Consumers are far more likely to communicate negative experiences with a product or service than positive ones, according to a recent survey by COLLOQUY, a magazine that serves the loyalty marketing industry. The survey, which looked at the word-of-mouth (WOM) sharing practices among 3,295 U.S. households, showed that people who professed a loyalty to a particular brand (dubbed WOM Champions) were actually more likely to share a bad experience than those who did not harbor brand loyalties.
Here are some of the survey’s key findings:
- 26% were more likely to tell family, friends and co-workers about a bad experience with a product or service than a good one
- 31% of WOM Champions said they would do the same
- 30% of affluent consumers responded that they were more likely to spread bad news over good; 19% of seniors, 25% of young adults, 25% of women and 21% Hispanics said the same
- 7% would not advocate for a brand but would share a negative experience
- 75% would alert friends and family to a bad experience
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