Most brands assume their guest experience is fine.

They check their NPS scores, skim through online reviews, and read the occasional customer complaint—and if nothing looks catastrophic, they move on.

But the real danger isn’t in what guests say. It’s in what they don’t.

“56% of consumers rarely complain about a negative customer experience—they quietly switch to a competitor instead.” (Source: Coveo). And when you consider that “More than one-half of consumers will switch to a competitor after only one bad experience.” (Source: Zendesk Benchmark Data) the stakes are clear.

For every guest who speaks up, many more walk away in silence. They don’t leave a bad review, complete a survey, or request a refund. They simply disappear, taking their business and their trust with them—and most brands won’t realise it’s happening until it shows up in their revenue.

Why Guests Don’t Always Speak Up

It’s easy to say, “If something was wrong, the customer should have told us.” After all, teams can’t fix what they don’t know is broken. But not everyone is comfortable complaining. I’ve been on both sides of hospitality. I’ve worked in marketing, I’ve worked front-of-house, on the floor, behind the bar, and I’ve worked in hospitality management. And I know firsthand that sometimes, guests just don’t want the hassle. Some don’t feel the issue is big enough to mention. Some don’t want to feel like they’re being difficult. Some can’t get a staff member’s attention, so they let it go.

Even I (someone who optimises experiences and communications for a living), occasionally hesitate to raise an issue when I’m out and off the clock. Not because it’s not frustrating, but because it’s easier to just move on. And that’s the thing, most guest experience failures aren’t big, dramatic disasters. They happen in the small, overlooked moments that guests notice, but brands don’t. Moments that aren’t just overlooked in person, but felt digitally, too. For example:

• A website that technically “works” but makes booking harder than it needs to be. With too many steps, unclear pricing, or a clunky mobile experience that turns excitement into frustration.
  
• Being forced to dig for key information because check-in/out times are buried in fine print, refund policies are unclear, or hidden fees surprise you at checkout.
  
• A front desk interaction that’s polite but impersonal, making the experience feel robotic instead of welcoming.
  
• The disconnect between what’s marketed and what’s actually delivered. Like a hotel that advertises “luxury” but offers outdated rooms and basic amenities. Or a restaurant showcasing vibrant, plated dishes that look nothing like what’s served.
  
• An online confirmation email that raises more questions than answers because it’s missing check-in details, has unclear directions, or is written in an impersonal tone that feels transactional rather than exciting.

None of these moments alone may trigger a complaint. But together? They create doubt, frustration, and friction in the path to purchase.

And let’s be honest, no guest is going to call and say, “I’m not booking because your website is confusing, and I don’t trust your check-in process.” They’ll just book somewhere else.

And if enough guests feel the same way? You’ll see it in declining revenue long before you see it in your reviews.

Guest Experience Isn’t One Department’s Responsibility

The real issue isn’t just what’s going wrong. Every business has problems. The issue is when those problems are being recognised.

In product-based industries, nothing goes to market without testing. Before launching a new feature, companies run multiple rounds of quality assurance, stress testing, and user research. Then they continue to gather ongoing user feedback, update the product regularly, and catch issues before they impact sales. But in service-based industries? There’s no equivalent. Service-based businesses rarely test guest experience this rigorously. Most brands rely on post-experience feedback—NPS scores, surveys, and online reviews. But by the time those results come in, the damage is already done. The guest has already felt the impact of a bad experience, and if we’re being honest? They’ve already told others about it.

Traditional measurement alone is not enough, because it’s reactive, not proactive.

And yet, most businesses still treat marketing, operations, and guest experience as separate departments. But guests don’t experience brands in silos.

Their journey begins the moment they discover you on social media or land on your website, and it continues through every digital and in-person touchpoint, with every single moment shaping their perception of your brand. If those touchpoints don’t align? Trust erodes. Customers leave.

It’s why guest experience isn’t one department’s responsibility; it’s everyone’s.

And it’s why I launched Guest Experience Auditing—to help brands stress-test their experience before guests do. Surveys and NPS scores are useful, but they only capture a fraction of the story. By the time a bad review appears online, the damage is done. And while mystery shopping provides a snapshot, it’s just that—a single moment in time, not a full view of the entire guest journey. None of these methods give you the full picture. And they all rely on one thing: guests taking the time to tell you what’s wrong. But most don’t. If you’ve worked in marketing, you already know that the majority of customers never fill out surveys!

That’s why Guest Experience Auditing is different. It’s a proactive, forensic approach to identifying and fixing guest experience failures. I don’t just observe—I bridge the gap between URL (digital) and IRL (real life), uncovering hidden friction points and misaligned expectations before they impact reputation and revenue.

Because a pretty website means nothing if the in-person experience doesn’t match. Flawless service in-house can’t fix a frustrating booking process that turns guests away before they ever arrive. And if your brand promise and reality don’t align, you’re losing customers before you even know they exist. And all of this is more than just a “nice-to-have.” In 2025, “89% of companies will compete primarily on customer experience”. (Source: Fluent Support)

What You Can Do Today

If you want to identify hidden friction points before guests feel them, start here:

• Walk your guest journey as if you were experiencing it for the first time. Go through your website, booking system, check-in process, or customer service flow as if you had no inside knowledge. Are the steps clear? Does every transition (from digital to physical) feel seamless? Where do you get frustrated, confused, or slowed down?
• Compare your digital and in-person experience. Does your online presence set the right expectations, and does reality match? Is the tone of your brand consistent from marketing to in-person interactions? If you removed your logo, would a guest still recognise it as your brand at every touchpoint?
• Look beyond surveys. Most guests won’t tell you when something is “fine but forgettable.” Instead of waiting for complaints, actively audit your experience. Talk to your team, observe guest behaviour, and test for gaps in service, clarity, and consistency.

And if you want a sharp, objective, and unfiltered look at where your guest experience is costing you customers—let’s talk!