AKSHITA | 2025-07-25 08:30:00+00:00
Sometimes, it’s not about what people say, but what they don’t. A customer might rate your service as 3 out of 5, write “It was fine,” and move on. On the surface, that looks neutral. But in reality, there’s a lot hidden behind that short reply.
In 2025, understanding feedback has become more complex. People don’t always have the time, or interest, to explain what they truly feel. That’s where the real skill comes in: reading between the lines.
Let’s talk about how businesses can go beyond basic responses and truly understand their customers. It’s not difficult, but it does require attention, empathy, and the right techniques.
Before diving into the how, let’s understand the why. Why do customers sometimes hold back in surveys?
Fear of conflict – Some people don’t want to sound rude or harsh, even if they had a bad experience.
Lack of time – They’re busy, so they just tap on a rating or write a few words and move on.
Not sure how to explain – Maybe they didn’t like something but can’t express it clearly.
Low expectations – Some customers expect average service, so even poor experiences don’t seem “worth complaining about.”
These silent signals can lead businesses to miss important insights.
A big part of reading between the lines is noticing what’s missing or subtle in a response. Here’s how you can do that:
Even simple words like “Okay” or “Fine” can mean different things depending on context.
“It was okay.” → Could mean: I didn’t hate it, but I won’t come back.
“Service was fine.” → Might mean: Nothing special, just average.
These words may not sound negative, but they’re rarely positive. Always treat them as a sign to dig deeper.
If someone writes just 2-3 words in an open-ended question, it often means one of two things:
They didn’t enjoy the experience enough to explain.
They didn’t find anything memorable to mention.
Both are red flags.
When many people say similar vague things like “It was decent” or “Pretty good,” it may mean there’s a larger issue they’re hesitant to mention. Track patterns, not just individual replies.
One of the simplest ways to understand more is to ask more.
Let’s say someone says: “The delivery was late.” Instead of just noting it as a complaint, send a follow-up:
“Sorry about that! Was it a one-time delay or does it happen often?”
“Would faster delivery make you consider ordering again?”
These small nudges often get people to open up more. Many feedback tools now allow automated follow-ups based on keywords or low scores.
If your survey allows open-ended answers, you’ll get a lot of unstructured comments. Use tagging systems to identify recurring words or moods:
Tags like: "delivery issue", "average service", "pricey", "no response"
Create separate dashboards to track how many times each tag comes up
Even if each individual feedback looks simple, the pattern can point to a big issue.
Sometimes, what customers don’t talk about tells you a lot. For example:
You launch a new packaging style but no one mentions it
You start a loyalty program, but there’s no feedback on it
This silence can mean:
Customers didn’t notice
It didn’t make an impact
Or worse, it confused them, but they didn’t know how to say it
If you’re expecting feedback and don’t get any, that’s a signal in itself.
In 2025, many businesses use sentiment analysis to decode emotions from short replies. These tools analyse text and detect if it sounds positive, negative, or neutral.
Let’s say you receive 500 replies that say things like:
“Not bad”
“Could be better”
“It’s okay”
Instead of treating them as average feedback, AI tools flag them as mildly negative or unsatisfied.
This helps you:
Rework your tone or service
Reach out to those customers with more personal support
Star ratings and scores (like 1-5 or 1-10) are helpful, but don’t rely only on them. Two customers may both give 4 stars, but their feelings could be completely different:
One is happy but always saves 5 stars for “exceptional” experiences
One had a negative issue but didn’t want to be harsh
That’s why open-ended responses are gold. Even if you don’t get them often, the ones you do receive are more meaningful than scores.
In survey models like NPS (Net Promoter Score), people who score you 6 or below are “detractors.” But even some who give you a 7-8 (called passives) can be at risk of leaving.
They may not complain openly, but they’re not loyal either. Read their comments carefully. If they sound emotionless or vague, mark them for future engagement.
Example:
Comment: “It works.”
NPS score: 7
Action: Send them a check-in mail asking how their last experience went.
To understand your customers better, create a simple feedback journey map:
Entry Point – Where did they interact (website, store, app)?
Feedback Type – Was it a complaint, suggestion, or praise?
Tone of Response – Enthusiastic, flat, confused?
Action Taken – Did they return, repurchase, or disappear?
By mapping this journey, you can spot trends and fix problem areas.
Example 1: A food delivery app
A customer writes: “The food was good.” Sounds nice, right? But this person used to write detailed reviews earlier. Now, they’ve gone silent.
Interpretation: They’ve lost interest or faced a recent issue. Reach out.
Example 2: An online clothing brand
Customer says: “Nice fabric. Delivery late.”
If you just look at the fabric comment, you might miss the problem. But “Delivery late” is where attention is needed. Fixing that could turn a passive customer into a promoter.
Not all feedback comes in bold letters. Some of it is hidden in short replies, mild comments, or total silence. As a brand, your job is not just to collect feedback, but to truly understand it.
Read between the lines. Compare feedback patterns. Use both tools and intuition. The better you get at this, the closer you move to your customers.
Because at the end of the day, customers may not always say what they feel, but if you’re listening well, you’ll still hear them loud and clear.
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