I am sure we have all had bad experiences with brands in the past. So many businesses make out like they want to hear what the customer is saying, but often they make no moves to do this. Sometimes you just want them to wake up and listen to what you are saying.
As a consumer there are tonnes of ways to get your voice heard. You just have to go about it in the right way. Next time you face a problem with a brand, or even if you love something and want to let them know, try these methods.
Use Kinnect2
Kinnect2 is a brand-consumer engagement networking site. In layman’s terms that basically means that brands and consumers can work together to communicate. You can sign up to the Kinnect2 service and interact with all your favourite brands. It is designed to give you, as a consumer, a voice. Brands can then tune into all the things you are saying and make changes to their business or products from there. It is as simple as that! You don’t just have to use it as a platform to launch a complaint. You can use Kinnect2 to simply voice your opinions on new methods a business has employed.
Have you tried social media?
Social media seems to be where a lot of my friends vent their frustrations with brands. In fact, I have a friend who only uses her Twitter page to complain to brands. If you have a problem, highlighting it (in a polite way) on social media is great for getting your problem dealt with quickly. Often it is hard to find a direct route to go down in order to make a complaint or solve an issue. However, when you use social media, the customer services and marketing teams will be able to direct you instantly to the right place.
Always stick up for your rights
How many times have you bought something, realised it isn’t right yet never taken it back? If you think you have been sold something faulty or it was wrongly advertised, you are perfectly within your rights to send it back. Never feel shy about sticking up for your consumer rights. Sometimes we feel nervous about returning things. However, if the thing you received is not the thing you expected then don’t just let it sit in your house doing nothing.
Shop with brands with a good reputation
Thanks to the internet there are lots of places to buy things and lots of people to buy from. I’m not saying that we should only stick to well-established brands. That takes the fun out of shopping and makes it much harder for independent retailers to succeed. What I am saying, however, is that if you are going to use an unknown brand, hunt around for reviews. People love to complain about things, so most of the time if a brand is terrible you will know about it. If you can’t find much on a brand, then chances are it is safe to use. Web sites like Feefo and Trustpilot also help in making the right decisions. If you shop with a reputable brand, they will be sure to take your thoughts on board if you ever need to get in touch with them.