Grumbletext, UK consumer complaints

London, 9th May 2003

LiveWebs Ltd, a London-based tech start-up, announced today the extension of its innovative Grumbletextï¿½ service to online users. Grumbletextï¿½, targeted at UK consumers, invites consumers to text their consumer 'grumbles' about UK companies to be automatically published directly on the Grumbletext website, at www.grumbletext.co.uk. Grumbletext will also be offering the companies grumbled about the opportunity to send one text back to an unhappy customer with a 'win back' proposition; if companies fail to take advantage then the same opportunity may be offered to their competitors.

Adrian Harris, Grumbletext's founder, said: "The original idea for Grumbletext came about because we thought that texting was a great way to have a grumble when you are out and about in your daily life; whether you had just had a nightmarish journey on a cut-price airline, or received lamentable service yet again at your high street bank - you could grumble about 'what you like, when you like', to steal a phrase stolen by others from others many times over, because most people almost always have their mobiles with them - whereas with email and online forms you typically have to be sat down at your computer."

"However, since we made the online and email grumble submission channels available, we have seen a surge in people complaining via email and the website - it seems to be the sort of thing people like to do when they get back from lunch, and then browse at what others have grumbled about, which can be quite amusing, or at least cathartic."

Harris thinks that part of the appeal of Grumbletext is that it allows people to publicly deride and scorn the companies which get them seething. Often as not, these companies are the focus of widespread consumer irritation and have shown themselves repeatedly impervious to change. Banks as ever are not popular, and airlines come in for a fair pasting - British Telecom is the most grumbled about company to date.

It can be amusing to see what people have to say; one of Harris's favourites to date is from someone who had a beef with Ryanair; "Think it is OK to charge ï¿½4 a pound for excess luggage - what do they think is IN my luggage? Caviar? " - another is about Bo Concept, the home furnishing retailer: "Beware! Professional until they have your money. Then deliveries are outsourced to the Marx Brothers."

"We haven't yet got the volumes up as far as we want them but it's certainly accelerating". Harris says that a poll of existing Grumbletexters revealed that people were keen for their complaints to be passed on to the companies concerned. "We're going to forward reports of peoples' grumbles to the companies who are targeted, and offer them a chance to get back in touch with one text message (via Grumbletext for customer anonymity) either simply to say sorry, which can go a surprisingly long way, or to offer customers who Grumbletext an equivalent of an airline's Special Services telephone number, for 'special' customer services - the idea being that you can actually get in touch with someone at the company who might be able to help you, which is, let's face it, a pretty rare thing these days."

Harris says that if companies fail to take advantage of this opportunity, then Grumbletext will consider approaching their direct competitors to offer them the chance to lure away those disaffected customers. In either case, Grumbletext will charge the companies a small fee per customer for putting them in contact. "Our approach is obviously going to make us quite unpopular with certain companies; but the dice currently are heavily loaded in their favour, and pussyfooting around isn't going to help anybody."

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