It's time to ditch those surveys as consumers give brands the silent treatment

For many businesses today, feedback is everything. Yet, it seems consumers are more and more giving brands the silent treatment. Rather than telling a company they’ve had a bad experience, more and more consumers are saying nothing at all - and going elsewhere, said a recent report by Qualtrics.

In Singapore, since 2021, consumers in Singapore are 7 percentage points less likely to say something about a bad experience. The most common response from consumers was to tell family or friends about it. Around a third of consumers share feedback directly with a company, and they are least likely to post something on social media.

Don’t miss: Study: Social behaviours across SEA you should take note of

“Customers are giving brands the silent treatment, and if organisations don’t find a way to fix this issue we could see more disgruntled consumers in Singapore,” said Isabelle Zdatny, customer loyalty specialist, Qualtrics.

“Customers are expecting a better experience, but simultaneously they’re not willing to share the insights brands need to deliver one. Overcoming this gap requires brands to rethink how they engage with customers, and go beyond the traditional feedback survey.”

Hence, if organisations want to understand how to improve the experiences they deliver, it’s no longer enough to rely on surveys — they must diversify their listening program

Consumers in Singapore are also torn when it comes to getting a personalised experience. Almost three-quarters of consumers (72%) prefer to buy from companies that tailor their experiences. Yet, 65% are concerned about the privacy of giving up their personal information, with just 40% trusting the companies they’ve shared personal information with to use it responsibly.

When consumers do trust companies with their personal information, they are much more comfortable with their data being used to tailor experiences to them.

“Giving customers what they want is not a conversation about privacy or personalisation. It’s about trust,” said Zdnatny. “Brands need to identify what they need to do to win trust back without overstepping the mark and turning customers away instead.”

What consumers care about most is that they can trust what a business tells them, and so companies must go back to basics. Setting accurate expectations is as valuable as speed and convenience. New products and services must not come at a cost to the trust organisations have already earned.

One of the best bets you can make in 2025 is to focus on building trust with your customers, said the report. If you get it right, you’ll improve satisfaction and build trust, paving the way for long-term customer loyalty, increased customer spend, and recommendations. If you fail to deliver on the expectations that you set, trust breaks down, and consumers will look to meet their needs elsewhere

“It’s dangerous to assume that existing customers will stay loyal without intentional effort to keep them. To deliver a great customer experience, following through on the most basic commitments and delivering what’s been promised is what’s most important to consumers,” said Zdatny.

Related articles: 
Study: 37 million social media users created in the last quarter   
Study: Social media to become SG's preferred retail channel in 2024   
What is the world's most favourite social media platform?