That initial feeling matters more than companies think, too. In a 2025 consumer survey, 76% of shoppers admitted that a smooth, delightful delivery directly influenced whether they would ever buy from that brand again.
People are also more likely to leave negative reviews than positive ones. Software company Zendesk found that 95% of people share negative experiences, compared to 87% who share good ones.
Unhappy customers also spread the word to larger groups. Over half tell more than five people about a bad encounter, while only a third do the same for a good one. Social media follows the same pattern, with people posting far more often about things that went wrong.
As Thrive’s senior reputation manager Tim Clarke points out, people leave plenty of good reviews overall, but they usually need a nudge to do it. “Many positive reviews are solicited, but unhappy people are probably 10 times more likely to write a review than happy customers without any prompting.”
Shipping disasters are never one-sided. While overloaded sellers resort to packing electronics in leftover takeout containers, delivery workers also have to deal with the wild world of consumer entitlement. For every careless packing job, a buyer makes absurd demands — like reaching out to customer support to demand a full refund simply because their dog decided to use the cardboard box as a chew toy.
When you mix exhausted gig workers, capitalist sellers, and demanding buyers, chaos is guaranteed — but understanding the madness behind the scenes makes it a lot easier to laugh when you get an unhinged automated reply from the seller.
#26 Direct Deposits Now Charge You $2. Can't Believe I Used To Advocate For This Platform. Goodbye, Mercari
