New National Customer Rage Survey reveals civility in freefall across America's marketplace

A new study by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC) and Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business reveals record levels of customer anger, rising online confrontations, and billions in revenue at risk from poor complaint handling.

TEMPE, Ariz., Dec. 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The latest release of the National Customer Rage Survey found that 77 % of U.S. consumers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past 12 months — a rate that has more than doubled since 1976. As a result, businesses are at risk of more than $596 billion in future revenue losses due to ineffective complaint handling and escalating customer dissatisfaction.

The National Customer Rage Survey of 1,000 Americans is the 11th release of the study, dating back to 2003. In addition to tracking complaint-handling and customer satisfaction trends over the past two decades, the 2025 report expands its scope by examining the rise of customer uncivility, crisis-driven incidents, and economic class conflicts — factors now fueling hostility in everyday business interactions.

Customer rage continues to examine the experience of complaining about a product or service problem. In contrast, customer uncivility examines the growing trend of rude, discourteous, and sometimes threatening behavior driven by disagreements over corporate values and sociopolitical issues, including politics, religion, and diversity concerns. The 2025 survey found that 15% of Americans admitted to acting uncivilly toward a business in the past year, and 55% believe customer incivility is increasing, with many attributing it to the moral decay of society and declining respect in daily interactions.

Top customer rage highlights of the study:

• Seventy-seven percent of customers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past year — a rate that has more than doubled since 1976.
• Product and service problems continue to be disappointing, costly, and distressing. Fifty-nine percent of customers reported that their problem wasted time (an average of one full day), 45% cited a financial loss (an average of $1,008), and 32% experienced emotional stress as a direct result of their experience.
• The level of customer rage remains high, with 64% of customers who experienced a problem feeling rage about it, and 50% raising their voice to express displeasure, a record high.
• Customers are becoming increasingly aggressive and vocal. Although revenge-seeking has dipped slightly since 2023, it has more than tripled since 2020, with 7% of customers admitting to seeking revenge for their hassles.
• Complaining has gone digital. 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). At the same time, one in four complainants posted about their most serious problem on social media, yet 43% said the company never responded.

Top customer uncivility highlights of the study:

• Fifteen percent of Americans admitted to personally behaving uncivilly toward a business in the past year — a slight decline from 17% in 2023.
• More than half (55%) of Americans believe customer incivility is on the rise, with 28% citing the moral decay of society as the primary cause — more than double any other explanation.
• The boundaries of acceptable protest against companies' values are blurring. While many Americans still view overt hostility as crossing the line, attitudes about what counts as "civil" or "uncivil" behavior are sharply divided. Nearly one in five believe that making verbal or physical threats, mocking employees, or using profanity can be civil or situationally acceptable when disagreeing with a company's stance on issues like politics, religion, or diversity policies.

This independent study of 1,000 U.S. respondents, conducted online by Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC) in collaboration with the Center for Services Leadership at Arizona State University's W. P. Carey School of Business, builds on research first conducted by customer experience firm TARP for the White House in 1976. CCMC and the Center for Services Leadership have partnered on the National Customer Rage Survey since 2003, providing the nation's longest-running and most consistent measure of customer dissatisfaction and complaint behavior.

"Even after more than two decades of researching customer rage, I remain astonished that — when sorting out ordinary product and service problems — simple kindness and empathy are still in short supply," said Scott M. Broetzmann, president and CEO of Customer Care Measurement & Consulting (CCMC). "The frequency and visibility of customers and companies misbehaving have become disturbingly routine — and, at times, genuinely unsettling.

"Perhaps even more concerning today is how customer hostility continues to evolve," Broetzmann continued. "We're witnessing new forms of conflict that go beyond dissatisfaction — clashes over values, identity, and trust that are reshaping how people interact with businesses in everyday life."

Why it matters:
In an era of rising expectations, instant digital feedback, and declining civility, customers are losing patience — and businesses are losing billions. With 77% of consumers experiencing product or service problems and 64% feeling rage, companies that fail to act with empathy and transparency risk more than negative reviews — they risk long-term erosion of trust and loyalty.

What companies should do:

• Lead with humanity. Acknowledge the customer's frustration with a sincere apology and timely resolution — gestures that cost little but carry lasting impact.
• Treat digital complaints as real complaints. Monitor and respond to messages across chat, email, and social media with the same urgency as calls to a service center.
• Close the social media gap. Nearly half of all social posts about serious problems receive no corporate response — a missed opportunity to turn public criticism into goodwill.
• Address deeper tensions. Recognize that anger and incivility often reflect broader value clashes — not just product failures — and train teams to de-escalate with understanding and respect.

"Defusing customer rage still isn't rocket science," said Thomas Hollmann, executive director of the Center for Services Leadership at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business. "Even as technology and social media transform how people voice their frustrations, the human need to feel heard and respected hasn't changed. A genuine apology, a clear explanation, and a little empathy go a long way. When companies treat customers with dignity — even online — they can turn moments of conflict into lasting loyalty."

The full report is available at customercaremc.com, and The Wall Street Journal recently featured the findings in "American customers are madder than ever."

About the W. P. Carey School of Business
The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University is the largest and one of the top-ranked public business schools in the United States. The school is internationally regarded for its programs and the research productivity of its distinguished faculty members. Students come from more than 120 countries, and W. P. Carey is represented by over 130,000 alumni worldwide.

About the Center for Services Leadership
The Center for Services Leadership (CSL) is a groundbreaking research center within the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University that concentrates on expanding service innovation by combining the latest scientific insights from the academic world with the best of service strategy in the business world. The CSL was created in 1985 as a response to the unique set of challenges that companies faced. While others were focusing on products and manufacturing enterprises, the CSL pioneered the study of service. Today, the Center is a globally recognized authority and thought leader in the science of competing strategically through the profitable use of service. Our purpose is to make a positive difference in how the world is served. To learn more, visit wpcarey.asu.edu.csl.

About Customer Care Measurement & Consulting
CCMC's customer satisfaction and loyalty surveys and analytics are used by leading Fortune 500 companies from every industry to get a better ROI for their investments in the customer experience. Learn more about CCMC by visiting customercaremc.com.

For more information/media contacts:
Shay Moser, W. P. Carey School of Business, [email protected], 480-965-3963
Scott M. Broetzmann, CCMC, [email protected], 703-304-7947

SOURCE W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University