A typical business hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers.

No business wants to hear that their customers are unhappy, but there is a silver lining to customer complaints: they can spot problems and issues that you wouldn’t see otherwise. Your customers’ insights are even more valuable because so few people even bother to complain. In fact, only 4% of dissatisfied customers will tell you that they are dissatisfied. Rather than share their disappointment with you, they will just stop giving you business. Worse yet, the average disgruntled customer will tell up to 15 people how bad their experience was*, and some will amplify their frustrations by venting on social media and review sites.

The only way to keep from losing business and protecting your reputation is to engage your customers while you still have them. Gather Net Promoter Score (NPS) through your website during online transactions, or use a quick survey to follow up in-person experiences. Flag any negative feedback and responses so you can quickly resolve customers’ complaints and turn their bad experience into a good one. A customer that feels heard is more likely to give you more business and promote you through word of mouth and positive reviews.

Don’t lose another customer because of a communication breakdown. With our suite of customer satisfaction sample surveys, you can start engaging your customers TODAY. Click here to get started.

[*A dissatisfied customer will tell between 9-15 people about their experience. Around 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. – White House Office of Consumer Affairs.]