A while ago, I emailed two (very different) brands to share some customer feedback. Nothing wild – just honest thoughts from a loyal customer. One email was about some design flaws and lack of benefits on a DTC website. The other was about the stress of getting through an automated phone system, to my emergency vet at 11.35pm on a Saturday night.
However, these weren’t complaints or rants. Quite the opposite, in fact. They were constructive, thoughtful, gushy, even. Wrapped in genuine loyalty.
And guess what happened next?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
No reply. No acknowledgement. Just… silence.
Message received?
The lack of response was deafening. I’d spent ages carefully crafting my message, to make sure it landed in a way that showed my unwavering support for these brands. Yet months later, I’m still waiting for a response (and fyi they haven’t made any changes). As a result, I’m left wondering if they even read my emails at all.
It’s such a perfect example of how broken most feedback loops are. Because although we keep calling ourselves customer-centric, if we don’t act on what customers tell us, are we actually listening?
Customer feedback isn’t a nuisance
Because when someone goes out of their way to volunteer information (not just someone in insight, but anyone for that matter), you know they really care. So brands should fully embrace it, as these people are probably your biggest fans. If you ignore them, you’re not just missing important intel – you risk eroding trust.
The feedback loop never really ends
Even if your team acknowledge receipt, that’s not the end of the story. Changes need to be made and the customer should be updated, ideally with a ‘thanks for your feedback – we fixed the issue and we couldn’t do this without you’.
That’s how you earn trust and build brand affinity. That’s how customers feel seen.
Are you listening?
Have you reviewed the feedback process recently? Are you giving customers – and internal teams – the space to improve the experience?
At Whycatcher, we help brands notice what matters – and act on it. Because whether it’s a survey or a thank you note from the person whose cat’s life you just saved, there really is no replacement for customer feedback.
