Dive Brief:
- About 3 in 10 consumers say a company took no action at all in response to their most recent poor customer service experience, according to a survey of 1,000 consumers released last month by CCW Digital.
- Nearly one-quarter of respondents — 23% — say their preferred resolution would be the company issuing a full refund. However, only 15% of consumers report that a full refund was offered.
- When brands did take action, over one-quarter of respondents say the company let them discuss the issue with a supervisor. The same number say the company offered a formal apology.
Dive Insight:
A subset of customer service interactions will inevitably go south, but how a company recovers from poor experiences can win — or lose — customers.
Unfortunately for CX leaders, there is a disconnect between what customers want in response to a bad customer service experience and what brands actually deliver.
The most common response to a poor customer service experience was asking to speak to a supervisor, according to CCW Digital. This behavior reflects customers’ belief that leaders are capable of delivering the outcomes they want.
Contact centers can benefit from training representatives to deliver better empathy, demonstrate accountability and increase their ability to resolve issues.
If customers feel like they can get the best possible resolution immediately, it could eliminate the friction caused by another escalation.
Other research has found efficiency and compensation essential to winning back trust. Fast and honest resolution is the top way brands can recover customer loyalty, followed closely by compensation, according to a Sprinklr survey from 2025.
Companies that fail to adequately resolve poor customer service experiences may suffer from poor word of mouth — and potential sales as a result.
CCW Digital’s survey found that 19% of respondents shared their last negative experience on a third-party review site, 16% shared their experience on the company’s website, and 13% shared their experience on social media. Another 16% sought out a competitor.
