Don't ghost your customers: how to avoid haunting CX mistakes

It’s spooky season! What’s one of the scariest things a company can do? Ghost their customers.?

No, we’re not talking about haunted houses or creepy clowns—we’re talking about that eerie feeling customers get when they’re left stranded in the digital void, navigating your website or app, only to find that help is nowhere in sight. It’s the modern-day ghost story of customer experience (CX), and it’s one that’s haunting businesses everywhere.

What does it mean to be ghosted in the digital world?

Picture this: A customer excitedly logs into your website or app, ready to make a purchase, troubleshoot an issue, or get a quick question answered. They’re full of hope, expecting seamless navigation, helpful tools, and maybe even a friendly chatbot to guide them. But instead, they find themselves in a maze of confusion, clicking endlessly, hitting dead ends, and finding no clear support options. The once-promising interaction turns cold, and the customer is left feeling abandoned, like they’re shouting into the void with no one there to hear them.

This is what it feels like to be ghosted by a company’s CX. It’s a haunting experience that can lead to frustration, isolation, and eventually—customer abandonment.

Here are a few tell-tale signs of a “ghosted” customer experience:

• Disjointed support: The customer has to navigate multiple platforms to get help—switching from web to phone to email without any continuity.
• Confusing interfaces: Information is hard to find, and the navigation is unclear, leaving customers feeling lost.
• Inadequate automation: The chatbot can’t answer key questions, and there’s no option for human help.
• Eerily absent support channels: Real-time help options like live chat or co-browsing are missing, leaving customers stuck.

Sound familiar? If so, your customers might be experiencing the chilling effects of a ghostly CX.

The cost and impact of ghosting your customers

Ghosting customers is more than just a fleeting fright. It can have long-term, gruesome effects on your business.?

When customers feel isolated or unsupported, they’re much more likely to abandon their purchase or interaction altogether—and they’re probably not coming back. In fact, according to PwC’s 2024 trust survey, 40% of consumers said they stopped buying from a company because they didn’t trust it. And poor customer experience is a key driver behind that lack of trust.

Here are a few of the most gruesome consequences of ghosting your customers:

• Lower CX scores: Frustrated customers are likely to leave negative feedback, dragging down your overall CX ratings and scaring away more business.
• Loss of retention and loyalty: When customers don’t feel valued or supported, they’re less likely to stick around for repeat business.
• Decreased revenue: Abandonment due to poor CX leads directly to lost sales—and the cumulative effect over time can be devastating.
• Damaged brand reputation: Word of mouth is powerful, and negative experiences travel fast in today’s hyper-connected world.

In short, spooky CX can lead to a real-world horror show for your bottom line. But don’t fear! There’s a way to turn things around and bring your CX back from the dead.

Avoid ghosting customers with real-time solutions

So, how do you prevent your customers from feeling like they’ve been ghosted? It’s all about bringing human interaction back into the digital experience.?

With human-guided CX, companies have the opportunity to provide all treats and no tricks for their customers, delivering real-time support that feels warm, personal, and effective.

Think of it this way: Instead of letting your customers wander through the fog of confusing navigation and unhelpful bots, you empower your team to step in and offer real-time assistance, slashing through the uncertainty with empathy and expertise. You unmask your heroes—your support agents—and give them the tools they need to help customers find their way quickly and painlessly.

Here are some of the key ingredients to bringing life back to your CX:

• Human-guided assistance: Integrating real-time support options like co-browsing, live chat, or video interactions helps customers feel seen and heard.
• Proactive support: Don’t wait for your customers to get frustrated—use AI and analytics to anticipate their needs and offer help before they even ask.
• Consistent experiences across platforms: Whether your customer is on a mobile app, website, or talking to a representative, the experience should feel seamless.
• Empathy and personalization: Train your agents to provide not just answers, but personalized solutions that show customers they’re valued. Learn how to deliver empathy at scale in this post.

For a real-world example of this in action, take a look at the case of SoFi. SoFi partnered with Glance to implement co-browsing technology that allowed them to guide customers through complex financial processes in real-time. This approach slashed through the confusion customers faced on their own and led to higher satisfaction, increased trust, and improved customer retention. Read more here.

Stopping the ghosting before it happens

While digital-first strategies are essential in today’s world, they shouldn’t be digital-only. Successful CX strategies must include both AI and human support to meet customers where they are and ensure they feel connected, not ghosted.

This is backed by the 2025 CX trends from NICE, which highlight two key points:

1. Outbound will become the dominant CX strategy, meaning companies need to proactively engage with customers before they even realize they need help.
2. Digital-first, but not digital-only: Businesses need to be prepared to offer real-time human support when AI and self-service options fall short.

By combining AI with empathetic, human-guided CX, companies can stop ghosting their customers and start building long-term relationships based on trust and loyalty.

Don’t let your customers vanish into thin air

No customer wants to feel like they’ve been left to wander aimlessly through your digital space, unable to find the help they need. Ghosting your customers not only frustrates them but also leads to tangible losses for your business. The good news? You have the power to change the narrative.

With human-guided CX solutions, you can turn those eerie experiences into positive, trust-building interactions that keep customers coming back for more. So, this spooky season, make sure your CX isn’t the thing giving customers chills.

Ready to slash through the fog and stop ghosting your customers? Learn more about how Glance can help you bring your CX back to life at glance.cx.