When we think about top companies, we often think about those that make a lot of money. Microsoft, Apple, the list goes on. But excepting those who can afford to be faceless entities since their fields are in finance or other areas where they don't have a customer base, most of these top companies deserve to be there. We put them there by continually buying their products. And they, in turn, earn our trust and business by going above and beyond for their customers.
So what makes a good company so good that they deserve all this money and business?
Outstanding companies excel in three main areas; public relations, customer service, and fulfilling needs.
Public relations, in this case, refers to how quickly you can contact and converse with the company. If you need to wade through ten phone prompts to complain or ask a question, that is horrible public relations. On the other hand, a company has Facebook and other social media, and you can post on their wall knowing they will get back to you promptly. That is excellent public relations. Most big companies reach out to customers like this, or the good ones do, at least. Customer service refers to just how far a company will go to make its customers happy. That usually relates to staff training and company policy. Note that just because a company bends over backward for customers doesn't make it excellent customer service. Going too far encourages a hostile shopping environment by promoting yelling, scamming, and theft. Finally, the right companies research the customer's needs and then set out to fulfill them. If there aren't enough stores in your area, they will fix that if it's a real problem. If they don't offer a product many people want, they will begin to stock it or make their equivalent. In the end, fulfilling needs refers to just how far out of the way a company will make dealing with them more comfortable and better.
Unfortunately, many people have different ideas on what makes a good company. There will always be people dissatisfied with how a company operates, and many will be vocal over this. Sometimes this will be justified; after all, some top companies have poor workplace practices, support questionable charities, and so forth. But often, even an excellent company will have numerous negative reviews by people who think they're right and the majority are wrong. You shouldn't take these reports seriously for the most part, but it can be hard to tell a single person who's had a bad day from the majority. Negative comments are often more memorable than positive ones, after all. Be careful what you read, and make sure to look into any claims of corruption, scamming, and so forth to find out if it's genuine or straightforward defamation.
The best way to work out just how trustworthy a company is is to look at most of the feedback on them on the internet. That is usually displayed as a score on many sites, but it can be helpful to dig through reviews or feedback and read many of them to understand better why a company is so good. Again, contrary feedback is inevitable, even with good companies. It is such a common thing that many companies go so far as to hire other corporations specializing in reputation management. Hence, their online reputation stays fair and not lopsided by extreme cases. Just remember to listen to the majority and not the minority, no matter how loud they are. Customer feedback should be the judge of companies' worth and not the opinions of failed con artists and so forth. If you're still on the fence, go to the company and make your judgment. You can always stop giving them your business, but if you allow yourself to be scared off by a few vocal opinions, you risk missing out on a great opportunity.
What makes a good company? In the end, it all comes down to you. No your opinion, though that indeed does matter a great deal. Instead, it comes down to how they treat you and how they go about achieving your business. Whether they listen when you speak and how they reply to what you have to say, excellent companies will never let you doubt that they do. Care about your business and your opinion.
