Dissatisfied customers are using Twitter and other social networks to moan about poor service, instead of speaking or writing to the provider direct. A culture of sharing one's experiences, good and bad, online instead of contacting the provider directly is forcing some companies to re-think their attitude to social media.

A recent survey entitled 'Analysing Customer Complaining' found that online social networks have become a popular and influential forum for disgruntled customers. However, those companies who have been paying attention and monitoring their customer satisfaction online are far more likely to put things right quickly, so much so that the customers is retained more often than not.

It seems that those who publish negative comments online are also keen to praise online, when this is deserved. The majority of consumers are more likely to air their grievances without contacting the provider, so it is important to treat social media and online communications generally more seriously in the future.