NEW YORK, U.S.A. – Customers have always been fickle, but never before has it been so easy for them to channel discontent into social-media campaigns with potentially disastrous consequences for companies. In The Conference Board Review cover story, “Anger Management,” writer John Buchanan explores how technology has helped spur “a massive power shift,” emboldening consumers to express their outrage. Still, counsels Buchanan, there’s plenty that organizations can do to keep their customers from turning on them.

“The kind of business move that used to generate mild grumbling and then grudging acceptance,” writes Buchanan, “now brings immediate denunciations, viral social-media protests, front-page headlines, and the worst fate of all: being made an example of.” Buchanan points out three companies – Netflix, Verizon, and Bank of America – which recently suffered the wrath of unhappy customers. He illustrates how and why changes in policy quickly snowballed into major PR debacles for these organizations.

It’s not just bad management decisions that can spark massive consumer revolts. It’s often a lack of empathy, explains Buchanan. While this is hardly a novel complaint, what’s different now is the ability of consumers to connect through social media, create a firestorm, and force companies to take notice and, many times, alter policy. What might begin with one dissatisfied tweet can quickly turn into an avalanche of negative publicity for an organization.

“Companies have to realize that the business environment has changed,” Buchanan writes. “But they haven’t yet. And they haven’t realized how intense the consumer anger is.” By doing a better job of listening to their consumers, businesses might be able to avoid backlashes.

For example, executives should interact more with customers, online and in the field. And companies should engage their PR departments more when making decisions that will impact consumers. Unfortunately, Buchanan points out that market research is “a discipline that has been devalued at a time when managers wrongly believe that they can grasp customer sentiments by having a summer intern monitor tweets and Facebook posts about the company’s brands.”

At the same time, it’s not only consumers that are scrutinizing and reacting to marketing decisions. Increasingly, boards are second-guessing management and judging leaders by how well they cater to and respond to customer demands. Ultimately, the message is clear: Pay attention to your customers.

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Even though the resale of coupons is prohibited on terms of service, companies such as DealsGoRound and Lifesta are benefiting from customers that are dissatisfied with their Groupon and LivingSocial deals.

According to Bloomberg Businessweek, the growing popularity of daily deals has opened the door to the popularity of sites that allows customers to sell their unwanted and used deals.

20 percent of the daily deals people buy online goes unredeemed according to Yipit reports. Customers feel their money is valued with the option to resell their unwanted coupons. Polly Chung is an active customer that purchase daily deals and stated in Bloomberg Businessweek that “now I can sell my coupons, and I don’t have to give them away (to friends) and lose my money.”

Sites like Lifesta and DealsGoRound are rivals of Groupon and LivingSocial, which do not support their services. Launched in March 2010 in Chicago, DealsGoRound now resembles ticket seller StubHub, once used Craigslist to connect buyers and sellers.

Only charging a 10 percent commission, DealsGoRound processes the payment through digitally transferring coupons from buyer to purchaser for 128 cities in the U.S. and Canada.

Based in San Francisco, in July 2010, Lifesta started a completely digital transaction and full service marketplace with a growing pace of 50 percent each month. Charging only 8 percent commissions, Lifesta accesses a $0.99 fee for each transaction on their site.

The site is exposed to customers simply unloading their coupons without much concern about making a profit due to the rapidly approaching expiration date and desire of getting rid of their coupons.

More sites like Takemycoupons.com and Sellmydeal.com have developed due to the formation of DealsGoRound and Lifesta. Even though, Groupon and Living Social does not approve of the new booming marketplace, these sites appeal to customers by giving them a backup plan when they cannot or do not want to use a coupon.

Having an option to resell their coupons, customers now have a cure for their unwanted Groupon disease brought on by useless coupons.

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