Your Customers Are Ghosting You—Here’s What To Do About It

Forbes - Jan 23rd, 2025

In the face of declining customer feedback, brands are grappling with a new challenge—consumers are increasingly 'ghosting' them, opting to leave without providing feedback after negative experiences. According to a Qualtrics survey, only 32% of dissatisfied customers are communicating their grievances directly to companies, a significant drop from previous years. Tom Lewis, SVP of Consulting at TTEC Digital, highlights the need for brands to glean insights from unstructured data like call transcripts and emails, which can be analyzed using AI technologies such as conversation intelligence. This approach helps brands convert unstructured data into actionable insights, potentially identifying customer pain points before they escalate into major issues.

The implications of this trend are significant in shaping how brands approach customer experience management. Traditional voice-of-the-customer programs heavily reliant on surveys are proving less effective in today's saturated feedback environment. Instead, brands must leverage AI and data analytics to harness insights from unsolicited customer interactions, aiming to meet the rising expectations of customers who anticipate personalized understanding from companies. This shift underscores the importance of being customer-obsessed and listening beyond explicit feedback, with AI offering the tools to prevent customer churn and enhance brand loyalty.

Ai Customer Experience Tom Lewis Ttec Digital Qualtrics Conversation Intelligence Customer Feedback

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RATING

6.2

Moderately Fair

Read with skepticism

The article provides a timely and relevant discussion on the challenges of customer feedback collection and the role of AI in addressing these issues. It offers clear explanations and practical examples, making complex topics accessible to readers. However, the article could benefit from more diverse sourcing and greater transparency in explaining the methodologies behind its claims. While it effectively highlights the potential of AI in business processes, it lacks a balanced exploration of alternative perspectives and possible drawbacks. Overall, the article serves as a useful resource for business professionals interested in customer experience management, though its impact on broader public discourse is limited.

Accuracy

The story provides factual information about the decline in customer feedback and the increasing role of AI in analyzing unstructured data. For instance, the claim that only 32% of respondents sent feedback directly to companies after a bad experience is supported by the Qualtrics Global Study. However, the article also includes broad statements that require further verification, such as the effectiveness of AI in preventing customer ghosting. While the article accurately describes the role of Tom Lewis and defines 'ghosting' according to Urban Dictionary, it lacks specific citations for some claims, such as the exact impact of AI on customer feedback processes.

Balance

The article presents a balanced view of the challenges and solutions in customer feedback collection, acknowledging both the decline in traditional feedback methods and the potential of AI. However, it predominantly focuses on the benefits of AI without discussing potential drawbacks or alternative perspectives, such as privacy concerns or the reliability of AI-driven insights. This creates a slight imbalance by not fully exploring the complexities of the topic.

Clarity

The article is well-structured and uses clear language to explain complex concepts like conversation intelligence and data visualization. It effectively communicates the challenges of customer feedback collection and the proposed solutions. The use of examples, such as the restaurant chain scenario, helps illustrate the points made, enhancing overall comprehension.

Source quality

The article references credible sources like Qualtrics and Salesforce surveys, which lend authority to its claims. However, it lacks a diverse range of sources, relying heavily on industry perspectives without including independent or academic viewpoints. Additionally, the article does not provide direct links to the studies mentioned, which could enhance its credibility by allowing readers to verify the information.

Transparency

The article provides some context for its claims, such as the definition of 'ghosting' and the role of VoC programs. However, it lacks transparency in explaining the methodology behind the surveys cited or the specific AI technologies discussed. The absence of detailed explanations about how data is collected and analyzed limits the reader's ability to fully understand the basis of the claims made.