Steven C. Wyer - What Do You Do if It Is True
What Do You Do if It Is True.
by Steven C. Wyer
Learn from a big business experience. Do you remember a phenomenon referred to in the media as “Dell Hell”? Dell Hell resulted because one person, who happened to be a blogger, had a bad experience. Jeff Jarvis had a bad experience with Dell Computers. In true blogger style he documented his experience on his blog and word quickly spread to the point where it was even covered in print by Business Week magazine. Dell, however, failed to respond to his silly musings and his bad customer experiences continued as did the negative comments on the blogosphere. What happened next was hell for Dell. Their reputation worldwide suffered enormous damage. What once was a coveted reputation for great customer service had turned overnight into late night television humor. The cost of not only reputation but also shareholder value was astounding. A recent scientific study by responsesource.com showed that Dell sustained long-term damage to its brand and that the culprits for the poor reputation of Dell’s customer services were bloggers!
So, what can you do? If your online mention is negative, but true, then find a conduit to present your side of the story and try as hard as you can to keep it offline. A phone call, a meeting, or if need be a letter, are all viable. If you are civil, in most cases the author will consider removing the post or at least adding information that will help you. Beyond this, step back and get a plan so that you aren’t caught off guard again.
Utilize blogs, forums and social online networks to present information about you, your company and family that reflect true character. Unless the bad publicity and false information are countered, the assumption that will be made is likely to create long-term injury, and you may never know exactly how. Most people simply “google” someone, look at the information on the first page and draw conclusions. By proactively addressing bad information, you can protect your online reputation now and in the future.
http://www.ReputationAdvocate.com