Commentary

Crabby Customers: Over Half Will Jump After A Single Bad Experience

Email teams noticing a lagging response should look beyond their latest creative to place the blame. It may not be their fault. 

Rather, it could be due to a disappointing customer experience. Moving into 2025, 53% of customers worldwide will walk or reduce their spend after a single bad experience, up 2.7% earlier in 2024, according to 2025 Consumer Trends, a study by Qualtrics XM.

But don’t expect them to tell you about the experience (or anyone else, for that matter). And they are less likely to do so than before. Aggrieved consumers say they have:

  • Sent feedback directly to the company — 32% (down 7.7%) 
  • Posted something about it on social media site — 16% (down 6.9%) 
  • Told friends or family about it — 45% (down 4.9%)
  • Put a comment or rating about the company on a third-party ratings site — 22% (down 4.2%). 
  • I did not tell anyone about the experience — 24% (up 6.3%) 

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Don’t think they are all unhappy. Overall satisfaction now stands at 76%, up 0.4% from 2024. But most other metrics have declined at least slightly.

For instance, trust has declined by 1.2% to 73%. And while 70% will recommend a company, that percentage has fallen by 1.5%, while the number purchasing more — 69% — has decreased by 1.3%. 

And while 64% of consumers want personalization, 53% are concerned about privacy.  

AI is not likely to help — trust in AI has fallen by 11%, and only one in four consumers trust companies to use it responsible.  

What is it that consumers want? Their main criteria are: 

  • Trust the information provided — 61% 
  • Completing the interaction quickly — 46% 
  • Convenience — 44% 
  • Treated with empathy — 33% 
  • Enjoyment — 15%

The takeaway from all this?  “Learn to listen, even when you aren’t asking questions,” says Elizabeth ErkenBrack, RVP strategy and solutions, financial services, Qualtrics. “Pull those reviews, that social data, the calls, the emails. Save the moments of asking questions for when it really does need to be a more structured conversation, and then keep it very short and to the point.”

ErkenBrack adds: “A company is not expected to fix everything, but to show they are listening and caring about what they hear. It is how the customer feels heard, and they are far more likely to continue providing feedback when they feel like the company listens.”

Qualtrics XM Institute surveyed 23,730 consumers across 23 countries and regions including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States in the third quarter of 2024. 

 

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