A new study on brand feedback reveals just how minor the vocal minority really is.
Research from Apptentive finds that most brands hear from less than 1% of their customers.
Customers rarely leave feedback in any form. Moreover, when they are inclined to leave feedback, they’re often met with a process that is clunky and time-consuming.
As a result of brands not being proactive in their efforts to gather feedback in non-intrusive ways, they only end up hearing from their smallest and most vocal group of customers.
Therefore, if brands believe they’re building solutions based on feedback from a majority of customers, they’re often mistaken.
The study from Apptentive groups the vocal minority into two categories: at-risk customers and VIP customers.
Here is the difference between the two groups:
- At risk: These are one-time customers who have been triggered to leave feedback based on a bad experience.
- VIPs: These are loyal customers who actively engage with a business and regularly purchase goods or services.
There is much to learn from both groups within the vocal minority, the study says, but remember they still make up less than 1% of the customer base.
“The most dangerous decision a brand can make is acting on feedback that doesn’t accurately represent the majority of its customers.”
The majority of a brand’s customer base, roughly 99%, fall into the category of “silent majority.”
How to Get Feedback from the Silent Majority
Research shows that 51% of consumers expect companies to ask them for feedback across the following channels:
- Phone
- In-store
- Online
- In-app
Around 64% of customers would prefer to provide in-app feedback.
They’re very willing to do so, in fact, as 98% of respondents said they would likely give in-app feedback when asked.
So, the main takeaway is, the number one way to get customer feedback is to ask for it.
If you wait around for customers to leave feedback on their own, chances are you’ll only hear from the vocal minority.
