Customer Service Statistics 2026: Bad Service, Satisfaction and AI
Bad customer experiences put an estimated $2.94 trillion of consumer sales at risk worldwide in 2026, according to Qualtrics XM Institute. In the US, 52% of consumers stopped using a brand after a bad product or service experience, according to PwC. Service is slowly getting better in the UK, where satisfaction rose to 78.3 out of 100. Customers still want people. 87% say firms using GenAI for service must offer a route to a human agent, according to Gartner.
Key statistics
- Bad customer experiences put an estimated $2.94 trillion of consumer sales at risk worldwide in 2026, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
- 52% of US consumers stopped using or buying from a brand after a bad product or service experience in 2025, according to PwC.
- UK customer satisfaction scored 78.3 out of 100 in July 2026, up 1 point on a year earlier, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
- 87% of customers said companies using GenAI for customer service must offer an option to reach a human agent in 2026, according to Gartner.
- The US accounted for 33% of global sales at risk from bad customer experiences in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
Cost of bad customer service
Qualtrics XM Institute puts a dollar figure on bad experiences. It multiplies how often experiences go wrong by how often that leads people to spend less, then scales the result to household spending in each country.
Qualtrics estimates $2.94 trillion of sales are at risk in 2026. Its estimate a year earlier was $3.8 trillion, so the figure fell by about 23%. Part of that is real. Consumers cut spending after 47% of bad experiences, down 8 points. Part is method. Qualtrics covered fewer countries and industries this time, and it assumes the rest of the world behaves like the 14 countries it surveyed.
Most of the risk is quieter than a lost customer. Reduced spending makes up $2,075 billion, or 71% of the total. Customers who stop spending entirely account for the other $865 billion.
The US carries a third of the global total, $973 billion, because it spends the most. Measured as a share of spending, Mexico is the most exposed at 8.0%, and Japan the least at 1.9%. That makes Mexico's rate 4.2 times Japan's. The UK sits low on the list at 3.8%.
Source: Qualtrics XM Institute, 2026 sales-at-risk study.
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Bad customer experiences put an estimated $2.94 trillion of consumer sales at risk worldwide in 2026, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Qualtrics XM Institute estimated $3.8 trillion of global sales were at risk from bad experiences in its 2025 study.
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The global sales at risk from bad experiences fell 23% from $3.8 trillion to $2.94 trillion between the 2025 and 2026 estimates, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
How we calculated it: ($2.94 trillion - $3.8 trillion) / $3.8 trillion = -22.6%, rounded to -23%. Qualtrics changed its country and industry coverage between studies, so part of the fall is method.
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Bad customer experiences put $973 billion of US consumer sales at risk in 2026, the most of any country, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Bad customer experiences put $78 billion of UK consumer sales, or 3.8% of consumption, at risk in 2026, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Mexico had the highest share of consumer spending at risk from bad experiences in 2026, at 8.0%, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Japan had the lowest share of consumer spending at risk from bad experiences in 2026, at 1.9%, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Mexico had 4.2 times Japan's share of consumer spending at risk from bad experiences in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
How we calculated it: 8.0% of consumption at risk in Mexico / 1.9% in Japan = 4.2.
| Country | Reduced spending ($bn) | Stopped spending ($bn) | Total at risk ($bn) | Share of consumption |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 690 | 283 | 973 | 4.9% |
| Germany | 69 | 42 | 111 | 4.9% |
| Mexico | 82 | 22 | 104 | 8.0% |
| Brazil | 75 | 27 | 102 | 7.3% |
| France | 64 | 33 | 97 | 6.0% |
| United Kingdom | 54 | 24 | 78 | 3.8% |
| Canada | 35 | 16 | 51 | 4.3% |
| Japan | 28 | 16 | 44 | 1.9% |
| Australia | 31 | 12 | 43 | 4.8% |
| Netherlands | 14 | 6 | 21 | 4.3% |
| UAE | 13 | 3 | 16 | 6.7% |
| Sweden | 10 | 4 | 14 | 5.6% |
| New Zealand | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4.6% |
| Singapore | 5 | 2 | 7 | 4.0% |
| Global (modelled) | 2,075 | 865 | 2,940 | 4.8% |
Bad customer service statistics
Two large surveys ask what people do after a bad experience. They ask different questions, so their numbers are close but not the same thing.
52% of US consumers told PwC they had stopped using or buying from a brand after a bad product or service experience. A narrower question, about poor customer experience alone, got 29%. Qualtrics measures something else. Across 14 countries, 47% of bad experiences led people to spend less. PwC counts people, Qualtrics counts experiences, so the 5-point gap is not a real difference.
Bad experiences are not common, but they are costly when they happen. Qualtrics found 11% of experiences were poor. The share leading to cut spending was highest in fast food at 62% and online retail at 58%. It fell from about 55% to 47% in a year, so customers cut back after a bad experience less often than before.
Fewer people complain. Only 29% told the company directly after a bad experience in 2025, down from about 36.5% in 2021. The share who said nothing rose from about 21% to 30%. Silent customers who spend less are hard to spot in complaint data. For how customers respond to tailored service, see our personalization statistics.
Source: Qualtrics XM Institute 2026 Consumer Experience Trends Report. 2021 shares calculated by StatisticsGlobal from the reported point changes.
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52% of US consumers stopped using or buying from a brand after a bad product or service experience in 2025, according to PwC.
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29% of US consumers stopped using or buying from a brand because of poor customer experience in 2025, according to PwC.
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Consumers cut spending after 47% of bad experiences across 14 countries in 2025, down 8 points on the year before, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Consumers cut spending after about 55% of bad experiences in the previous year's study, compared with 47% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
How we calculated it: 47% in 2025 + the 8-point fall Qualtrics reports = 55% in the prior-year study (Q3 2024 fieldwork).
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34% of consumers in 14 countries reduced their spending with a company after a negative experience in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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13% of consumers in 14 countries cut their spending with a company entirely after a negative experience in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Consumers cut spending after 62% of bad fast food experiences across 14 countries in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Consumers cut spending after 58% of bad online retail experiences across 14 countries in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Only 29% of consumers in 14 countries told the company directly after a bad experience in 2025, down 7.5 points since 2021, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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About 36.5% of consumers told the company directly after a bad experience in 2021, against 29% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
How we calculated it: 29% in 2025 + the 7.5-point fall since 2021 = 36.5% in 2021.
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30% of consumers in 14 countries said nothing at all after a bad experience in 2025, up 9 points since 2021, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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About 21% of consumers said nothing at all after a bad experience in 2021, against 30% in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Qualtrics XM Institute data.
How we calculated it: 30% in 2025 - the 9-point rise since 2021 = 21% in 2021.
| Measure | Share | Source and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Stopped using a brand after a bad product or service experience | 52% of consumers | PwC, US, 2025 |
| Stopped using a brand due to poor customer experience | 29% of consumers | PwC, US, 2025 |
| Bad experiences that led to cut spending | 47% of bad experiences | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Reduced spending with a company after a negative experience | 34% of consumers | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Cut spending with a company entirely | 13% of consumers | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Told the company directly after a bad experience | 29% of consumers | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Said nothing at all | 30% of consumers | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
Customer satisfaction statistics 2026
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) is the longest-running national score that is free to read. The Institute of Customer Service has published it twice a year since 2008.
UK satisfaction reached 78.3 out of 100 in July 2026, up 1 point on a year earlier but only 0.1 points above January 2026. The rise has slowed. Six of 13 sectors improved by more than 1 point over the year.
Banks and building societies are top for the first time, at 82.0. Utilities score lowest of the published sectors at 73.7, which leaves an 8.3-point gap. The weakest sectors improved most. Telecoms rose 2.2 points and utilities 2.0, while food retail did not move.
The UKCSI is a UK measure. Qualtrics found the UK had one of the lowest shares of spending at risk from bad experiences, at 3.8%. The two sources use different methods, but both point to a market where service is improving slowly.
Source: Institute of Customer Service, UKCSI July 2026.
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UK customer satisfaction scored 78.3 out of 100 in July 2026, up 1 point on a year earlier, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK customer satisfaction scored 77.3 out of 100 in July 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Institute of Customer Service data.
How we calculated it: July 2026 UKCSI of 78.3 - the 1-point year-on-year rise = 77.3.
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Banks and building societies were the top UK sector for customer satisfaction for the first time in July 2026, scoring 82.0, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK banks and building societies scored 81.1 out of 100 for customer satisfaction in July 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Institute of Customer Service data.
How we calculated it: July 2026 sector score of 82.0 - the 0.9-point rise on July 2025 = 81.1.
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6 of 13 UK sectors improved customer satisfaction by more than 1 point between July 2025 and July 2026, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK telecommunications and media scored 76.6 out of 100 for customer satisfaction in July 2026, up 2.2 points on a year earlier, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK food retail scored 80.6 out of 100 for customer satisfaction in July 2026, unchanged on July 2025, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK utilities scored 73.7 out of 100 for customer satisfaction in July 2026, up 2 points on July 2025, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
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UK banks led utilities by 8.3 points on customer satisfaction in July 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Institute of Customer Service data.
How we calculated it: Banks and building societies 82.0 - utilities 73.7 = 8.3 points.
| Sector | July 2025 (calculated) | July 2026 | Change (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Banks & building societies | 81.1 | 82 | +0.9 |
| Tourism | 80.5 | 80.9 | +0.4 |
| Retail (food) | 80.6 | 80.6 | 0.0 |
| Leisure & hospitality | 80 | 80.6 | +0.6 |
| Telecommunications & media | 74.4 | 76.6 | +2.2 |
| Services | 76.6 | 76.6 | 0.0 |
| Transport | 73.9 | 75.7 | +1.8 |
| Public services (national) | 74 | 74.9 | +0.9 |
| Public services (local) | 72.7 | 74 | +1.3 |
| Utilities | 71.7 | 73.7 | +2.0 |
| All sectors (UKCSI) | 77.3 | 78.3 | +1.0 |
AI vs human customer service statistics
Companies are under pressure to add AI to service. Customers use it, but most still want a person on call. Gartner asked both sides.
91% of service leaders told Gartner they were under pressure from executives to implement AI. Most do not plan to remove people. 84% planned to add new skills to the agent role, and 58% aimed to turn agents into knowledge management specialists.
Customers are split. Half say GenAI makes service easier, but 87% say firms must keep a route to a human, a 37-point gap. Many are already using AI on their own terms. Customers were about 3 times more likely to use a third-party tool than a company chatbot in their latest service contact.
Comfort depends on the task. 49% of US consumers would use AI to track an order, but only 29% would use it to pay, a 20-point gap. 86% still say human contact matters. Qualtrics found AI for customer service failed to deliver any benefit almost 4 times as often as AI in general. For which AI tools people use, see our AI chatbot market share page.
Sources: Gartner 2026 customer survey; PwC 2025 Customer Experience Survey (US).
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91% of customer service and support leaders reported pressure from executives to implement AI in 2025, according to Gartner.
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84% of customer service leaders planned to add new skills to the agent role and adjust hiring profiles in 2025, according to Gartner.
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58% of customer service leaders aimed to upskill agents into knowledge management specialists in 2025, according to Gartner.
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87% of customers said companies using GenAI for customer service must offer an option to reach a human agent in 2026, according to Gartner.
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50% of customers said their service interactions were easier when companies used GenAI in 2026, according to Gartner.
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The share of customers wanting a route to a human agent was 37 points higher than the share finding GenAI service easier in 2026, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from Gartner data.
How we calculated it: 87% say an option to reach a human is essential - 50% say interactions are easier with GenAI = 37 percentage points.
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58% of customers who use GenAI had used it to complete a task on their behalf in 2026, rising to 74% in B2B, according to Gartner.
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Customers were about 3 times more likely to use third-party GenAI tools than company chatbots in their latest service interaction in 2026, according to Gartner.
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86% of US consumers said human interaction is moderately or very important to their brand experience in 2025, according to PwC.
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58% of US consumers were only somewhat or not at all comfortable using AI tools to engage with brands in 2025, according to PwC.
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49% of US consumers were likely to use AI to track an order or delivery status in 2025, according to PwC.
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29% of US consumers would use AI to make a payment in 2025, according to PwC.
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US consumers were 20 points more willing to use AI to track an order than to make a payment in 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from PwC data.
How we calculated it: 49% likely to use AI to track an order or delivery - 29% would use AI to make a payment = 20 percentage points.
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Human interaction mattered to 86% of US consumers in 2025, 37 points more than the 49% who would use AI to track an order, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from PwC data.
How we calculated it: 86% say human interaction is moderately or very important - 49% likely to use AI to track an order = 37 percentage points.
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Consumers who used AI for customer service were almost 4 times as likely to see no benefit as with AI use in general in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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Half of consumers in 14 countries were concerned that company AI use would stop them reaching a human in 2025, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
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53% of consumers in 14 countries feared companies would misuse their personal data with AI in 2025, up 8 points in a year, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
| Measure | Share | Source and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Say firms using GenAI must offer a route to a human | 87% | Gartner, 3,566 customers, 2026 |
| Say human interaction is moderately or very important | 86% | PwC, US consumers, 2025 |
| Not fully comfortable using AI tools with brands | 58% | PwC, US consumers, 2025 |
| Fear misuse of personal data | 53% | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Worried AI will stop them reaching a human | 50% | Qualtrics, 14 countries, 2025 |
| Say GenAI makes service interactions easier | 50% | Gartner, 3,566 customers, 2026 |
| Likely to use AI to track an order | 49% | PwC, US consumers, 2025 |
| Would use AI to make a payment | 29% | PwC, US consumers, 2025 |
Customer service jobs and pay
Official US data shows how many people work in customer service and what they earn. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the job count to shrink slowly.
The US had 2,666,000 customer service representative jobs in 2025. The median pay was $44,770 a year, or $21.53 an hour. Pay depends on the industry. Agents in insurance earned 25% more an hour than those in retail, the largest employer.
BLS projects a 5% fall, or 141,800 jobs, from 2025 to 2035. That is about 14,180 jobs a year. But about 289,500 openings are still expected each year, roughly 20 times the yearly loss, because many people leave the job.
Firms are still spending on the customer side. 84% of US executives told PwC they had raised spending on customer loyalty, and 70% felt customer expectations were moving faster than their company could adapt. For selling roles, see our sales statistics.
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook.
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The US had 2,666,000 customer service representative jobs in 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US customer service representatives earned a median $44,770 a year, or $21.53 an hour, in May 2025, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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US customer service representative jobs are projected to fall 5%, or 141,800 jobs, from 2025 to 2035, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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About 289,500 US customer service representative openings are projected each year from 2025 to 2035, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Projected yearly openings for US customer service representatives are about 20 times the average yearly job loss from 2025 to 2035, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: 289,500 openings a year / (141,800 jobs lost / 10 years = 14,180 a year) = 20.4. Most openings come from workers leaving the occupation.
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US customer service representatives in insurance earned 25% more an hour than those in retail in May 2025, calculated by StatisticsGlobal from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
How we calculated it: Median hourly wage $22.47 in insurance carriers and related activities / $17.96 in retail trade = 1.251, so 25% more ($4.51 an hour).
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70% of US executives felt customer expectations were evolving faster than their company could adapt in 2025, according to PwC.
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84% of US executives said they had increased spending on customer loyalty in 2025, according to PwC.
| Industry | Share of jobs | Median hourly wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 15% | $17.96 |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 12% | $22.47 |
| Business support services | 8% | $17.68 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 7% | $21.77 |
| Healthcare and social assistance | 6% | $21.49 |
| All industries | 100% | $21.53 |
How these sources measure customer service
Customer service has no single measure. Each source here asks a different question of a different group, so the numbers should not be added together.
Consumer surveys: PwC surveyed 5,511 US adults and 406 executives online from 21 May to 30 June 2025, weighted to the census. Qualtrics XM Institute surveyed 20,001 consumers in 14 countries in Q3 2025. Gartner surveyed 3,566 B2B and B2C customers in February and March 2026, and 321 service leaders in October 2025, without naming countries.
Sales at risk is a model, not a count. Qualtrics multiplies the share of poor experiences by the share that lead to cut spending, then applies it to household consumption. Its 14 countries make up 57% of world consumption, and it assumes the rest of the world matches them. Coverage changed between years, so the fall from $3.8 trillion is partly a method change.
The UKCSI rates real experiences in the previous three months. It draws on over 15,000 UK consumers and 59,500 customer experiences, with fieldwork in September to October 2025 and March to April 2026. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics data is official employment and wage data, and its projections are estimates.
Price and trust shape service too. 69% of US consumers say comparing prices significantly influences their decision to engage with a brand, and 93% say a brand loses their trust if it mishandles their data. PwC and Gartner sell consulting and Qualtrics sells experience software. That does not make their numbers wrong, but it shapes what they ask. We leave out widely repeated older figures we could not trace to a current primary page.
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69% of US consumers said comparing prices significantly influences their decision to engage with a brand in 2025, according to PwC.
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93% of US consumers said a brand would lose their trust if it mishandled their data in 2025, according to PwC.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of customers leave after bad customer service?
52% of US consumers stopped using or buying from a brand after a bad product or service experience in 2025, according to PwC. Across 14 countries, 13% of consumers cut their spending with a company entirely after a negative experience, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
How much does bad customer service cost businesses?
Qualtrics XM Institute estimates $2.94 trillion of consumer sales are at risk worldwide in 2026, down from its $3.8 trillion estimate a year earlier. The US accounts for $973 billion, about a third of the total.
Which country has the most sales at risk from bad customer experiences?
The US has the most in dollars, $973 billion in 2026. As a share of spending, Mexico is highest at 8.0%, followed by Brazil at 7.3%. Japan is lowest at 1.9%, according to Qualtrics XM Institute.
Is customer service getting better or worse than last year?
In the UK it is slowly improving. The UKCSI rose 1 point to 78.3 out of 100 in July 2026, according to the Institute of Customer Service. Qualtrics found consumers cut spending after 47% of bad experiences in 2025, down 8 points.
Do customers prefer AI or human customer service?
Most want a human available. 87% say firms using GenAI must offer a route to a human agent, according to Gartner, though 50% say GenAI makes service easier. 86% of US consumers say human interaction is important, according to PwC.
Will AI replace customer service jobs?
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects customer service representative jobs to fall 5%, or 141,800, from 2025 to 2035, with about 289,500 openings a year still expected. Gartner found 84% of service leaders plan to add new skills to the agent role.
Sources
- Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at Risk due to Bad Customer Experiences in 2026, 12 November 2025, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- PwC, PwC's 2025 Customer Experience Survey, 29 September 2025, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Institute of Customer Service, UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI), July 2026, July 2026, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 87% of Customers Say Companies Using GenAI for Customer Service Must Provide Access to a Human Agent, 4 August 2026, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Qualtrics XM Institute, Businesses Risk $3 Trillion in Sales From Poor Customer Experiences as Consumers Cut Spending, 12 November 2025, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Qualtrics XM Institute, AI-Powered Customer Service Fails at Four Times the Rate of Other Tasks (2026 Consumer Experience Trends Report), 7 October 2025, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 91% of Customer Service Leaders Under Pressure to Implement AI in 2026, 18 February 2026, accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Customer Service Representatives, 2026 edition (page modified 29 October 2026), accessed 30 October 2026. Link · Saved data copy
Changes to this page
- : Page published with PwC 2025 Customer Experience Survey, Qualtrics XM Institute 2026 sales-at-risk and Consumer Experience Trends data, the Institute of Customer Service UKCSI July 2026, Gartner customer and service leader surveys, and US Bureau of Labor Statistics data.