Who needs praise and positive reviews? I'll take a hater any day.

Every customer complaint gives your business an opportunity, and the rising trend of haters on social media may uncover more opportunities than you'd think.

My company recently partnered with Edison Research to survey more than 2,000 Americans to determine why and how people complain about businesses. First and foremost, we wanted to define the different types of complainers, and we came up with two categories: people who cry out for help and people who want attention.

Asking for help, of course, has been around for years. That group of complainers contacts businesses through the usual channels-phone, email or the company website-and most of them expect a response. In fact, a staggering 90 percent of respondents who complain via telephone anticipate a reply. Luckily, companies have responded well to that need, with 83 percent of those customers receiving a reply, according to our research.

However, when companies fail to respond to the other group-the attention seekers-they're missing a huge business opportunity. While only 41 percent of people who complain on Facebook, Twitter, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and other review sites anticipate a response, when they do receive a response, they're almost twice as likely to recommend the company afterward.

This change of heart is much more significant with cries for attention than it is with cries for help, so why aren't you responding to every complaint on every channel? It's time to hug your haters no matter where they're complaining.