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Facebook the New Consumer Reporting Agency

It used to be that consumers who were looking for feedback on products and services went to their local Attorney General, newspaper or TV news station. Sometimes a consumer report magazine would be released with reports on the various products and services and their ratings. However, as the world becomes more technical so does the way that consumer reports are made and that is exactly what is happening with Facebook.

Facebook has taken over much of people’s lives. People rely upon it for daily updates on their friends and family, sharing photos and playing games. However, it has also turned into a way for people to share their experiences, both good and bad, about companies.

Members of Facebook who have problems with a product or a service are allowed to create what are known as fan pages. These pages allow other Facebook users to join up and talk about what is going on. In regards to the issue of consumer reports, many people who have bad experiences with a company or product will join up with these groups and share their experience. They will then turn and share the link to that page with other friends and family members on Facebook and the reputation will spread.

While a company or business, might not believe that this type of consumer reporting can harm their company consider this. A new customer who has no interactions with your product searches Google or Facebook and comes across a fan page with thousands of bad experiences. This is most likely going to sway that consumer one way or another.

Companies that wish to stay on top of issues and consumer opinion would do well to realize the impact that Facebook has on consumer reporting and integrate it somehow into their business plan or public opinion poll somehow. Facebook is the wave of the future in all aspects, including consumer reporting.

Filed Under: Comparative Shopping, Consumerism Tagged With: ,

The Importance of Quality Control for Businesses and Their Products

Quality control is one of the most important concepts in doing business. No matter how well conceived, helpful, practical, or interesting a product might be, poor quality control will paint a negative picture of your product and company for prospective customers. There is no such thing as a perfect product or manufacturing process. As a result, some amount of failure is unavoidable. However, you should take special care to ensure that such failures are uncommon if you want to maintain a good reputation and a steady flow of customers.

Quality control is defined as a method of maintaining quality standards in manufacturing. What it is in application is far broader than that definition lets on. The most critical aspect of quality control is making sure that products are productive, safe, and effective before reaching the hands of customers. A failure in quality control be a major detriment to a company. In many cases, companies known for having poor quality control have been forced out of business, either by weak sales volume or legal issues related to the product. Understandably, it is a high priority for most successful manufacturing companies.

Contrary to popular belief, quality control is not limited to simply checking products for defects. That is a crucial part of the concept, but it is not the concept in its entirety. Quality control starts before a product ever completes the manufacturing process. So, while a defective switch design would qualify as a quality control issue, so would an employee who doesn’t understand how to operate the machinery properly. Quality control is reflected in the personnel of the company through their knowledge, skills, and ability to execute the functions necessary to create the product effectively. This applies in roles from the hands-on assembly of parts to the capability of management to recognize and correct or prevent potential problems. A quality staff that is well trained in quality control practices will help minimize issues.

Filed Under: Comparative Shopping, Consumerism Tagged With: ,

The Importance of Brand Loyalty

Customers have a number of reasons to be loyal to a brand. Maybe the first product of a type they ever tried was of that brand, and they were satisfied. It might taste, work, feel, or fit better than other brands for that person. Many customers are influenced by price and have an innate distrust for less expensive products. Whatever the reason, these customers are more inclined to purchase with that brand than with others. Even those customers who favor a single brand but are willing to purchase outside it may look down on a store that doesn’t carry the favored brand. After all, how serious can the store be if it doesn’t carry the best names?

The primary thing that a brand name does for a customer is establish a reputation. Most people will know something of a given brand, either from experience, from word of mouth, or even by advertisement. The more positive reinforcement that is available for your brand, the greater your influence will be on customers. One of the most important things a company can do to gain a customer’s trust is to provide a great initial purchasing experience. A company that makes a less than impressive impression on a new customer has a much tougher time getting that customer to buy again.

In the case of a negative experience, that likelihood declines even further. To build a happy, loyal customer base, it’s important to have quality products and offer top notch service after the sale. The easiest way to gain a customer’s distrust is to be disinterested in helping a customer after a problem has arisen. Be proactive and go out of your way to make the customer happy. Assuming your quality control is at an acceptable level, good experiences should far outnumber bad ones. This will lay the foundation for a customer loyal to your brand.

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Consumer Watch: Top Name Brand Mattresses

From the outside looking in mattresses all look alike. They are square items that people use to sleep on. Some might contain springs, foam or other types of materials but the overall look and feel of a mattress is the same. While that might be the common belief that many people hold, the fact of the matter is that all mattress brands are not the same. Some brands hold comfort over quality, while others create durable, long lasting mattresses. Here is a look at some of the top name brand mattresses on the market today.

Sealy Posturepedic. Sealy is one of the most well known mattress brands in the United States. The price range for a Sealy mattress is middle of the road. They are not overly cheap but not pricey. Some of the best qualities of a Sealy mattress include great core support structure. Sealy mattresses are known for absorbing motion while people sleep and not disturbing others that are on the mattress.

Simmons. Consumers might remember the advertisements for the mattress company that had a sign that said “Do not disturb”. That company was the Simmons company. Simmons has two lines of mattresses that are available. The first line is the Beautyrest line that provides affordable mattresses to consumers. The Beautyrest line uses dual core springs that are placed one on top of another to provide durability and absorb motion. The second line is a Backrest line that provides consumers with interspring coils and made of foam. The foam is a 360 design that encases the body and provides back support.

Stearns and Fosters. If you are looking for a luxury mattress on a budget then the Stearns and Foster model is the right one for you. Stearns and Foster comes in two types: intercoiled spring or luxury latex. Each design is known for relieving the pressure points on the body and providing a good night’s rest.

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Consumer Watch: Top Name Brand Cell Phones

Sony Ericsson W580i
Image via Wikipedia

Cell phones are all the rage right now. It is estimated that over 95% of the world’s population has a cell phone of some type. One of the most appealing factors of a cell phone is getting to choose what type of cell phone you are going to have. Each cell phone brand has a unique feature, different models and great benefits that others cell phone brands might not offer. With all the brands out there and available for cell phone users how do people know which cell phone brands to choose?

Here is a look at some of the top name brands of cell phones available to cell phone consumers.

Nokia. The Nokia brand has been around for as long as cell phones have been in existence. Nokias are known for their sturdy, reliable cell phone models. There is a wide variety of models on the market from simple cell phones put out through Nokia to high tech cell phones with all the gadgets and bells and whistles.

Apple. Apple has traditionally been known for producing computers but it recently made its debut on the cell phone market. The popular IPhone model really took the cell phone community by storm. The IPhone is a sleek, modern phone that is the top of the line when it comes to smart phones. You can do pretty much anything with an Apple IPhone.

Motorola. Motorola is another powerhouse when it comes to electronics. Motorola phones are known for being sturdy, reliable phones. Recently they have started to make very sleek, modern looking phones. However, recently Motorola has started to scale back on their models of cell phones.

Sony Ericsson. If you are looking for a modern phone that is not the IPhone then Sony Ericsson will produce it. Sony is known for creating some of the most modern phones that are on the market. Popular models include MP3 player phones and even a touch screen model.

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Consumer Tip: What to Look for When Purchasing A TV

Over 98% of American households have at least one TV in their household. That is just a symbol of how popular the TV has become in Americans lives. With all those TVs it seems as if buying a TV would be easy. However, there are many things that can go wrong if you do not know what to look for when you are purchasing a TV set.

Here are some tips and things to look out for when purchasing a TV set.

Look at Brand Names. Brand names are certainly a bit more expensive then the randomly named TV set. However, when it comes to manufacturer’s warranties and other issues you will want to stick with the name brand TV set. Many of these unknown names come and go and leave the consumer stuck with a TV that cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced. Only go with the no name brand if you are looking for a TV that does not have a warranty to back it up.

Consider the Size. Many consumers want to go with the biggest TV possible. However, many TVs the bigger that they get lose a bit of quality to them. Make sure that you view all makes and models in the store to see what the picture quality is. This will allow you to decide what quality you like, with what size.

Consider the Warranty. Many stores offer a TV warranty through the store. This is often a good choice for many consumers because the warranty will cover anything that breaks with the TV and if the TV company goes out of business the store will replace it if it cannot be fixed. The only problem with this option is if the store goes out of business the warranty goes with the business and you will have to purchase a new TV if anything happens to it.

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