“I did try to solve things with reception and management, which ignored most of my requests. Bad management of a hotel clearly reflects the guests staying at this joke of hotel. A badly and greedy management, try to run this horror house and charge you all sorts of extras to get more money – not providing the guests with the basics”. Entitled Horror hotel, this is the verbatim post of a disgruntled client who vented his frustration on a popular travelling website in January 2009, following his stay in a hotel in Malta.

There are two principal and intrinsic factors that arise when a dissatisfied consumer posts a complaint on the internet. First and foremost, all published content on the net lasts for ever and, secondly, a customer service that is characterised by ineffectiveness and indifference leaves clients dissatisfied and, consequently, reflects negatively on the business’s success.

The advancement of the internet has provided democratic countries with a powerful weapon called web 2.0, which has brought about an unforeseen increase in the number of citizens participating in the social, economic and political aspects of life. Customers are now able to comment on their purchases by joining forum discussions, posting their opinions and experiences on websites, and chatting. This may be carried out from the comfort of their home in an instantaneous and economic manner, while simultaneously reaching households all over the world.

Indeed, the internet has been transposed into a massive complaints book which enterprises can rarely detect and destroy, so a negative comment from a displeased customer can seriously damage the brand’s image. The adverse affects that may result from a simple “Dislike” publication on-line is forcing companies to check out comments on the web and adopt a holistic and strategic approach with respect to customer services.

In order to avoid finding themselves in embarrassing situations, enterprises have to incorporate a high level of quality into their customer service, which is providing the organisations with a team – from managers to employees – that is largely involved from the purchasing processes to sales services. The Model Business Innovation, When the Game Gets Tough, Change the Game, a report published by the leading advisor on business strategy Boston Consulting Group in December 2009, said that the framework of a profitable business design is customer satisfaction. The best way to start a business is to try to create a network of customers at whom to target the product. It all starts and ends with the customers. The achievement of everything – such as good sale figures, the success of the Marketing and HR Department, the ultimate dividend, as well as the aptitudes of those agents involved across the business – depend entirely on customer satisfaction and effective face-to-face treatment.

Furthermore, web 2.0 is not only used by consumers to show satisfaction or disappointment, but it is also being used by enterprises to manage their customer services in the virtual world, given that customer satisfaction is considered to be a core element of the business. In this respect, the American website Getsatisfaction.com illustrates how making the most of the internet and its tools is central to the achievement of a genuine customer service on the web. This website, launched in 2007, provides more than 48,000 companies – such as Nike, Spotify, Visa or Microsoft – with a simple tool whereby companies are able to build online communities that enable prolific conversations between producers and consumers. The outcome is the creation of added value for both companies and customers, according to the Get Satisfaction team. Customers can ask questions, suggest new ideas or approaches, report problems, lodge complaints and also praise products or services; companies can reply to customers’ comments, gauge customer satisfaction and establish a good reputation, customer loyalty and credibility in the brand.

Customers go to an establishment to purchase a product or service expecting the supply of real customer service that provides substantial added benefits, as well as a fast solution in the event of a problem. In the current competitive market and with suppliers inclined to imitate best-sold products, paying due attention to customers ultimately makes the difference. As has already been indicated, the internet can direct poisoned darts at brand images or, conversely, can be used by companies as a value added to the business without the need for heavy investment. It all depends on how committed the companies are to transferring a high-quality customer service to the virtual reality, basing on real feedback and interactivity between producer and consumer and ruling out a simple “suggestion mail” or “contact us” where there is a suggestion, but no one knows if there will be a reply.

Ms Soriano is a Spanish journalist at the Foundation for

Human Resources Development