Why Fears of Online Customer Negativity Are Overblown
No one has more reason to be suspicious of social media than Dell Computer. The company has been the target of three prominent blogger attacks. In 2005, Jeff Jarvis unleashed his famous "Dell Hell" attack on Dell's customer service. The next year, the blogosphere helped expose problems in Dell's laptop batteries, leading to an expensive recall. And late last year, a confrontation with the consumer advocacy site Consumerist.com turned into a PR black eye.
So why is Dell now being hailed as a social media innovator whom Jarvis himself recently praised in BusinessWeek? It’s because, in Michael Dell’s own words, “[Online] conversations are going to occur whether you like it or not…[Y]ou can be a better company by listening and being involved in that conversation."
