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Cape Town - Local name-and-shame website Hellopeter has launched a newsletter aimed at making consumers aware of their rights to demand honest service.
The site, long a South African staple complaints platform, did not hold back in an article where it publically named and shamed companies accused of misleading consumers.
In an article titled Too good to be true, Hellopeter evaluates businesses that promise a car for a nominal amount as well as a popular home product franchise company.
The website has become the de facto platform for South Africans to complain about poor service and it appears that Hellopeter doesn't hold back from allowing criticism of major brands.
Major brands are able though, despite negative comments, to put online strategies in place to change perceptions.
Perception
The faster a company responds to an online complaint usually creates a positive perception as demonstrated by Sony responding to a Fin24 user who complained that his smartphone was faulty.
A similar fast response was also forthcoming from Cell C when a subscriber complained that a 1GB data bundle purchased through Nashua Mobile was not activated, leaving the customer over R1 000 out of pocket.
Social media has also emerged as an effective way to reach consumers who have had bad experiences with firms.
Some companies like Vodacom and MTN have teams that respond to queries on social media. Positive interactions have the potential to win over new customers.
Hellopeter also illustrates a "Conversion ration" on the site so that users can see how a company has responded to complaints, resulting in a change of perception over time.
In the telecoms industry, for example, the negative to positive conversion is at 6%, with Vodacom as the leader, compared to 5% in the financial industry, led by The Unlimited.
Newsletters are available here.
What is your experience like with South African companies who behave badly? Let us know.
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