Hi guys,
Now, many
of you are aware of the HelloPeter site, and most of you reading this have used
it, on occasion. Now, there has been so much of hullabaloo about whether the
site should get a yay or a nay!!
I have
always been under the impression that HelloPeter is an accomplishment in terms
of consumer activism. It serves as a platform where disgruntled consumers can
report poor service or unfairness. Don't get me wrong, they aren't just about
slating. Consumers are also welcome to post positive comments about great services
received. Regardless of this balance, however, the site has received an
onslaught of criticism. You be the judge!
The
creator of the site, Peter Cheales, has been called an “extortionist”. This
remark relates to the fact that in order for a company to respond to an
aggrieved customer's comment, the company has to fork out the bucks! Many
companies feel that they shouldn't have to pay for this privilege.
Amongst
the various criticisms, is one that HelloPeter only lists companies on its “Compliments”
list if they pay whereas even if a company does not pay, its details will go up
on the “Complaints” list. HelloPeter has also been accused of providing
misleading statistics and of deleting comments that were aimed at HelloPeter,
itself.
Extortionist,
maybe, but many consumers view HelloPeter's creator as a consumer champion since
the site hands consumers a means to air their grievances and it forces
companies to respond, in order for them to clear their bad reputation. This, in
turn, promotes greater customer service as companies will try and avoid being
mentioned on the site. The site is also free to the public which is appealing
to consumers, the no-cost factor provides the incentive to log onto the
site and speak their mind.
The choice
is yours people. You can choose to commend or condemn the site! I for one am
all for it. I mean, it certainly provides consumers with a tool with which
to expose poor customer service. In my books, if it urges companies
to become more pro-active and to start adopting customer satisfaction as a
value, then it gets both thumbs up from me.
To decide
for yourself visit www.hellopeter.com
-Sam
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