Chapter 3: How Kwik Fit responded – a strategy of silence

One of the easiest ways to counteract a build-up of mass negative online reputation is, of course, to deal with situations as soon as they arise.

This is the most basic tenet of appropriately handling criticism online, whether it is via a blog post, Facebook comment, tweet or associated industry site: setting up Google Alerts for relevant content is an essential first step.

Monitoring and managing information and reputation online can seem like a huge task, but with the multitude of tools and automated programmes available, it can be both straightforward and enlightening.

Indeed, if a positive online reputation is being delivered, a corporate can often spot opportunities to increase a positive reputation, further connect with satisfied customers, as well as highlight best practice and proactive PR.

Kwik Fit undoubtedly have Google Alerts set up, judging from the Search terms and keywords used to examine my blog in the last nine months.

I have noticed the increasing number of senior management names, specific PR-linked terms, as well as reputation-based phrases and keywords entered during the course of 2010 across Google for Kwik Fit and its managers.

This is a clear indication that the blog is being watched, but not actioned, by the Kwik Fit senior management and corporate PR teams, as well as the hapless PR Agency which attempted to rubbish and discredit the story in the first place with regional Press.

At no point – ever – has Kwik Fit, or any representatives of Kwik Fit handling the corporate’s reputation, made any public comment or attempt to engage publicly the issues raised in the blog post and subsequent customer issues.

This means that there is a multitude of comments, unanswered complaints, and a massive, consistent, growing groundswell of negative reputation online concerning Kwik Fit management, processes, employees, procedures and delivery which remains unaddressed.

This strategy of silence might seem incomprehensible to many involved in managing reputations online, whether that’s in-house or externally via an Agency on behalf of a client.

It might seem incomprehensible to leave negative sentiment unchecked online, to allow comment after comment to build into a stream of damning evidence which will remain online for potential customers to view.

It might seem incomprehensible to continue broadcasting expensive television, newspaper and billboard advertisement Campaigns, in the face of such condemnation by customers online.

Kwik Fit, however, seem firmly ensconced in their broadcasting methods. It is part of their corporate culture to play the denial and blame game – an obsolete tactic which has long seen its day in the required transparency of social media platforms and on-demand forums.

There is, quite simply, no escape online. A strategy of silence is not an option.

Particularly when the tidal wave of negative sentiment continues to grow and swell across a number of platforms.

This increased even further when BBC Watchdog screened an investigation into Kwik Fit in September 2010. It became clear that a rolling stone of complaint gathers much moss – as the next Chapter illustrates.