He had actually planned a different story for this week, but we cannot afford to ignore the storm in the media occasioned by the arrest of a female consumer, Chioma Egodi who gave a negative review of Nagiko tomato mix
In the review, Chioma posted an image of the tomato tin which she bought from a store and wrote on her Facebook, “I decided to taste it, sugar just too much.”
Reacting, the manufacturer, Erisco said its attention has been “drawn to a Facebook post by one Chioma Egodi jnr on September 17 2023 alleging that Nagiko tomato mix, one of the three tomato paste variants of Erisco foods Ltd, contains an unhealthy amount of sugar and therefore not fit for human consumption.
“We will take all necessary actions against any malicious attack on our reputation”, part of the reactions reads.
Consequently, the Federal Consumer Competition Protection Council [FCCPC] confirmed that Egodi was arrested by the company and transferred to Abuja. FCCPC said summons will be issued to Erisco Foods Ltd immediately.
The action by Erisco has been widely condemned by consumers and many has started calling for the boycott of their products.
In a series of post on its handle on Tuesday, Amnesty International Nigeria asked Nigerian authorities to “immediately and unconditionally” release Ms. Chioma.
“No one should be arrested simply for exercising their freedom of expression”, the group said.
“The arrest of Chioma shows that, despite the authorities paying lip service to police reforms, impunity for unlawful arrests remains rampant,” it added.
A human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, in a post via his X handle said the company’s management “acted viciously and irresponsibly.”
Mr. Effiong, stressed that the company ought to have issued a public statement or even reached out to the woman to understand her view and explain their position if they disagreed with her view.
“That would have earned the company and the brand more patronage,” he said.
He said it is upsetting that “any charlatan” in the country can easily weaponise the police, whom he said have continued to criminalise civil disputes in the country.
“We cannot continue like this,” he said.
There has been outrage from different parts of the country.
Like a Public Relations Guru, Mr. James Igodu puts it, “This is what happens when professionals are not put in their place to work. Since when has customers been arrested for voicing out their thought? Every customer has a right to review a product either negatively or positively. I do not know the tomato paste but I don’t think I will ever purchase it.”
Using negative review to your advantage
When you run a business, you are bound to receive negative reviews at some point. Even the most well-run companies can’t please everyone, and when that happens, some customers turn to ratings and reviews to express their opinions.
While negative reviews might seem like a red flag at first, they’re unavoidable. No business can please everyone and it’s normal to get less than stellar reviews, even if the majority disagree.
But just because you receive negative customer reviews doesn’t mean your business can’t be successful or continue to grow. You can use negative reviews to improve your current marketing strategy and address the issues and concerns brought up.
This will help your brand attract relevant customers who appreciate your products and services and encourage them to return.If you want to use negative reviews in a positive way to enhance your business, here are three tips to help you get started.
Build trust with your target audience
When customers look up ratings for your business, they don’t expect to see only five stars. It’s unrealistic to think that a business will never encounter an unsatisfied customer or face an unpleasant review.
So if that’s all they see when they search your brand, it’ll raise suspicions.
Believe it or not, having negative reviews helps your brand build trust with your audience.
A business with 100% five-star ratings would immediately raise suspicions because people know that no company can appease everyone. When you receive negative feedback, take it in stride and remember that it can help your business grow rather than negatively affect it. It demonstrates your brand’s transparency and supports its positive reputation.
Ramp up customer engagement
When someone leaves a review, they’re choosing to share their experience with you.
Customer feedback gives you the opportunity to improve your marketing strategies as well as address questions and concerns. In doing so, you can boost customer engagement and build loyalty with your audience.
Use negative reviews to respond to complaints and offer a way to make things right. There’s nothing you can do about mistakes already made, but putting in effort goes a long way with customers. They want to know you care about their experience and your business isn’t only about making a profit.
It’s not only helpful but necessary to respond to negative feedback and offer solutions to your customers. If your brand made a mistake, calmly apologise for the setback and show that you understand their frustration.
From there, you can ask for more details if you need them and encourage your customers to engage with your customer service team so they’re likelier to return.
Identify issue negative feedback always seems daunting at first, but how else would you be able to identify potential issues with your processes?
Whether it’s customer service, your products, your website or something else, you want to make sure your strategy is the most refined it can be for the best results possible.
To improve your business, you need to hear what’s working and what isn’t. Negative reviews don’t hold back on sharing information about your business that requires progress. You can’t improve what you aren’t aware of, so even if you don’t like receiving them, they’re still necessary and helpful.
What can you learn from what complaints customers express about your business? If many reviews say the same thing, it’s worth looking into better strategies so you can provide the smoothest customer experience possible. The more you listen to their concerns, the better your business will operate.
As a business owner, it can feel daunting to receive negative reviews on your products and services. But it’s a great way to start a conversation with customers, enhance user engagement, address existing issues and strengthen your marketing strategies. As long as you use them to improve, you’re on the path to more conversions, customers and sales.
However, a food specialist with the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi [FIIRO] who pleaded anonymity, has also condemned the level of colouring most tomato paste manufacturers use, “After making stew with most of those tomato paste, the meat in the stew especially un fried white meat like chicken will be pink in colour.
“I advice people to always go for fresh tomato if possible. That way, you are sure of what you are consuming.”
