If there is one thing CEOs and HR directors ought to work together on it is what for me is a growing problem: online reputation management.
The internet is a powerful marketing medium, but it also has the power to spread rumour and misinformation at an alarming rate and, what's more, it remains online for years. If someone reports your company to a consumer watch group, as has happened to us; or a competitor follows you around and leaves negative comments; or an angered customer devotes hours to publicly expressing his hatred of you, then things can quickly get out of hand.
Part of our problem stems from the speed at which our company has grown. We are the UK's fastest-growing home security company and we've installed more than 10,000 domestic systems since the firm was launched in 2003.
We are constantly employing new sales consultants and telemarketers and we endeavour to train them to the highest standards because the security industry is one of the most tightly regulated industries in the UK.
We have to adhere to the rules and regulations laid down by The National Security Inspectorate (NSI) and the Security Systems and Alarms Inspection Board. However, despite our ongoing training development programmes, new staff can still make mistakes, as they do in all organisations.
Our extensive telesales operation employs 120 people. Last year we spoke to in excess of three million potential customers and made 10,000 face-to-face visits. Any company that deals with such a massive amount of potential customers can expect complaints from time to time. In our opinion the measure of any company is how it deals with complaints. However, what may have started out as a genuine error can quickly turn into something else via the internet.
One source of our online reputation problem has resulted from our accidentally calling people who are registered with The Telephone Preference Service (TPS). These are genuine mistakes caused by dialling such a huge number of people each year. Last year we made 500 misdialled calls out of three million - that's one misdial for every 8,500 correctly dialled numbers. Even the TPS thought this was an acceptable figure.
The upshot of these genuine mistakes, however, has been that some of those that had been called accidentally have written negative comments about us online, which have quickly been repeated by others - and like Chinese whispers the messages become embellished and distorted.
The latest chapter in our reputation management battle is that I arrived at work recently to be accosted by a camera crew from the BBC Watchdog programme. I gave an interview on a variety of allegations being made against the company for a forthcoming programme.
Even though the number of complaints made against us is proportionately minute compared with the number of potential customers we contact each year, we will continue to monitor the performance of our agents closely.
Being slightly old-school I have always believed someone is innocent until proven guilty. The internet seems to have spawned a culture where rumour and misinformation abound. Companies are having to expend time, effort and money to put the record straight about their reputation, so easily damaged in this misinformation age.
- David Price is managing director, Direct Response Security
Direct Response Security in a Minute
Established: 2003
Increase in workforce over past five years: 400%
Volume of business: Spoke to over three million potential customers and
made 10,000 face-to-face visits
Accolades: finalist in Security Excellence Awards