News

Mindshare VoC tool aims to tackle reviews fraud

November 12, 2013

Mindshare Technologies, a provider of voice of the customer solutions, has announced the launch of Mindshare OpenTell, a patent-pending product that is fully integrated with Mindshare’s VoC platform that collects and publishes customer reviews to the Web for companies in any industry.

According to the company, OpenTell removes the pain points that often accompany open review websites where anyone can leave feedback, whether or not they have visited the location. OpenTell provides brands with a range of benefits that the company says have been unavailable in the market before now:

• Authenticity: Every review on OpenTell originates from actual paying customers. Only customers with a validation code from their receipt are invited to leave feedback. This approach virtually eliminates spam and fraudulent reviews from influencing public perception.
• Timeliness:OpenTell continuously generates a high volume of reviews (approximately 30–50 responses per month per location) to ensure that available reviews reflect recent brand experiences and are continually fresh and relevant. A study conducted by Mindshare found that nearly half of locations (46 percent) on review sites had no new reviews during a 17-month period. Reviews can also be shared through social media channels.
• Accuracy:Because feedback is always based on a statistically significant sample size, reviews on OpenTell offer a comprehensive and accurate representation of the customer experience at each location. In the same study, Mindshare found that most customers (more than 80 percent) have a positive experience with the brands they frequent.

“OpenTell helps brands improve their online reputations by leveraging their most valuable asset — their satisfied customers,” said John Sperry, CEO of Mindshare. “Customers have great experiences with brands every day, but millions of positive reviews are locked inside internal voice of the customer programs. Consumers today demand greater transparency and more conversational relationships with brands.”

OpenTell is the first product launched by Mindshare following its recent acquisition of Empathica. The combined entity brings together Empathica’s social customer experience management technology and Mindshare’s VoC platform and extensive text analytics solutions to offer brands what the company claims is the most comprehensive customer feedback solution set on the market.

Using Empathica’s patented GoRecommend solution, OpenTell mobilizes brand advocates by inviting customers to share their positive experiences on social media. GoRecommend extends the reach of great customer experiences beyond OpenTell by allowing customers to share their review on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Yelp and TripAdvisor.

Leading companies across a variety of industries have already adopted OpenTell, including Hertz, AMF Bowling Centers, Jiffy Lube, Dave & Buster’s, Costa Vida and Shari’s Restaurants.

Read more about social media in retail.