Canny PR

Following a recent post, I had a nice email from a man called Grant who works for Scottoiler, and who asked if he could put a link to the blog on their website (and also their 'social media channels', whatever they are). I said I would be OK with that, and included a broad hint about sending me a free kit for the XT, but that has been ignored. Oh well ...

Interesting how companies these days are trawling the web for references to themselves and responding directly to customer issues. I've heard of a number of cases where people have criticised a company or product online, and have been contacted directly by the company concerned to offer a solution. I think that's a good thing. In the past (and the quite recent past), it was almost impossible to speak to a company or get a complaint taken seriously. I had almost two years of problems getting a TomTom satnav to work properly, and it was like banging your head on a wall - or, more accurately, shouting your complaints at midnight in the middle of the Sahara desert in a sandstorm. Only a very firm snail-mail letter direct to HQ in the Netherlands got a result. Nowadays, you are more likely to be contacted by them.

Is this the future? You have a complaint, you post it on Facebook, and the company will contact you directly and offer a resolution? It's certainly better than the old system.

Full marks to Scottoiler for being on the ball. Email me for my postal address, Grant. It's the least you can do for your 'product champion'.