The Public Shows It’s Power Against A Corporate Giant
As we move into 2012 it’s time for corporate America to realize the public has the power!
This week we saw Verizon go from wanting to add an extra fee for paying your bill online, to backing down and canceling the idea due to pressure within 24 hrs! The public revolted both in-person and online. Signing petitions put forth by organizations, talking about it on social media, writers featuring it in online newspapers and on the TV News and of of course the public actually visiting the company in person.
When will big companies realize that one false move, one act of poor judgement can change a person from fan and even advocate into looking for a new provider? With the web, email marketing and social media, the people have the power now. Getting a ton of bad press quickly can change a company’s tune, but I fear they will easily find a way to change the cost of something, or add a fee without notifying us and make the money they want anyway.
Read this article in the New York Times
One of my favorite quotes from the article: “I just think people are sick of being nickeled and dimed by big companies,” said Edgar Dworsky, founder of ConsumerWorld.org. “And it’s just baffling to me why a company like Verizon Wireless or Bank of America doesn’t do market testing on something like this first. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that there is going to be a backlash.”
Exactly! To think just because it’s the holiday season and many may not be paying attention is ridiculous. News that affects the public spreads like a wildfire. Just ask Change.org! They started a petition and got 120,000 signatures.
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