Problem with a product or service? Get satisfied!

Get Satisfaction is an extremely useful tool to both consumers and companies alike. The site is user friendly (registration and account creation were simple enough) and fairly easy to navigate. Though I did note that the about tab was at the bottom of the page and would have better suited first time users by being more readily available at the top.

The website is a platform for consumers to not only air their grievances, but also to ask for help, voice concerns or make comments about a product or service. They are able to share their views with other users and get their voices heard by the companies responsible. Likewise for companies, Get Satisfaction allows them to monitor what consumers and the public are saying about their product or service. It gives them the chance to respond to comments, whether they are negative or positive. For both the consumer and the company, Get Satisfaction adds a personal touch to the conversation. Consumers feel like their opinions are not only important, but valued. Companies have the opportunity to show a more personal side and show that they care about the views of the consumer.

Take the company PBwiki for example. This company is very active on the website, with several company representatives who respond regularly to questions and comments made by consumers. In some instances they apologize for situations and in others they defend the company’s actions. Further information about the representatives can also be found on the PBwiki’s official website, lending them more credibility. One of the representatives even has a link to Twitter where one can follow what’s going on with them at the company.

Surprising to many may be the fact that while Facebook is on Get Satisfaction it is a very inactive company. There are many comments, concerns, questions and grievances being voice by the public through this site, but no evidence of responses from Facebook. I find this astounding as Facebook is one of the biggest social networks in the world and yet it has no representatives on Get Satisfaction and has left the comments made on the site, virtually unanswered.

As mentioned earlier, Get Satisfaction is a useful tool for companies and consumers, but it can also be useful in the field of public relations. It allows PR practitioners to monitor what the public is saying and provides them with a means of evaluating coverage. It also gives PR a platform in which to respond to the public and build relationships.