract and garner brand awareness to their offerings. One thing I was surprised to learn was that the companies that have reached out to PublikDemand were ones who already have great customer service. I guess this means I shouldn’t hold my breath for Dell to capitalize on this any time soon.

http://adage.com/article/digital/publikdemand-competitors-customers-unhappy/236309/