Secure Communications Alarms & Security, based in Onehunga, Auckland is a small company with a huge focus on customer satisfaction. I spoke with owner Dave and administration manager, Clare, about the things that matter to them in business and the ways that...
Control, it’s all in your hands
In the last blog piece I wrote I featured and discussed the latest survey results into online consumer reviews by BrightLocal. Since then I've been pondering a question that often has me stumped - why do some businesses neglect to market their reputation? Why, when...
Reviews – it’s not all about the star rating
It's important to remember that reviews are a subjective opinion of a consumer's experience of a service or product, and for other consumers reading reviews, they don't just focus on the number of stars - they read the text of the feedback itself. So what makes a good...
When you can’t find real fault, pick on the haka
Is there anything that raises the ire of certain Northern Hemisphere rugby critics and fans more than the All Blacks' haka? Whenever the World Cup rolls around it's always the same, tired, ignorant, and insensitive criticisms of a tradition of our game that has been...
Guide the conversation
I read many, many articles, news stories, reports and academic papers about online consumer reviews. A casual Google search will bring up thousands of observations about the greatest consumer motivation to connect with businesses - legitimate, authenticated online...
Reputation on the line . . .
Well, if there's anything to make anyone feel a little bit older, it's the sooner than expected arrival of the latest installment of the Rugby World Cup. Without giving away my age, I can vividly remember trooping along to Lancaster Park in Christchurch, to witness...
The massive benefits of ethical reviews
Recently I was reading an article on business.com that got me thinking about a word that really describes the nature and vitality - as well as the huge importance of online reviews: ethical. I've talked before about trust and transparency and the ways that drives...
It’s boring winning all the time
All Blacks fans are a tough crowd and it’s getting all a little tedious. Two games against Australia in the past two weeks saw two fantastic contests– one a comprehensive, record-breaking loss for the men in black, the other a complete turnaround where they played the...
The reputation economy
I was reading an article recently that discussed the exchange between raters and businesses and cited a paper by a marketing academic, who referred to it as 'the reputation economy,' and while that term has been around for a few years now, it got me thinking about the...
Time for a change but not right now
When the Super 12 competition was being created, I was a student in Dunedin. I was raised in Christchurch and was a huge fan of Canterbury. After a few years at Otago, I developed split loyalties - between the team I had grown up with and a new one representing my new...









