BY JEFF CORBETT

The other day, I stopped for gas at a local convenience store, and since the pay-at-the-pump option was broken, I went inside to pay.

At the register, there was a line of three or four customers, all at the mercy of a sour sales clerk who was obviously having a bad day. When I finally got to the front of the line, she snapped at me. “Pump number?”

Not having the forethought to remember what pump I was on, I apologized. She let out one of those loud theatrical sighs that show disdain.

The rest of the transaction was done in silence. As I was leaving, I looked at her and said, “At least you could have told me to have a nice day.”

With a scowl, she hissed, “It’s ON your receipt!”

The State of Customer Service

Obviously, my experience was not good customer service. Let’s take a deeper look into what’s happening with customer service in 2026.

According to Nextiva.com, “the modern customer is more informed, less patient, and far more demanding than even a few years ago. Customers now want fast replies (often under five minutes), personalized interactions, and … most importantly, they want conversations that feel human.”

Sound familiar?

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as the “2025 National Customer Rage Survey,” a report done every two or three years by Customer Care Measurement and Consulting (CCMC).

Their focus is the state of customer service in the U.S. The 2025 Rage Survey is a doozy. Here are some findings:

· 77% of customers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past year — a rate that has more than doubled since 1976.
· Two out of every three customers with a problem feel rage (64%), and half (50%) raised their voice to express displeasure — a record high (compared to 35% in 2015).
· Digital channels, such as email, chat, and social media, have firmly overtaken the telephone as the primary way customers voice complaints (45% versus 33% by phone).
· One in four complainants posted about their most serious problem on social media, yet 43% said the company never responded.

The good news is that there are still companies who excel and are incredibly good at customer service.

Nextiva.com quotes a Salesforce finding that “88% of customers are more likely to make another purchase with a company after a great experience.” Meanwhile, Hubspot found that 95% of consumers say that customer service impacts brand loyalty.

The Dark Cloud of “Sludge”

Prepare for a bit of bad news. There are some companies who intentionally (and sometimes unintentionally) make it more difficult and time-consuming for customers seeking resolution of a problem or service issue or to lodge a complaint.

You’ve been there; you know that drill.

You call a company trying to cancel a subscription. You get put on hold, and listen to the music repeating itself over and over. Sixteen minutes later, a customer representative answers.

You explain your situation in detail, and while the rep is responding, the call suddenly drops. Your only option is to call back, wait on hold once more, then start all over again with a different rep, and then they have to transfer you to a different department, and you have to explain your situation once more, and they try to persuade you to stay with them for a cheaper rate.

“This frustrating process is no mistake; it is an intentional design technique known as sludge,” according to the Design Lab.

According to Rohitbhargava.com, “Sludge is the behavioral‑science term for unnecessary friction—the administrative gunk that slows people down, wears them out, and often pushes them to give up.

The term “sludge” was first introduced in the 2021 edition of the book “Nudge” by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. They described it as “tortuous administrative demands, endless wait times, and excessive procedural fuss that impede us in our lives.’”

Digital Customer Service

Civicscience.com and Comm100.com offer the following insights into how involved digital has become:

“Up to 89% of contact centers now use AI for their digital frontlines, and chatbots handle an estimated 75% of all digital customer service queries.” This is why I prefer phone calls with real people.

Because AI is typically “the first line of defense,” your initial interaction is highly likely to be automated.

Here are a few ways to tell if you are dealing with a chatbot instead of a real person:
· Incredibly fast (and perfect) replies: Bots usually respond instantly with flawless spelling and grammar, but their tone can feel wooden and repetitive. They also don’t pause to type.
· Deflection instead of resolution: AI bots often provide generic knowledge base links instead of solving specific, multi-layered problems.
· Repetition of the script: If the system ignores your context and endlessly repeats a pre-programmed set of questions, you are likely in a bot loop.

The best way to get out of this and get a human is to write, “I need to cancel my membership.”

Fighting Back

May I share with you how I handle a problem or issue with a representative, who is almost always overseas and has little authority.

My phone calls are usually to request a refund or to return something defective. It also may be to share a bad experience with that company’s customer service. Often, I am seeking some kind of consideration or compensation for a problem I had with an agent.

When the call begins, the first person you usually talk with is a frontline worker. Get their name and a badge number and/or location.

I then give a quick overview of my issue, and ask the agent, “Do you have the authority to tell me ‘yes’ as well as saying ‘no,’” then wait to see what they say.

If they say they can do both, the call proceeds. If they do not have the authority to say “yes” to the solution I offer, then I share with them my favorite quote from Eleanor Roosevelt: “Never let anyone tell you ‘No’ who does not also have the authority to tell you ‘Yes.’ ”

I tell the agent “Since you lack authority to say ‘Yes,’ I am wasting your time and mine as well. Please escalate the call.” If they refuse, report them!

Frontline reps fear the word “escalate.” It means transferring the call to their manager.

Ask the manager your Eleanor Roosevelt question. If you get a “yes,” plead your case. This method has been very successful for me, so give it a try!

Several vital rules: Never use profanity. Also, when you are pursuing a complaint, specify exactly what you want in order for the complaint to be resolved. Write this down prior to your call and read it to them so you don’t deviate from your request.

Use GetHuman.com for the direct phone numbers into all these companies, then let your voice be heard!

Finally, be civil and polite. Be direct and stand your ground. If all else fails, send an email to the president of the company.

I did that recently when a large retailer totally messed up my order, and shortly thereafter received my new printer for free.

Be a savvy and persistent customer, and never give up!

Jeff Corbett is an experienced public speaker, meeting facilitator and sales and marketing professional. He lives in Statesville. He can be reached at jeff@speak-well.com.