Word of Mouth ......

I woke up at 5 and 20 to 4 this morning and have not been able to switch my mind off !! Insomnia can be so frustrating. I used to be able to sleep for England.... now I'm lucky to be able to sleep for Lichtenstein !! (no disrespect intended, I used that country as in my mind, it is little, so compares to my ability to sleep)
Anyway .... in my sleeplessness, I got to thinking about word of mouth. It has so much power. We use it every day and now through social media it is bigger and more vocal than ever.
I had a really bad dining experience a few weeks ago. So the first thing I did was take my complaints and rants to the world. (I'm still angry about it so you can read my review here) Businesses rely on good word of mouth for service and reputation. I worked for "The Body Shop" for close to ten years (The years when Anita Roddick was still at the helm) TBS built their business without any paid advertising. At the beginning it was just word of mouth and customer service. I left over 10 years ago now so am not 100% sure whether things have changed... but they are still going strong as far as I can see.
Another other reason for discussing WOM is because I have just finished a book that was "recommended" by a friend. It was very traumatic to read. But was also one that I couldn't put down. The book was an autobiography about child abuse, torture and the most horrific experiences anyone would have to endure. I was bought to tears so many times throughout the book. And then on the radio this morning I was listening about an horrific child abuser that has just been caught in Philippines..... I just don't understand how this sort of thing can happen. There are many strong people in this world that have been through things some of us (who are the lucky ones) will never comprehend.
I would much rather tell people about good things rather than bad. I have my birthday this weekend and have organised a few drinks at a local bar / restaurant. So far the service I have received has been fabulous. If all goes well, they will most definitely get a review from me...... I think they may well get one if it goes the other way too. But lets hope not !!