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Having loyal, returning customers is a godsend because you ensure business (and hopefully even profitability) in the future. However, corporations that completely ignore their target audience’s wants and needs, don’t care about their own reputation, and reduce the quality of their products and services can push people away. The result? Partial boycotts which eat into profit.
Inspired by u/silent_pm, some dissatisfied consumers took to a thread on AskReddit to air their grievances. Below, we’ve collected their thoughts about the brands that have lost their loyalty, as well as the reasons why they’re ditching them for their competitors. Scroll down to check them out.
Bored Panda got in touch with u/silent_pm, who sparked the interesting discussion, and they were kind enough to share their thoughts about brand loyalty and unmet customer expectations. You'll find their thoughts below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Nestle. They're making a huge profit off of Canadian fresh water and paying next to nothing in taxes.
Breadcrumb. 2 weeks ago
Britta filter that tap s**t. Bottled water when your tap is just fine I'll never understand.
According to the author of the thread, they can't quite remember what inspired them to start the discussion, as it's been a while; however, they suspect that "it was one of the companies that overnight changed their prices, refund or shipping policy due to covid."
"Knowing myself, I was definitely very frustrated with the company if it prompted me to ask the question on Reddit. In terms of something more recent, a company I was very frustrated with and will definitely not get my business again is 'Our Place,' a US-based homewear brand. I bought an air fryer from them in November during Black Friday." They told Bored Panda that their communication was abysmal.
"There was no phone number and they weren't replying to email queries. Eventually, I had to start a chargeback and only then did they contact me asking me to close my claim and they would resend a unit—considering how they ignored all my queries prior, I was not interested in doing business with them again, so I got the funds back from my credit card company and never plan on using them again."
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#2
United Way (charity).
Coworker gets cancer and we set up a big jar in the cafeteria for donations to help her with treatments. United Way comes in and tells us that they have an "exclusive contract" with our company (large, international company) to be the sole recipient of any charitable donations on the property and demanded that we remove the solicitation jar and cease any fundraising for coworker's cancer treatment.
They had an annual "drive" where department heads competed to have the most donations and ongoing monthly contributions, but the next year the number of participants in the company dropped to almost nothing. Good.
Earthquake903 2 weeks ago
Wow, it's almost like they keep donations to themselves and want no competition
From u/silent_pm's perspective, the biggest mistake that companies can make is "ignoring customers, be it after-sales support or ordering queries and everything in between. I get that sometimes things are out of stock or delivery times are delayed, but if you can't effectively communicate with customers in a timely manner, then you're not really a good company to do business with."
Bored Panda also wanted to get u/silent_pm's opinion on how brands can convince their former customers to give them another chance once they've already lost their trust. The author said that in order for this to happen, there needs to be a shift in ethos or processes so that similar problems don't repeat.
"So, if they struggle with customer support, hire more people or streamline processes so complaints and queues are handled better. If it's an item quality issue, then look at where the weaknesses are and adapt the product. Taking ownership of an issue is also a big thing for me," they said.
"The other week, I had an issue with an electricity company in the UK. Once I got through to an agent, they became the agent assigned to me. Any updates or queries, they would deal with. Having that point of contact is a big deal—you don't have to repeat yourself every time you call the company, and by making the experience more personal with a named individual, you're more likely to get good results."
#4
Salvation army. they kicked a kid out of one of their shelters in the winter because he was gay and he froze to death. it’s all i can think of when i see that f*****g santa ringing his bell outside the grocery store.
StrangeOne 2 weeks ago
Not the first time. They turned away a homeless women. She was found frozen to death behind the shelter.
#5
Goodwill.
They are disguises as a charity when in fact they are nothing if the sort
When your regional CEOs get hundreds of millions as a BONUS, but they can legally pay WELL under minimum wage because the employee wouldn't otherwise be enjoyable... they are s**t.
Their merchandise costs them NOTHING because it's all donated. They get huge tax breaks because of their charitable status.
They have many programs to help the disabled, but again, they themselves treat the disabled horribly.
#6
Half Price Books.
We were going through a rough time during my freshman year- my mom was sick and out of work, we got behind on bills and lost the house, and ended up having to move into a tiny tiny apartment in the dead of winter. Since we wouldn't have enough room for everything, even with a storage unit, it was decided that I would have to get rid of some of my books. By some, I mean the majority of my collection. In the end, I filled three storage bins with books I'd taken great care of growing up and we made our way to Half Price Books, foolishly thinking we'd get a fair price for what was essentially my childhood. At the selling desk, I made it very clear that I only wanted an estimate and would take my books elsewhere if I felt I was being lowballed. The girl at the desk assured me I'd get an estimate and told me to come back in an hour, considering how many books they would have to inspect. An hour later, I make my way to the desk only to be told that the most they'd give me was $15, take it or leave it. I was heartbroken and outraged, and demanded that my books be returned, only to be told that some were already being processed into the system while others had already been thrown away, so there was no way I'd get them back. I ended up leaving in tears with only fifteen measly dollars and a broken heart to show for my troubles. I will never, and I mean NEVER shop or sell at Half Price Books again, and if ever anyone asks my opinion of them, I tell them about my terrible experience. I simply cannot forgive a company that would see child making one of the most difficult decisions in their fourteen years of life and not only kick her while she's down, but rub salt in the wounds just because they can. F**k Half Price Books.
Stephanie Did It 2 weeks ago
Lots of treasures to be found there, but they seriously low-balled me on some of my precious library too.
Brand loyalty, while incredibly important, might potentially be losing some of its power and relevance. According to Forbes, brand loyalty is “in a steep decline” in part due to changes in the buying process. Younger consumers are “more well-versed in e-commerce and values the consumer experience more than the generations before them.”
“They hold the companies they love in high esteem, and they go over any wrongdoing on behalf of those companies with a fine-toothed comb.” Researching products before you buy them can level the playing field, pushing businesses to put the consumer first.
#7
Tim Hortons. Larger coffee chain in Canada. When ontario raised minimum wage, they took away paid breaks, their dental plan, and started charging for uniforms. Completely b******t from a company that makes millions and markets itself as so wholesome they're part of our culture. Not with moves like that. F**k 'em.
#8
Comcast. Many many years of f**kery. Once I moved from a top floor apartment to a ground floor apartment in the same complex. I notified them ahead of time and they told me they had it all set so that it would switch that day, no problems at all. I called them about four times, a guy came out and looked at it, and then I spent a solid four hours on hold, only for the woman to come on the line and tell me I hadn't moved from Apt. 200 to Apt. 100, I had moved from 100 to 200. I explained she was incorrect, and she called me a liar.
In addition, my mother passed unexpectedly ten years ago. My sister immediately brought her Comcast equipment back and the company said they were so sorry to hear what happened, and there would be no additional charges from them and the account was squared away. As Mom's executor, I began receiving bills from them every month. Every month I would call and explain and they would say, "Oh, yes, I see the notes, we're sorry; it won't happen again." Every month another bill would come, and every month it would be larger, with more late fees added. Finally after about the tenth time it happened I was really testy about it, and they were like, "Let me put you on hold; you'll have to speak to my supervisor." The supervisor gets on and immediately says, "The REASON your mother's BILL is so high is that she is NOT MAKING PAYMENTS!" and I lost it and screamed, "THAT'S BECAUSE SHE'S DEAD!" They put me on hold a looooooong time after that and when we were done, I never heard from them again.
#9
Apple. I used to buy their stuff because it was built to last. Now it’s all about planned obsolescence.
Uncle Panda 2 weeks ago
It was always about planned obsolesce. You've been participating in a razor blade sales model. FWIW, my stepdad explained about the razor blade sales model while giving me a spare UltraTrac razor handle. 20 years later, I'm still buying UltraTrac blades.
Forbes states that 57% of Americans from Generation Z (born 1997 to 2012) are less loyal to brands now than before the pandemic. But this aside, many young(er) people are generally more wary of large corporations and “over-the-top marketing ploys.” There’s a lot of discontent brewing beneath the surface where businesses and brands are concerned.
Meanwhile, 77% of members of Gen Z are willing to try new brands in order to find the level of quality and service they’re looking for. This can, potentially, pressure companies to innovate.
#10
Pyrex. They became trusted because their cookware was borosilicate glass which withstands temperature change super well, but now they switched to soda lime glass and rode their good reputation out with higher profit margins from cheap materials.
#11
Black+Decker
When they started, they made good tools, and continued for many years. They they went broke and sold the name to a mega-corp that slapped the name on their low-end, junk tool line
Brands don't mean anything. Product quality is all that matters.
#12
A lot of news publications have unfortunately opted to go the click-driven route instead of doing quality investigative reporting. I used to read a lot of the long-standing sources like Forbes, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and New York Times to get straightforward presentations of world events. However, I've had to abandon all of them over the last 10 years as they've all gone way downhill in quality, and depend way too much on reporting off cherry picked social media posts and Tweets from unverified nobodies.
Over a third of American customers aren’t loyal to brands, with many people willing to shop around for better quality products, lower prices, and an overall better deal.
An over-satured market, more competition, and higher consumer expectations can mean that gaining and retaining customers is more difficult and less common than before.
#13
Gillette because of how expensive their razors are.
Old Navy. Their clothes fall apart quickly. Not bad for toddlers since they go thru them so fast.
Time Warner/Spectrum. Cable company that does typical cable company b******t.
Nestle. I hope they choke on acid rain.
#14
Planet Fitness. These f*****s towed my car while I was working out, and refused to reimburse the fee from the tow company. Then when I tried to cancel my membership, I’m told I cannot call I have to come in person or write a hard copy letter. I do the latter, they continue charging. I go in person, an associate “deactivates” the account but I still get charged the next month. Took a third attempt and speaking to a manager for them to surrender my s****y $10 a month.
#15
Jimmy Johns. Owner is a piece of s**t that hunts trophy animals and some are already endangered. Doesn’t use them, just kills them for the IG pics.
What are some brands, companies, and businesses that have completely lost your trust, dear Pandas? What happened that made you want to boycott their products or services?
Theoretically, what would those brands need to do for you to give them another try? We’d love to hear what you have to say about this topic, so if you have a moment, share your thoughts in the comments below.
#16
Breyers "Ice cream"
They've cheaped out production so much most of their products can't legally be called ice cream, check and they're labeled as Frozen Dairy Dessert. They used to be the good brand, a fresh tub of mint chocolate chip is how little me knew it was payday.
Nils Skirnir 2 weeks ago
Not accurate regarding the ice cream. It makes both ice cream and frozen dairy desserts (ice milk). Agree quality has decreased since it was bought by Brit company, Unilever. But it still makes ice cream
#17
Benefit Cosmetics after their ‘you don’t need to be clever, you’re pretty!’ campaign.
#18
Star Wars under Disney.
#19
Doordash. After it came out that the company routinely keeps the tips rather than giving them to the driver, I said f**k them.
#20
Wells Fargo. I paid my moms car payment to help her out ONCE. And they set my account as the main account. Wouldn’t be a big deal if they overcharged my account ONE TIME and fixed it. No. They did it four times. Each month my mom would call and have them reimburse my overdraft fee and delete my account from their records. They said they would and what do you know, next month I’d have $400 or an overdraft fee removed from my account.
The last time my mom literally cussed and screamed at them until they fixed it. She threatened a lawsuit and everything before they finally did what we needed. Next time she needs help with her bills she’s getting cash. And if Wells Fargo is doing the loan, I’d rather take it somewhere else. As long as I can avoid using them, I will.
#21
Any company that makes a political statement to appear 'woke' but is actually just whoring for publicity and boosting their bottom line.
The problem is there are so many doing this now its hard to keep track.....
Andrew Arons 2 weeks ago
The people who complain about "Woke" are usually the ones who are proud that they're willfully ignorant.
#22
Cadburys (Mondelez now).
They have changed their recipes so much and they taste awful now!!
BrownEyedPanda 2 weeks ago
I remember back in the day when Cadbury bars were made with butterfat. That made them several steps above the rest. Not exactly healthy, but it's Cadbury. Who cares? Nowadays, it's nothing more than an expensive Hershey bar
#23
DevaCurl.
I have curly hair that's also very fine, and I'm really picky about the products I use—I can't use anything that will dry it out or weigh it down. A stylist friend of mine recommended DC to me back in 2012, and I loved it immediately. I went all-in, and for a while DC products were all I was using on my hair.
Apparently a couple years ago they were bought my another company, and the formula for a lot of their products changed. I didn't realize this. Meanwhile, my hair was starting to get really thin. It's normal for me to lose a little bit of hair in the shower, but it was getting really excessive. I figured it was just because I was getting older and my body/hormones were changing. I didn't event think that it could have anything to do with my beloved hair products.
Then I joined a group for curly-haired folk and learned that a lot of DevaCurl users were having the same issues with hair loss. Countless before/after photos convinced me that I wasn't just losing my hair due to bad genetic luck. I got rid of all my DC products and, after some research, started a new product regimen. Slowly but surely, my hair is starting to recover. I feel so betrayed, though. And despite hundreds of customers complaining to the company, they have yet to acknowledge or address the problem.
Featherytoad 2 weeks ago (edited)
This is exactly what happened to me with Suave Keratin shampoo and conditioner. I thought it was just age too, but this was excessive, and then I started doing some research. I saw they had a lawsuit with their keratin kits, but no mention of their shampoo and conditioner. My SIL uses Suave products (not the keratin), and doesn't have a problem, but I'm too scared to try any of their other flavors now.
#24
Burlington Coat Factory. It used to have nothing but coats, but now it has transformed itself into a second-hand store for all clothing items, furniture, and household items. It's like a Goodwill for things that the Mall couldn't sell.
BeKind&Rewind 2 weeks ago
This is such a horrible store! Most of their stuff is terribly made and name brand knock offs
#26
Blizzard.
They chose money in China over basic human rights.
General Stukov 2 weeks ago (edited)
While no one is apparently nerdy enough for this one, Blizzard peaked at diablo 2 and starcraft. After esports became a thing and korea latched hard onto it they sold out. Starcraft 2 came out with a similar design to starcraft 1. After coming back to the game years later i found it completely sanitized to better cater to the esports market, After burning c*****e for wow they stopped trying and only made you grind thousands of hours while they finished an expansion they dropped too early. Every decision they made after diablo 2 was to milk every cent out of their fans and then laugh while fomo exploiting became main steam. D1 and D2 were single player games with a fun co-op side to it, now diablo 3 and 4 are just fomo farming simulators. D4 was worse in that you don't fully experience the single player as you can't play it any more. The leveling grind is so slow and it caters to an online component that doesn't need to exist. The story is so forgettable and season passes are cancer.
#27
Hertz.
They gave me a car with a missing oil cap and almost left me stranded in rural Germany.
We drove from Berlin to Neuschwanstein and noticed the car acting funny the closer we got. Afterwards we checked the engine to find oil everywhere. No worries, there was a Hertz in this small town. Unfortunately, the owner refused to help us as they "were closed" and said we have to call the company. This was also late, so every shop in town was closed.
We called Hertz and they recommended we **"try putting a bag over it and driving back to Berlin."** Luckily we found the cap (it was misplaced) and a number to Germany's equivalent to AAA. F**k Herz.
#28
Salvation Army and Autism Speaks
SA doesn’t help any of the woman they take in, and are just horrible people. AS doesn’t help autistics, they’re more of a hate group towards them. Idk if those count.
QueerAxolotls 2 weeks ago
Autism Speaks can go rot in a hole. I get that parents need support, but when your entire thing is focusing on the "poor victim parents" instead of the kids with autism, and you want to "cure" a developmental difference (not a disease, can't be transmitted or caught), you've lost your credibility.
#29
Sony.
My PS3 account got hacked and someone bought $400 in credits. I contacted Sony and they aknowledged I was hacked, returned my account to me, but refused to give me back my money.
If that weren't enough, I recently got an update on my PS3 that somehow made it unable to work at all.
#30
Not a brand but ... the United States Postal Service. I was waiting for delivery of a $100+ package. They tried to deliver it to my office at 8:00, but the office opens closer to 9:00, so they left a note. I went to the post office and asked for it, but they didn't have it because ... they gave it to someone else. So where's my package? Well we don't care, we "delivered it". Yes, but you didn't deliver it TO ME, THE RECIPIENT. The post master then went and accused me of lying.
Note: this post originally had 65 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
What do you think ?
General Anaesthesia 2 weeks ago (edited)
I think we can conclude that things really were better way back when. In the US market anyway. /s
Rick Murray 2 weeks ago
I think we can conclude that the US needs some consumer protection laws. Some of this stuff simply wouldn't be legal in my country.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 2 weeks ago
St. Ives skin lotion. It used to work beautifully on my skin. Then they changed their formula and it's like putting milky water that does nothing for moisturizing for longer than 10 seconds.
General Anaesthesia 2 weeks ago (edited)
I think we can conclude that things really were better way back when. In the US market anyway. /s
Rick Murray 2 weeks ago
I think we can conclude that the US needs some consumer protection laws. Some of this stuff simply wouldn't be legal in my country.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 2 weeks ago
St. Ives skin lotion. It used to work beautifully on my skin. Then they changed their formula and it's like putting milky water that does nothing for moisturizing for longer than 10 seconds.
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