How Thai consumers express negative feedbacks to brands.

This research was made public by the Master of Communication Arts Program in Marketing Communication of the UTCC School of Communication Arts. Thai consumers choose Social Media as the main platform to express their frustration and to give negative feedbacks to brands on the market.

Cherdgun Maneepairoj a student of the program above revealed the results of the research on “Thai consumer negative feedback and the expectation for the brand to answer for the Thai consumer society”. Where Prof. Sutnipa Srisai, Ph.D. is the consultant for the research. By using Quantitative Research to collect information from 400 Thai consumers between the age of 15 – 55 years old who have expressed negative feedback to a brand from January 2014 to July 2017 by using a survey. The main goal of the research is to find the answer and explanation of how Thai consumers express negative comment to brands. This includes complaining, commenting, and complaints made officially to the brands.

The top social media behavior of Thai consumers who express negative feedbacks include,

1. Posting on Pantip.com (Over 84% of consumers choose this platform)
2. Answering comments on Pantip.com
3. Commenting on a post made about the brand on Pantip.com
4. Commenting on Friends post concerning the brand on Facebook.
5. Facebook post with no hashtag (#) and with a hashtag.
6. Commenting on other consumers negative post on the Brand’s Facebook page.
7. Post on the Brand’s Facebook page with no hashtag and with a hashtag.
8. Post on famous drama and social Facebook pages.
9. Twitter post with no hashtag and with a hashtag.

As a result, Cherdgun also discovered the expectations of how consumers want the brand to respond. This includes,

1. Expect brands to fix the issue.
2. Expect brands to acknowledge the issue.
3. Expect brands to listen to the feedback and to take it seriously.
4. Expect brands to point out the solutions to the issue.
5. Expect brands to respond respectfully.
6. Expect brands to officially apologize.
7. Expect brands to explain truthfully why the issue was caused.

When brands respond to the consumer’s complaint there is over 46% of consumers who are willing to use the brand products or services again, 27.30% have a possibility to use the brand again if necessary, 26% Might use the brand again, and 2.30% Will never use the brand again.

The research has helped brands realize that most consumers are willing to return if the brand acknowledges the feedbacks and complaints. Prof. Sutnipa Srisai, Ph.D. states that there is an Emotional Management factor that brands need to consider when dealing with consumer feedback. The feedbacks should be acknowledged and answered respectfully along with serious actions taken to fix the issues for the consumers.

FB Caption:  The feedback should be acknowledged and answered respectfully along with serious actions taken to fix the issues for the consumers.

Source: Mthai, UTCC School of Communication Arts

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