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Gripe Sites: Sue or Stew

By William G. Pecau

Gripe sites are Web sites whose purpose is to complain, criticize, and revile businesses or other institutions. These sites, also know as “hate sites” and “suck sites,” are generally established by dissatisfied customers or unhappy ex-employees. And, they are proliferating. They have become so common there even are sites for gripe sites like WebGripeSites.com and Cybergriping.com. Forbes has even published lists of the top Corporate Hate Web Sites judged on criteria such as hostility level, number of posts, ease of use, and entertainment value. Charles Wolrich, “Top Corporate Hate Web Sites,” Forbes.com, March 8, 2005.

Of course, gripe sites hold little entertainment value for those that are the subject of their venom. Everyone, almost everyone, likes to be liked. Businesses depend on it. Their advertising, customer relations, employee training, product development, and sales departments are, almost always, fixated on creating satisfied customers and goodwill. Goodwill is the cornerstone of repeat business and without repeat business, and attendant goodwill, there is, for most, no business.

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