Buyers switch to competitor brands after single bad experience, poll shows

• Polls shows 54% of consumers stop using brand after single negative experience. 
• Another reason of consumers’ break-up with brand is when there’s inconsistent or obsolete product information.
• Shoppers say having positive online experience [...] might convince them to give brand another shot.

A recent poll of 2,000 Americans found that 54% of consumers stop using a brand after a single negative experience, with millennials being 57% most likely to do so.

The poll also found that the number one deal-breaker for consumers’ break-up with a brand is when there’s inconsistent or obsolete product information (24%).

“Our results show an increasing need for more brands to understand the customer experience isn’t limited to the point of purchase,” says Ray Hein, CEO of Propel Software, in a statement. 

“Two-thirds of consumers now expect brands to engage with them well after the sale, anticipate their needs, and rectify bad experiences quickly. Companies that get this right are on the fast track to gain and retain more customers than their slower competitors.”

However, shoppers also said that having a positive online experience such as fast replies or funny posts might convince them to give a brand another shot (51%).

The poll also revealed that consumers are the most sensitive about their technology and are thus most likely to break ties on smartphones (37%), TVs and kitchen appliances (36%) and cars (35%).

“Unsurprisingly, 63% of consumers said the pandemic has greatly altered their expectations when purchasing products. Brands need to become better listeners, reevaluating how they develop their products based on consumers’ needs, from finding innovative ways to increase affordability to offering subscription-based add-ons,” Hein adds.