Consumer empowerment is presenting marketing and PR professionals with a brand new set of reputational management and internal communications challenges for which they are largely ill-prepared. The latest is the use of Facebook as a forum for employees to criticise their own customers. This week it is Tesco employees describing their customers as ‘rude, smelly and stupid’ and Waitrose employees using words like “Pikey skanks”. This follows in the wake of Virgin Atlantic firing 13 cabin crew for describing passengers as ‘chavs’ and criticising safety standards.
This is yet another example of the strangely disconnected view Facebook users have of the site. Even though they know it is a public forum, it doesn’t stop them being remarkably indiscreet, whether it is revealing a less attractive side to their character to a potential employer or, in this case, slagging off the customers who ultimately pay their wages. Do the Tesco employees realise the damage they are potentially causing to their employer’s reputation and their own career prospects?
Maybe it is time that all businesses and other institutions reminded their employees that they are all, in effect, ambassadors and that it is not unreasonable to ask that they avoid criticising customers on social media sites. But at the same time, businesses should also ask themselves why such groups emerge in the first place. Does it indicate the weakness of existing internal communications channels? Would the Tesco or Virgin staff have resorted to Facebook if they felt their concerns were being listened to?