15 Bad Customer Experience Examples (and How to Fix Them)

We all know a bad customer experience when we encounter one. It can leave you with feelings of frustration and disappointment while you search for a better alternative and tell everyone you know. To help you avoid this, we’ll cover 15 common examples of bad customer experiences—along with practical ways to fix them—so that you can have a track record of happy customers. 

What Makes a Customer Experience “Bad”?

While often used interchangeably, customer service and customer experience aren’t the same. Customer service is about specific interactions, such as helping with a shipping problem. On the other hand, customer experience (CX) is the total of all interactions a customer has with your brand, from browsing your products to receiving their order. Bad customer service might relate to an unhelpful representative, while a bad CX could be the combination of that and a confusing website.

A poor CX can severely damage your brand reputation and drive customer churn. According to Okendo’s research, 43% of consumers say they have switched brands due to a negative CX, indicating that just one poor experience can have serious impacts. It destroys trust, lowers customer retention rates, pushes customers to competitors, and leads to negative reviews which could push away new customers. It also leads to higher customer acquisition costs (CAC) as you spend more on marketing and sales to offset losses, and decreases customer lifetime value (LTV) with customers leaving too soon. 

Common Bad Customer Experience Examples and How to Fix Them

When your CX is negative, the impact can be costly. However, fixing common problems can improve customer satisfaction, boost loyalty, increase revenue, and enhance your brand’s reputation. Here are some of the most common CX problems and how to fix them.

1. Long Wait Times & Slow Support Responses

Customers expect quick and helpful support. Long wait times, slow responses, and ineffective interactions—whether with a human agent or an automated system—can lead to frustration, churn, and negative reviews. Moreover, a poor support experience leaves customers feeling unheard and uncared for.

How To Fix It:

• Automate FAQs: Creating a clear, searchable FAQ page lets customers easily find answers themselves. Chatbots can also be used to automatically answer common questions, either with pre-written responses or by using AI. This not only helps customers get quick answers, but it also frees up your support team.
• Integrate Live Chat: Live chat offers convenient and quick real-time support. It allows your team to handle multiple inquiries simultaneously while improving efficiency and reducing wait times.
• Improve Ticket Routing: Use a ticketing system that automatically sends customer questions to the right support person based on their skills or the type of problem. This speeds up support and makes sure customers get help more quickly from someone who knows the answer. 

2. Ineffective Customer Support (Human & Automated)

A bad customer support experience tends to stick with customers. Whether it’s a human agent who isn’t listening or a chatbot that can’t handle complex issues, ineffective support can often be as frustrating as no support. Without effective and efficient support, customers may end up leaving.

How To Fix It:

• Train Human Agents: Train agents in active listening, personalization, and empathy. They should be able to understand customer concerns, acknowledge their feelings, and tailor their responses to the specific situation. Reward your agents who display excellent customer service to encourage positive interactions.
• Blend AI Automation With Human Support: Use chatbots for simple, common questions, but offer a clear and easy path to a human agent for complex issues. This hybrid approach allows you to be efficient while still providing personalized support when needed. Customers should never feel trapped in an automated loop when they require human assistance.

3. Ignoring Feedback (Reviews & Suggestions)

Ignoring (or worse, deleting) customer feedback, whether in the form of reviews or suggestions, sends the message that you don’t care about their opinions. This can damage your reputation, increase negative publicity, and lead to customer disengagement. Ignoring or deleting negative reviews (unless they contain offensive or profane language) can backfire, further angering customers and pushing them to complain more publicly. Feedback, even if it’s negative, offers valuable insights into how you can improve.

How To Fix It:

• Publicly Address Complaints: Acknowledging a negative review or comment publicly shows that you’re aware of the issue and are taking it seriously. A brief, professional response can express empathy, and a willingness to investigate a problem will build trust.
• Show Commitment to Improvement:  Don’t just apologize—demonstrate taking action. Use social media monitoring tools to stay on top of comments and engage quickly. Actively collect feedback through surveys and user-generated content (UGC), such as reviews. Use this information to identify areas that need improvement and make those changes. Let customers know how their feedback has been used—this shows that you value their input and are dedicated to improving.

4. Over-Promising and Under-Delivering

The method of over-promising and under-delivering creates a gap between customer expectations and reality. This can cause disappointment, frustration, refund requests, and negative word-of-mouth, all of which can tarnish your brand’s reputation and damage your ROI.

How To Fix It:

• Set Clear, Realistic Expectations in Marketing: Make sure your marketing materials accurately depict your product or service so you set realistic expectations. Avoid exaggerating features or making promises you can’t keep. 
• Provide Accurate Info on Product Pages: Product pages should provide accurate and detailed descriptions with high-quality images and videos. Customer reviews, both positive and negative, can also provide valuable information that can help manage expectations and build trust.

5. Complicated Checkout Process

A confusing or overly complicated checkout process—like one that forces customers to create accounts, requires excessive information, or has slow-loading pages—can kill transactions. Customers expect an easy process, and if they’re met with unnecessary hurdles they might abandon their cart. 

How To Fix It:

• Enable Guest Checkout: While creating accounts is good for marketing, the extra step may cause some customers to abandon their cart. Offering a guest checkout option allows customers to skip that step when making a purchase. You can always encourage them to create an account post-purchase. 
• Auto-Fill Forms: Auto-fill forms speed up checkout by automatically filling in common information like name, address, and email. This can be done using saved browser data or social media connections, reducing the need for manual entry.
• Optimize Page Load Speeds: Slow-loading pages are a common reason for cart abandonment. Improving your website’s performance through image compression, code optimization, and efficient servers will create a smoother and quicker checkout experience. 

6. Generic, One-Size-Fits-All Customer Interactions

When customers feel like they’re just another number, they’re less likely to connect with your brand. Incorporating personalization into your CX increases trust, improves engagement, builds stronger customer relationships, and increases loyalty. 

How To Fix It:

• Personalize Emails: Segmenting your audience based on demographics, purchase history, or browsing behavior allows you to keep your emails relevant to your customers. You can also personalize email subject lines and content for a more engaging experience, ultimately increasing open rates, click-through rates, and conversions.
• Offer Personalized Recommendations: Personalized product recommendations can be made based on customer data. This can significantly increase sales and engagement by suggesting relevant items that customers are more likely to buy based on individual needs and preferences. It increases cross-selling and upselling opportunities, which can lead to higher conversion rates, improve customer loyalty, and increase customer lifetime value.
• Create Personalized Offers: Just like recommendations, offers should be tailored to individual customers. Offering discounts on products that customers have previously purchased, viewed, or abandoned in their cart is far more effective at driving conversions than generic promotions.

7. Hard-To-Find Contact Information

When customers can’t easily find a way to reach you, they may feel frustrated or that you’re intentionally hiding your contact information. This can lead to a loss of trust, damage your reputation, and push customers to competitors.

How To Fix It:

• Clearly Display Contact Options: Make sure your help center, live chat, and contact info are easy to see and find. Obvious places include the header, footer, a “contact us” page, and pop-ups for live chats on your homepage. Clear contact info shows you’re ready to help and are committed to customer service. 

8. Strict, Inflexible Return Policies

Difficult return policies make customers hesitant to buy. It can suggest that you don’t stand behind your product or care about customer satisfaction. When a product isn’t just right for a customer and they have to fight to return or exchange it, repeat purchases and positive reviews are less likely.

How To Fix It:

• Offer Hassle-Free Returns: Simplify the return process as much as possible. This might include extending the return window, providing pre-paid return labels, and offering multiple return options (like in-store, mail, etc). 
• Clearly Communicate Refund Policies Upfront: Be upfront about your return policy. Explain it clearly on your website and at checkout so customers know what to expect.

9. Poor User Experience & Navigation 

Customers need to easily find what they’re looking for and a poor user experience (UX) will quickly drive them away. A confusing or difficult-to-navigate website, whether on desktop or mobile, leads to frustrated customers and abandoned carts. Whether it’s a clunky desktop site or a slow, unresponsive mobile experience, a bad UX costs you sales.

How To Fix It:

• Improve Desktop Navigation: Use clear categories, intuitive navigation, and advanced search features with keywords, filters, and specific attributes. This makes it easy for customers to browse and find what they need quickly.

• Optimize for Fast, Frictionless Mobile Shopping: Ensure your mobile site loads quickly and is easy to navigate. Optimize images, clean up code, and use caching. Implement a responsive design that looks good and functions seamlessly on any mobile device.

10. Difficult Subscription Cancellation Process

A difficult subscription cancellation process frustrates customers, damages your reputation, and leads to lost business. Trapping customers in unwanted subscriptions through complicated cancellation procedures can lead to negative reviews, chargebacks, and higher churn.

How To Fix It:

• Offer Easy Cancellations: Make cancellation easy to access, simple, and without hidden fees or complicated steps. A hassle-free cancellation process shows respect for your customers and can improve their perception of your brand, even if they choose to leave.

• Provide Alternatives: Options like pausing the subscription or downgrading to a lower tier give customers more flexibility. It may help retain those who are looking for a temporary break or a more affordable option.

11. Not Recognizing Repeat Customers

Loyal customers want to feel valued, be recognized, and receive perks for their repeat business. If you don’t show appreciation, they might go somewhere else that does.

How To Fix It:

• Implement a Loyalty Program: A well-designed loyalty program, like Okendo Loyalty, lets you reward your loyal customers with rewards, discounts, early access to sales, and personalized attention. It keeps customers feeling recognized and coming back again and again, turning them into Superfans. 

12. Lack of Post-Purchase Engagement

Customers shouldn’t feel forgotten after making a purchase. Ignoring them after the sale can damage their perception of your brand and even make them look for alternatives.

How To Fix It:

• Keep In Touch After the Sale: Send follow-up emails, ask for reviews, and offer loyalty incentives. Staying engaged builds relationships and encourages repeat business.

13. Inconsistent Branding & Messaging

Mixed messages confuse customers, making them unsure of what you stand for. This can cause confusion and distrust. 

How To Fix It:

• Align Messaging: Keep your branding consistent everywhere. Use the same tone, visuals, and messaging across your website, social media, and customer interactions.

14. Hidden Fees & Unexpected Charges

Surprise costs increase cart abandonment. Hidden charges erode trust and create a negative perception of your brand.

How To Fix It:

• Show All Costs Upfront: Clearly display the price and offer a breakdown before checkout. Consider offering free shipping above a certain order value to increase AOV.

15. No Incentives for Customer Advocacy

Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful, but it doesn’t happen magically. Without incentives, customers are less likely to actively promote your brand, even if they love your products or services. Failing to encourage customer advocacy means missing out on a valuable and cost-effective way to reach new customers.

How To Fix It:

• Create a Referral Program: A referral program, like Okendo Referrals, helps scale word-of-mouth marketing and offers flexible rewards. This motivates your customers to become brand advocates, expanding your reach and driving new customer acquisition.

The ROI of Fixing Bad Customer Experiences

Investing in CX improvements creates lifelong Superfans who drive revenue and champion your brand. Improving CX directly impacts ROI and key metrics including increased customer retention, higher LTV, and reduced CAC. The bottom line is that happy customers stay longer, spend more, and tell their friends—creating a positive growth cycle for your brand. 

FAQs About Bad Customer Experiences

How does bad customer service impact a business?

Bad customer service drives customers away because it causes unnecessary frustration and doesn’t resolve their problem. It can damage your reputation through negative reviews, cause customers to leave, and may make it harder to get new ones. Good customer service is essential for growth and profitability.

How can businesses improve customer experience?

Businesses can improve their CX by listening to feedback, personalizing interactions, improving customer service, simplifying processes, optimizing user experience, focusing on loyalty, and proactively addressing issues. This will make interacting with your brand a more positive experience and drive customer satisfaction, retention, and—ultimately— revenue.

What makes a great customer experience?

A great CX is easy, fast, and meets expectations throughout the customer journey. This could include a smooth customer service interaction, an easy-to-use website, and a personalized experience. 

How much does customer service impact the customer experience?

Customer service plays a huge role in CX. It’s often the most direct interaction a customer has with a brand, so a single positive or negative interaction can significantly influence their perception of the entire company. A negative interaction may lead to customers leaving, while a positive one can create loyalty. 

Turn Customer Frustration Into Superfan Loyalty With Okendo

Okendo helps brands improve their CX by leveraging real customer insights. Through Okendo Reviews, Quizzes, and Surveys, brands can gather valuable insights, UGC, and feedback to understand customer preferences, identify pain points, and personalize experiences that drive loyalty and growth. Brands also build stronger relationships and increase revenue by turning shoppers into Superfans with Okendo Loyalty and Referrals by rewarding customers and incentivizing advocacy. Book a demo with Okendo today to start optimizing your CX.