Do You Hear the Shocking Sound of Silence From Customers?

Some silences can be more painful than others: The thank-you note that never arrives. The dinner invitation that goes unanswered. The job interview request that’s never returned. The re-order that fails to come through.

Paul Simon’s famous “The Sounds of Silence” always puts me in a melancholy mood—seeing a world of bleakness, where people fail to connect and communicate. The songwriter is definitely correct about this: Silence says meaningful things.

Have you thought what family, friends,...