The average adult is currently harbouring seven grudges, Trustpilot research reveals

• 78 per cent have a lingering resentment of some sort, including not getting a job, being dumped and bad customer service experiences - whilst seven in 10 people agree that holding onto resentment is bad for your health

• Despite this, a third admit they have held onto lingering gripes for so long they "can't remember what they are"

• New research comes as part of Trustpilot’s Helping Hands campaign, which aims to remind everyone about the importance of communicating in a constructive and considered way online

LONDON, NEW YORK, MELBOURNE, PARIS, AMSTERDAM, MILAN - 19 JANUARY 2021 - The average adult is currently harbouring seven grudges, according to new research by leading online reviews platform, Trustpilot.

The study — which polled 12,000 adults globally* — found 78 per cent have a lingering resentment of some sort, including not getting a job, being dumped and bad customer service experiences. As many as one in two openly admit they tend to make quick and potentially unfair judgements about people, businesses, and situations. On average, the longest adults have ever held onto a grudge is five years — but 15 per cent have maintained one for 11 years or more. 

Around a third admitted their mental health has suffered as a direct result of ongoing feuds - which could partly explain why over a third regret holding grudges. For some, the likelihood of developing a grudge appears to be higher when interacting online — a third revealed they tend to be rash when posting messages, comments, or feedback across the internet. 

What’s more, over a third admitted they are guilty of forgetting that behind businesses are real people — which could be a factor in why one in 10 have posted negative feedback online about a business, product or service, only to regret it later.

This research comes as part of Trustpilot’s new Helping Hands campaign, which aims to remind both consumers and businesses to pause, take a moment and have constructive and useful conversations online. 

The study also found that, following a disappointing experience with a business, 50 percent of people changed their opinion from bad to good after the business went the extra mile to make up for it. This finding from the study suggests it is possible to forgive and forget — indeed, 59 percent of everyone polled felt this way.

Carolyn Jameson, Chief Trust Officer at Trustpilot, said: “In today’s world, conversations online move quickly and we can often type before we think. When it comes to discussions between consumers and businesses, we’re keen to remind everyone to take a moment and remember how valuable that feedback can be — it’s important to communicate in a considered way.

“In contrast to other parts of the internet, reviews on Trustpilot allow for a simplified, public conversation that is open for everyone to see. Feedback which is constructive, whether positive or negative, helps people shop with more confidence and businesses learn how to do better.

“Consumers also have the option to go back at any time and update their review, should their experience with the business have changed - whether positively or negatively. Businesses on our platform also have the opportunity to respond publicly, to reassure consumers that they listen and care about what their customers have to say. When it comes to submitting new reviews, one of the most important things to consider is what information would help you make a better decision when shopping online.”

Top 10 grudges held globally

1. Someone I trusted going behind my back

2. Being accused of something I didn’t do

3. Someone who cheated on me

4. When I lent someone money/an item and they never gave it back

5. Something I paid for being a disappointment

6. Someone else taking the credit for something I did

7. Someone who picked on/ridiculed me when I was a child

8. When a business provided poor customer service

9. When someone mocked me based on my appearance

10. When a business did not deliver on its promises

*A nationally representative group of 2,000 people were polled in the UK, US, Australia, Netherlands, France and Italy respectively.

ENDS

Read this press release in Dutch, French and Italian.

About Trustpilot

Trustpilot was founded in 2007 with a vision to create an independent currency of trust.

A digital platform that brings businesses and consumers together to foster trust and inspire collaboration. We are free to use, open to everybody and built on transparency.

Trustpilot hosts reviews to help consumers shop with confidence and deliver rich insights to help businesses improve the experience they offer. The more consumers use our platform and share their own opinions, the richer the insights we offer businesses, and the more opportunities they have to earn the trust of consumers, from all around the world.

 Over 144 million consumer reviews of businesses and products of over 626,000 domains have been posted on Trustpilot, and those numbers are growing by more than one review per second.  

Trustpilot has over 840 employees and is headquartered in Copenhagen, with operations in London, Edinburgh, New York, Denver, Melbourne, Berlin, Vilnius, Milan and Amsterdam.