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Topic(s): Metrics & Methodology Customer Engagement

The Feedback Iceberg: What You Don’t See Can Hurt You

Every organisation wants to understand what customers really think. But just like an iceberg, most of that reality lies beneath the surface. The visible part — the feedback you receive spontaneously — is only a fraction of what your customers experience.

In this article, we’ll explore:

  • Two common pitfalls when listening to customers.
  • How to build a more complete, balanced view of your customer experience.

Pitfall #1: Being reactive instead of proactive

At Hello Customer, we believe that feedback should be gathered proactively — not only when things go wrong.

Think of your customer base as an iceberg. The visible part represents the small group of customers who actively share their dissatisfaction — when delivery failed, advice was poor, or service was disappointing. Beneath the surface lies a much larger group: customers who remain silent.

Research shows that for every unhappy customer, roughly ten others hear about that negative experience. The damage of inaction is often invisible but very real.

The solution is to identify the key moments in your customer journey and ask for feedback systematically. By doing so, you gain a representative view of customer sentiment — not just the extremes.

Pitfall #2: Drawing conclusions from a false majority

It’s tempting to assume that frequent complaints reflect your biggest problems. But that’s often a false signal. If you only listen to the visible tip of the iceberg, you risk misjudging your priorities and investing resources where they’re not most needed.

When you gather feedback proactively, you’ll see a more accurate picture emerge. Often, the issues raised by a small, vocal group are not shared by the majority. In fact, most feedback you receive will be positive. That’s encouraging information: it helps teams see the impact of their work and reinforces what customers truly value.

Negative feedback will still appear — and that’s a good thing. It helps uncover the silent minority: customers who might otherwise leave without explanation. Knowing who they are and why they’re dissatisfied gives you the opportunity to act before they churn.

 

How Hello Customer helps reveal the whole picture

Hello Customer enables organisations to capture and analyse feedback across all customer touchpoints. Our platform delivers high response rates — typically around 20% — and up to 60% of those respondents provide open comments.

This creates a rich, reliable source of customer insight that goes far beyond simple scores. Our AI analyses this data to identify themes, emotions, and priorities, so you can take action with confidence.

If you want to discover how Hello Customer can help you turn feedback into real business improvement, we’d be happy to show you how.

© Hello Customer 2025
Net Promoter Score, NPS, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered U.S. Trademarks, and Net Promoter Score and Net Promoter System are service marks, of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc. and Fred Reichheld.
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