What We Miss When Customers Don’t Complain 

Do all your customers shout when something goes wrong? Not likely.  According to an article from Forbes, 96% of customers with a problem do not complain. And, sadly, 91% of these customers are likely to take their business elsewhere and also share their negative experiences with others.  A double whammy as you lose a customer and gain a mercenary who is very willing to tell others about his or her displeasure.  A real sales killer! 

In interviews with customers of our clients, we often hear concerns of past bad experiences that were never shared directly with our clients. No angry emails. No bad reviews. Just silence. The customer shrugs, finishes the transaction, and quietly moves on. And no one knows why—until they’re gone for good.  To illustrate this point, I want to share an interview with John the Farmer.  This AI-generated video is based on an actual interview, though we did remove identifying information.  Please watch this short, 41 second video.   

Case in Point – John the Farmer 

In our interview with John, a longtime customer, he shared a story that no one followed up on. Instead of help, he got a manual. He wasn’t angry; he just felt overlooked. Since no one from his dealer asked for his feedback, he didn’t tell anyone.   Fortunately, the feedback from the survey reached the dealer, and they responded.  I do not know if John will eventually find another tractor option for his hay operation, but this experience will likely make him more susceptible to the salesperson’s contacts for another product.   

  Why Silence Matters

Passive feedback is a red flag and not a neutral outcome. Not every dissatisfied customer is vocal. Most aren’t, as noted at the beginning of this blog.  It is also worth noting that even those customers who express high levels of customer satisfaction also highlight opportunities for improvement.  According to our research, the “great, but” comments occur in approximately 30% of the customer surveys we conduct.  Yes, 30% of the time.

Customers who are highly satisfied and those who are more passive often have valuable things to say.  There really is gold in many, if not most, of the comments customers make.

 What Should’ve Happened with Farmer John

While companies cannot follow up on every transaction, someone should have followed up personally after the sale. The tractor was a significant purchase, and the sales representative should have followed up to ensure the farmer had his answers and that he was comfortable with his new purchase.

There are some valuable takeaways from Farmer John’s story.

• Ask more and better questions. John said he would have liked to receive more hands-on help with the new tractor, rather than just being handed a manual.  Training on how best to do the handoff of a new product to a customer is needed.   

• Look for emotional clues from the customer.  Farmer John’s tractor was late in arriving.  This is one big clue that the customer is not be happy.  Hesitation in giving feedback, lack of enthusiasm, politeness without engagement are all signs of a customer having emotional dissatisfaction with the experience.   

• There is more work to do to keep Farmer John. Yes, the farmer did get the product running as desired, but there were several disappointments before getting to this point.  Note the farmer’s last comment: It’s a good machine but we ‘ve had to work on it more than I’d like this early on.  There is more work to do! 

 Get your customers to complain

I know the heading is a bit weird but it is true.  Create an environment where customers want to talk to you about what you are doing well and what needs to improve.  John’s story is both common and preventable. Don’t wait for customers to complain. If they don’t tell you, they will tell others!