At least half of negative service experiences go unnoticed by companies, study claims

Independent market research company Ipsos Loyalty Singapore surveyed 1,043 people online over 10 days in March and found there is "a significant number of dissatisfied customers who fall through the cracks".

Over the past six months, two out of three customers had at least one unsatisfactory service experience. Most were let down by telecommunications companies, retail and food & beverage companies, and insurance and banking services.

Of those who had negative experiences, four in 10 gave feedback to the organisation. Those who did not cited a lack of access to feedback channels and lack of trust that the organisations would react to their feedback.

"It is fair to assume that at least half of all negative experiences go unnoticed by organisations," Ipsos said. "This is especially pertinent in the insurance and food & beverage sectors."

Because of their negative experiences, 42 per cent of dissatisfied customers said they were less likely to use the brand or stop using it altogether. Some 31 per cent said they would share their unhappy experience with others.

Of those who gave feedback, three quarters of them expected a response within one and a half days. The survey however found that only 30 per cent received a response within the expected time and 23 per cent did not receive a response at all.

Ipsos director Ms Melanie Ng said: "Every organisation needs to equip itself with the capability to respond almost instantaneously, ensuring customers' voices are heard and acted upon in the most genuine and prompt manner."

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