Have you ever reached out to a business that seemed professional and engaged, only to be left hanging without follow-up or response? You might have felt frustrated, ignored, and even a bit disrespected.
In the dating world, they call this ghosting — when one party in a relationship disappears without explanation. But in business, ghosting can be disastrous for your reputation, customer loyalty, and potential referrals.
Unfortunately, ghosting happens more than it should in customer service and project management, especially when there are complicated or frustrating problems For instance, a business might stop responding because they don’t have enough resources, lack the right skills, or want to avoid tough conversations. As a result, when a business “goes dark,” it can change a situation that could have been handled well into a bad experience. Ultimately, this can affect how the customer feels about the company and make them less likely to return in the future.
Consider this scenario: Our office hired a plumber to fix a heating problem by putting a radiator in the kitchen. At first, everything looked good; the new radiator seemed to solve the heating issue. However, a problem came up—the radiator started making a loud banging noise every time it heated up.
We reached out to the plumber to let them know about the noise, and they scheduled an appointment to check it out. In addition, they sent someone over several times. Although some problems were found and fixed, the banging noise did not go away. Eventually, since there was no solution in sight, the plumber stopped responding completely. As a result, our phone calls and messages were ignored, and they never came back to finish the job.
Could the issue with the radiator have been resolved? Perhaps. But we’ll never know, because they ghosted us. Without clear communication or follow-up, we were left with a problem that wasn’t solved—and a lot of frustration.
When businesses ghost customers, they are basically leaving their responsibilities behind and ending a professional relationship without any explanation. This behavior can have serious effects, including:
For the plumber we hired, the best thing to do would have been to talk openly about the problem, even if there wasn’t an easy solution. They could have let us know if they couldn’t fully fix the radiator issue or suggested that we see an expert. Even if it meant extra costs, having the chance to solve the problem would have been better than being ignored and left without help.
Customers are generally more understanding than businesses assume, especially when faced with unexpected challenges. In fact, the honesty and transparency that come with admitting a problem can build trust rather than erode it. By addressing issues head-on, a business can foster goodwill, positive reviews, and even repeat business.
If you’re the customer who is being ignored, it’s normal to feel frustrated, especially if you’ve put time, effort, and money into a project that isn’t finished. But there are a few things you can do to resolve the situation.
Document all communications. Make sure to keep a record of your emails, messages, and any promises or actions the company made. This documentation can be very helpful if you need to take further action on the issue.
Reach out again. Sometimes, a business may have accidentally missed your message, so it’s fair to give them another chance. Try to follow up once or twice to see if you can get a response.
If follow-ups go unanswered, consider escalation. This means reaching out to higher-ups in the company, looking into consumer complaint channels, or even sharing your feedback on public review sites. Often, taking a more visible approach can encourage them to respond.
To maintain strong relationships and a reputation for reliability, here are three steps every business should take to prevent ghosting a customer:
Ghosting is more than just poor customer service—it’s a missed opportunity to build lasting, trust-based relationships. With open communication, honesty, and a commitment to following up, businesses can avoid ghosting and, instead, create a customer experience that leads to repeat business, referrals, and a strong reputation for reliability.
This information is from our Customer Service curriculum. If you’re looking for ways to improve your communication skills, register for one of our public classes.
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