I am one of those people, and I am not alone.

I will leave a brand I love if I have one bad experience. It does have to qualify as truly bad all around, but that’s enough for me to leave – even a brand that I have been loyal to long term. And I’ll never come back.

And almost 20% of consumers are just like me. Why?

Because in almost every market, we have so many choices, and switching is easier than ever.

Consumers have become more and more intolerant of experiences that just don’t measure up -even one time. And once a customer leaves and becomes loyal to someone else, it’s even harder to win them back.

When you pair this data with the cost to acquire a new “comparable spending” customer to replace the one that just left, you quickly realize why every experience counts - and why the stakes are so high to deliver consistent, scalable, exceptional experiences.

I recently had a horrible terminal and flight experience as a first-class passenger on an international airline “known for their service”, and I will never fly them again.

Sure, the hard product (the seat, the food, the drinks) was very good, but the service and experience wrapped around it was dismal. And I’m being kind. Never again, no do-overs, no second chances.

And whether you agree with that stance or not, every brand needs to realize there are A LOT of consumers who think this way.