Customers check out your rep online

Many customers go online to research the reputations of companies they are thinking of making a purchase from, a new survey has found.

ClickZ reports that 72% of respondents to a Nuance Care Solutions online survey of 300 people said they go online to check out a businesses reputation for dealing fairly with customers before making a purchase, and 74% will make a purchase or not depending on what they find.

And 59% of respondents said they use online media such as social networks and blogs to make a complaint or “vent” about bad buying experiences.

But that doesn’t mean companies are actually listening to their customer’s online complaints. Just 33% of respondents to the survey said they believe companies take their online complaints seriously. Businesses in the social media, technology and retail sectors were ranked as the most responsive to online complaints, while insurance, utilities and healthcare ranked lowest.