In the past, it was said that customer complaints grew in multiples of 10 – one unsatisfied customer would tell 10 people who would tell 10 people, and so on. Today, with the range of social media, one person can tell hundreds with a single Tweet, Feed, photo, or review – which then can be reshared, retweeted, and commented to thousands more. And in today’s digital age, such online posts are regarded as highly as word of mouth. In fact: 

• 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. (BrightLocal 2017 Consumer Review Survey)
• 94% of consumers said an online review has convinced them to avoid a business. (ReviewTrackers)

Additionally, as has always been the case, customers are more likely to share negative experiences than positive ones, as consumers expect product and service interactions to be positive – after all, they are paying for them. And the absence of pests in a restaurant, hotel, or retail store is one of those things that is absolutely expected; you are highly unlikely to get positive review in this area – e.g., “There were no flies, mice, or cockroaches in the restaurant. Thumbs Up!” – unless it is related to the overall cleanliness of your establishment (but that is a whole different article). On the other hand, the sighting of even a single cockroach, rodent, or bedbug; a constant shooing away of flies; or the presence of fruit flies around the ketchup or soda dispenser is very likely to elicit a negative review.   

With 85% of consumers trusting online reviews, and 94% avoiding a business because of a bad review, can you afford to have even a single pest-related Tweet, post, photo, or review?