With the digital age increasingly present in our daily lives, the complaints begin to leave the paper to be able to be carried out entirely online. Consumers are increasingly informed of their rights and how to take advantage of them, so the ease of online claiming made this process even more accessible.
So that we can complain there are online platforms that, in addition to being able to present our complaint, we can share experiences (both negative and positive), follow brands and complaints from other consumers, perceive which brands have the best satisfaction rates, among others.
In Portugal the two largest platforms are: the Portal da Queixa and Livro de Reclamações. The operation is similar in both. Basically the consumer, after registration in the platform, writes the complaint explaining the issue and specify which location or service is associated. Subsequently, depending on the platform, within a few business days, you should receive a response from the brand / company targeted by the complaint. If the answer meets the consumer's expectations, it is considered resolved and contributes to the success rate of the complaint resolution of that company. While the consumer is waiting for the response, there is an indication of that, that is, any consumer can know in real time the state of resolution of the complaint.
Even if the consumer does not wish to make any complaints at the moment, these platforms have a strong informative character as it is possible to obtain data such as the number of complaints that a brand currently has and the evaluation given by the consumers about the satisfaction of the complaint resolution. For example, the percentage of consumers who would re-do business with the company even after there is a complaint or the number of complaints Vs. Answers can be important metrics for future customers of the company. Based on this type of information, consumers have a good foundation that can help them in the future to decide which establishment to purchase a particular product or which brand is more reliable.
The main advantages are the usual speed and the intention to solve the complaints by the companies due to their public character. Their public image on the Internet can be compromised, so there is an extra effort from the brands for a friendly resolution. Most of the time, companies have interest in resolving complaints quickly and "positively" so they do not frown on other consumers. Another advantage turns out to be the comfort that the online world allows to the consumers since it is not necessary to go to phisically to the commercial establishment.
The next time, as a consumer, that you are not satisfied with a purchase you may consider claiming online. In this way you will get some public exposure that often puts pressure on companies to solve customer dissatisfaction in a friendly way.