Broetzmann said an aggravating factor is the tight job market, where many employers are still struggling to hire enough skilled and experienced workers.

“Issues are creating this tidal wave that is overwhelming companies and organizations that then have to try to respond to them effectively,” he said.

Around 10.8 million jobs remained unfilled across the country as of January, federal data released Wednesday showed, though that number is down from a record high of more than 12 million last March.

A more frequently published survey of consumer behavior also finds customer satisfaction at decade lows. He American Customer Satisfaction Indexwhich analyzes more than 400 companies in 47 industries, stood at 73.4 out of 100 in the last quarter of last year, a level last seen in 2005.

However, that marked a modest 0.3% rebound from 2021 after several straight years of declines.

“You have a really tough job market [for] businesses that rely on human services intervention,” said Forrest Morgeson, ACSI director of research emeritus.

Wages have risen across the country as employers compete for workers amid high inflation, with low-income Americans. see some of the biggest gains. But the median annual income for US customer service representatives it was only $36,920 in 2021, the latest year covered by federal data, compared to $45,760 for all workers at the time.

As the economy continues to add jobs at a rapid pace, Morgeson said many «front-line service personnel have moved on to other positions, leaving them open or with less-skilled people.»

Consumer reactions to the problems they face are also becoming more aggressive, the anger study found, with 43% of respondents saying they yelled or raised their voices about their most serious problem, up from 35% in 2015.

However, Broetzmann said that’s not an effective way to get results.

“Follow the ‘catch more bees with honey’ model,” he advised. «If you show a degree of kindness, humility and perseverance, that is the best way to get what you want.»

And what customers want goes beyond monetary restitution, according to the survey: 69% of whistleblowers said they want customer service interactions «infused with gratitude, compassion and kindness,» not just cash apologies.