Ever wondered why so many companies will bend over backwards to help a customer or rectify a situation? It’s because in the age of social media, customer loyalty and satisfaction is worth more to businesses than ever.

Before social media, individual customers had little way to make complaints that would reach potential new customers and deter them from purchases. But since Twitter & [url="https://www.facebook.com/Power2Motivate"]Facebook[/url] hit mainstream, social media has become the battleground for customer loyalty and retention in this increasingly connected age.

Think about the value of one individual customer. With a high number of Facebook friends or [url="http://www.twitter.com/power2motivate"]Twitter[/url] followers, the smallest issue can quickly spiral into a stain on your brand in the mind of your customers friends and followers.

On the flipside, social media also allows positive customer stories to reach these exact same people, making them more inclined to become your customer than your competitors due to the recommendation and qualification by your existing loyal customers.

Then there’s every brands worst nightmare: a slighted customer going viral with their complaints. Think Gasp or Qantas in recent times, who have had very public social network meltdowns that has tarnished their reputation and destroyed any loyalty many of their customers held.

The power of the crowd is very real thanks to the democratising effects of social networks. While they can be incredibly beneficial in building customer loyalty, one little slip up with the wrong customer can set off a chain of events that can be painfully detrimental to your brand, [url="http://power2motivate.com.au/solutions/customer-loyalty"]business and customer loyalty[/url].