Do Vocal Complainers Really Want Help? Only Half of Them Do.

In his book, “Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers,” Jay Baer says that there are two types of people who complain about goods and services: “onstage” ones, who publicly use social media and online review sites; and “offstage” ones, who use more private methods such as email and phone calls.  Demographically, Baer found that onstage complainers are typically younger and male, use Facebook and Twitter (posts containing business complaints get lots of attention), and the heavier the social media usage of sites such as Pinterest and Instagram, the more likely the user is to post a complaint about a business transaction.

Baer wondered how many of the onstage and offstage complainers really wanted a response, how many were venting, and how many were just posting to get attention and a higher number of hits on their pages.  He found that the offstage complainers, using a more private means of communication, were much more focused and almost always expected a response.  The onstage group, however, posting to areas where others can read it publicly, was shallower, more emotional, and only half of the members expected a response.

The existence of social media encourages us to share our dissatisfaction with the world.  Instead of calling a company with a minor complaint, we post a comment.  In order for the comment to rise above the noise of other commenters and get noticed, we posted it in an overwrought and inflammatory manner that is disproportionate to the severity of the issue.

One of Baer’s conclusions is that, despite having a lesser rate of asking for a response, companies need to pay particular attention and respond in a timely manner to the onstage group.  He describes an instance in which a major airline lost a man’s luggage in the early-morning hours and their customer service division was closed.  The frustrated flier, waiting for the office to open, spent his time buying ads on social media channels and venting his anger.

At Mzinga, we are aware that maintaining a round-the-clock presence is cost-prohibitive.  Our moderation team can provide monitoring and customer service functions on your social media channels during overnight hours without breaking the bank: answering questions, performing triage and vetting activities, and prioritizing and escalating issues that need to be addressed as soon as you open in the morning.  Most importantly, we can help you show your customers that you care about them.  The frustrated flier may not have received his luggage until the morning, but he would know that someone is listening to him and escalating his issue.