The free market should reward good products and customer service, but it often doesn't feel that way. Public opinion goes a long way. In today's world, customers have many opportunities to express their views. Uber is in the top 20 of the most hated companies in the world. And yet the question remains, why is it that some of the most hated companies in the world are often the most profitable?
Maintaining consumer confidence is not a foregone conclusion. The world seems to have a love-hate relationship with Facebook. Several years ago, it was one of the largest websites on the Internet. A single misstep, such as a price hike, can be enough to put a company's PR departments on overtime. But, it goes much deeper than that. The public perception of an internal scandal, a toxic work environment, lax security or unethical business practices can be enough to create contempt from consumers.
Ryanair takes the cake
There seems to be one airline taking the cake when it comes to the world's most hated airline. Ryanair is a low cost Irish airline that offers flights throughout Europe. From my own experience I know how they act and deal with complaints. After my flight was delayed for hours and then missed connections, I sent my complaint about the treatment of the passengers to the Irish headquarters. As European rules prescribe, I formulated the complaint and associated rights to compensation but Ryanair did not even bother to respond to a registered letter. At the Irish airline, many people feel that they are being cheated by surprising taxes and paying extra for luggage.
Uber controversy
Recently, review site Rave reviewed the brand landscape and surveyed over 1 million Tweets that featured some of the world's most popular brands. Paypal and Uber received the most complaints in five countries and Uber has managed to be the most hated brand in the US and UK. Some negative ratings were to be expected. Uber, is a company that has also often been the target of controversy, of mishandling drivers to it raise prices during the pandemic. Uber then again had to deal with angry taxi drivers. Reports that some Uber drivers allegedly committed rape probably didn't help either.
Either you are a diehard fan or you hate Apple. There are few brands in the world where there is so little between hate and love as Apple. It would be unfair to name only Apple. Microsoft also has a large following of fans and haters. Brands like Sony, Apple, Uber and Nike spend millions on advertising and social media to keep them highly regarded. Globally, Sony seems to receive the most negative tweets in 10 countries. The PlayStation 5 launch was met with frustration from consumers who could not find the consoles due to the scarce.
Tesla vs General Motors
General Motors has the dubious honor of leading the top ten, mainly due to reports of manufacturing defects in cars. Technical problems have already claimed the lives of dozens of people. Tesla car company says Rave in second place with seven countries. Previously claimed JD Power even said the auto watchdog reported more problems with Tesla buyers in the first 90 days after purchase than all 31 major U.S. car brands, including paint problems, hoods that don't open or close properly, and strange noises. Car companies Toyota and Ford also attracted a lot of negative tweets and naysayers.
Dutch companies do not escape the top 20 either. Although the global market is largely dominated by American multinationals, it is not surprising that the oil extraction industry in particular is one of the most opaque and hated in the world. One of the most criticized multinationals is the Anglo-Dutch energy giant Royal Dutch Shell, whose activities have come under the magnifying glass of public opinion several times over the years thanks to campaigns by environmental groups and human rights movements. In addition to the environmental impact of its activities, Shell has been involved in national and international policy issues in the countries where Shell was or still operates.
RAVE Reviews used the SentiStrength research tool to rate more than a million branded tweets for positive or negative content.
But there were also some surprises in the top 20. Lego, the popular toy brand, was the second most hated brand; and Domino's, which prospered during the pandemic, was the most hated fast food brand.
Also read: Uber helped pay for driver lobby
