I read with a smile on my face the new trend report from Trendwatching.com. I've been telling people for a couple years now (if they were listening or not) that reviews and review sites would play an ever greater role for consumers. Being an avid reviewer myself on Qype and TripAdvisor, I've seen the trend of businesses finally getting involved. Those first-movers are reaping the benefits way before the masses get it. Engaging your customer and interacting with him/her is one of the best strategies to lock them in. And it's not just about leaving feedback or responses to reviews on Qype or TripAdvisor. You need to set up a Twitter account like Timbuk2 or Starbucks have. You need to listen. You need to interact and act upon customer feedback. Your customers will thank you for it with their dollars and euros. A really cool idea which I see now catching on is GetSatisfaction. Basically this is customer service on steroids. The site lets your company create a page where anyone can comment (be it positive or negative!) Your employees set up accounts and can all respond to customer questions, complaints or praise. It's still kicking off on this site but if you take a look at all the companies already there (I set up a page for Neuhaus Partners as well), you can imagine where this is going in the future.
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