How to win back customers after a negative experience

Personalization helps keep customers happy.

A new survey reveals what retailers can do to convince shoppers to give them a second chance.

In good news for retailers, almost all (94%) 8,000 global consumers surveyed by e-commerce platform Klaviyo are willing to give retailers another chance after a negative experience. However, that willingness is conditional.

Of respondents who would consider giving a retailer a second chance, 81% expect a response to their complaint within 24 hours and 38% expect one within four days.

The most popular win-back offering is compensation such as a refund, discount or replacement product (50%), followed by a direct ask for customer feedback (27%) and an exceptional follow-up experience (25%).

The survey examined a number of other aspects of customer engagement, including:

Personalization

77% of respondents feel most valued/understood by brands when the customer journey is tailored to them.
74% of respondents expect more personalized experiences in 2025.
Only 34% of respondents say they have had a personalized experience with a brand in the past six months.

Pricing

Competitive pricing and/or discounts are the second most cited factor for what matters most when deciding to make a first purchase with a brand (25%) and the most important factor for return purchases (29%).
Price comparison ranked as the top way consumers decide which brands to purchase from (36%).

Loyalty

Access to exclusive discounts and promotions is the top reason respondents sign up with brands (43%), but consistent product or service quality is the top reason they remain loyal (33%).
With 79% of respondents loyal to five or fewer brands and 41% loyal to just one or two, Klaviyo advises that maintaining a great experience is critical to long-term success.

Values

Almost all (95%) respondents say brand values / practices mean at least as much to them now as they did a year ago and 42% say they matter more.
Strong policies on data protection and/or security, fair labor practices, and commitment to small/local businesses ranked as the three values surveyed consumers cared about most.