The numbers behind the choice
Customer Support Statistics 2026
This page collects the customer support numbers that matter when you choose help desk software or decide how to staff a support team: satisfaction trends, complaint volumes, the cost of bad service, first contact resolution, chatbots and self-service, customer expectations and the support workforce. Most figures cover the United States, with UK, Australian and global comparisons, and describe 2025 and 2026 unless a different year is stated.
By the KeenVerdict research desk · Updated November 4, 2026 · 50 figures from 18 sources
55 of 55 source quotes re-checked against the original pages on November 4, 2026
The short answer
The American Customer Satisfaction Index stood at 76.7 out of 100 in the first quarter of 2026 and, by ACSI's account, has not materially increased since 2017. Qualtrics XM Institute puts nearly $3 trillion of global 2026 sales at risk from bad experiences, and a 2026 Gartner survey found 87% of customers say companies using generative AI for service must offer a way to reach a human agent.
Key figures
- 76.7The U.S. national ACSI score fell 0.3% year over year to 76.7 out of 100 in the first quarter of 2026.American Customer Satisfaction Index
- 77%77% of U.S. customers had a product or service problem in the past year, according to CCMC's 2025 National Customer Rage survey.Customer Care Measurement & Consulting
- 6,635,400The CFPB received 6,635,400 consumer complaints in 2025, roughly double the 3,187,900 it received in 2024.Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- $3 trillionOrganizations worldwide are putting nearly $3 trillion of 2026 sales at risk through bad customer experiences, Qualtrics XM Institute estimates.Qualtrics XM Institute
- 71%The average first call resolution rate across call centers is 71%, according to SQM Group's 2026 benchmark.SQM Group
- 27%Only 27% of customers said they would try a chatbot again after a negative experience, in Gartner's 2026 customer survey.Gartner
- 87%87% of customers said it is essential for companies using generative AI in customer service to offer an option to reach a human agent, while 50% said GenAI makes interactions easier (Gartner, survey of 3,566 customers, 2026).Gartner
- 85%85% of customer service and support leaders worldwide were adding new tasks to frontline agent roles as AI reduced contact volume, and 75% were moving agents into new roles, in a Gartner survey of 321 leaders in late 2025.Gartner
Our reading of the data
Service quality is flat to falling. The American Customer Satisfaction Index scored 76.9 at the end of 2025 and 76.7 in the first quarter of 2026, and ACSI says the index has not materially increased since 2017. Forrester found 25% of U.S. brands' CX rankings declined in 2025 while 7% improved. The UK moved the other way, with the Institute of Customer Service's UKCSI up 1 point to 78.3 in July 2026.
Problems are common and complaint volumes depend on the channel. CCMC's 2025 National Customer Rage survey found 77% of U.S. customers had a product or service problem in the past year, and only 40% of complainants were delighted or completely satisfied with the outcome. Complaints to the CFPB about financial products roughly doubled again to 6,635,400 in 2025, while Australia's Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman saw complaints fall 6.5% to 53,834 in 2025 to 2026.
Bad service is expensive. Qualtrics XM Institute estimates nearly $3 trillion of 2026 sales are at risk globally, including $973 billion in the U.S., and CCMC puts U.S. revenue at risk from poor complaint handling at $596 billion. SQM Group estimates about 40% of customers may defect each year because an issue was not resolved on first contact, and its 2026 benchmark puts average first call resolution at 71%.
AI is spreading in support faster than customers are adopting company chatbots. Salesforce's service survey respondents estimated AI handled 30% of cases in 2025 and expect 50% by 2027. Yet Gartner found only 7% of customers used a chatbot in their most recent service interaction, only 27% would try one again after a bad experience, and only 24% of service leaders could show positive financial returns from AI. Gartner also found 85% of service leaders are adding responsibilities to human agents rather than replacing them, and the U.S. still employs about 2.7 million customer service representatives at a median $21.53 an hour, according to the BLS.
Customer satisfaction trends
- 1.
The U.S. national ACSI score fell 0.3% year over year to 76.7 out of 100 in the first quarter of 2026.
American Customer Satisfaction Index, National ACSI Q1 2026 (May 2026)
Source quote
In the first quarter of 2026, the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI®) fell 0.3% to a score of 76.7 (100-point scale) on an annual basis.
- 2.
The U.S. national ACSI score held at 76.9 out of 100 in the fourth quarter of 2025, based on a sample of about 200,000 customers.
American Customer Satisfaction Index, National ACSI Q4 2025 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
From a sample of about 200,000 customers, the national ACSI score holds at 76.9 (out of 100) for the fourth quarter of 2025.
- 3.
The ACSI fell 0.5% year over year at the end of 2025 and has not materially increased since 2017.
American Customer Satisfaction Index, National ACSI Q4 2025 (Feb 2026)
Source quote
On an annual basis, the Index fell by 0.5% and has not materially increased since 2017.
- 4.
The UK Customer Satisfaction Index was 78.3 out of 100 in July 2026, up 1 point from a year earlier.
Institute of Customer Service, UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) (Jul 2026)
Source quote
The July 2026 UKCSI is 78.3 (out of 100), up 1 point compared to a year ago but just 0.1 points higher than January 2026.
- 5.
Banks and building societies were the UK's highest-rated sector for customer satisfaction for the first time in July 2026, scoring 82.0.
Institute of Customer Service, UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) (Jul 2026)
Source quote
Banks & Building Societies (82.0) is the highest rated sector for the first time
- 6.
25% of U.S. brands saw their customer experience rankings decline in 2025, compared with 7% that improved, in Forrester's CX Index.
Forrester, Forrester's 2025 Global Customer Experience Index Rankings (Jun 2025)
Source quote
In the US, for the second year in a row, 25% of brands' customer experience rankings declined in 2025, compared to only 7% that improved.
- 7.
Globally, 20% of brands evaluated by Forrester in both 2025 and 2026 improved their CX Index scores, while 8% declined.
Forrester, Forrester Reveals The Top 10 Highest-Performing Brands In Its 2026 Global Total Experience Score Rankings (Jun 2026)
Source quote
Globally, 20% of CX Index scores improved while 8% declined for the brands that were evaluated in both 2025 and 2026.
Chart
Change in brands' CX Index rankings, global, 2025
More than 275,000 customers' perceptions of 469 brands across 13 countries, published June 2025.
- Remained unchanged73%
- Declined21%
- Improved6%
Source: Forrester, Forrester's 2025 Global Customer Experience Index Rankings
Problems, complaints and how they are handled
- 8.
77% of U.S. customers had a product or service problem in the past year, according to CCMC's 2025 National Customer Rage survey.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
Our 2025 survey reveals that: 77% of customers reported experiencing a product or service problem in the past year—a rate that has more than doubled since 1976.
- 9.
64% of U.S. customers with a problem said they felt rage in 2025.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
Two out of every three customers with a problem feel rage (64%), and half (50%) raised their voice to express displeasure—a record high.
- 10.
Only 40% of U.S. complainants were delighted or completely satisfied with how their issue was resolved in 2025.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
Currently, 40% of complainants report being delighted or completely satisfied with how their issues were resolved.
- 11.
32% of U.S. customers cited emotional stress as a direct result of how their complaint was handled in 2025.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
The emotional toll on customers is equally sobering: 32% of customers cite emotional stress as a direct result of their complaint resolution experience.
- 12.
19% of Americans rated customer care as excellent in 2025, up from 12% across 2002 to 2022.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
On one hand, customers are perceiving real improvements: the proportion of Americans rating customer care as "Excellent" rose from 12% (2002–2022) to 19% in 2025.
- 13.
24% of U.S. complainants posted their issue on social media in 2025, and 43% of those posts got no response from the company.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
Social media, poses new challenges: the proportion of complainants posting their issues on social platforms rose from 14% (2002–2022) to 24% in 2025, but 43% of these posts received no corporate response at all.
- 14.
The CFPB received 6,635,400 consumer complaints in 2025, roughly double the 3,187,900 it received in 2024.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (Mar 2026)
Source quote
Since then, the number of complaints have roughly doubled each year: 3,187,900 complaints in 2024 and 6,635,400 complaints the CFPB received in 2025.
- 15.
Financial companies gave a timely response to more than 99% of complaints the CFPB sent them in 2025.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (Mar 2026)
Source quote
Companies, in turn, provided a timely response to more than 99% of complaints sent to them for review and response.
- 16.
In 88% of 2025 credit reporting complaints to the CFPB, consumers said they had first tried to resolve the issue with the company.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (Mar 2026)
Source quote
In 88% of these complaints, consumers reported first attempting to resolve their issue with the company.
- 17.
The CFPB sent about 5,984,100 of the complaints it received in 2025, or 90%, to companies for review and response.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (Mar 2026)
Source quote
Of the approximately 6,635,400 complaints the CFPB received in 2025, it sent approximately 5,984,100 (or 90%) to companies for review and response, referred 3% to other regulatory agencies, and found 7% to be not actionable.
- 18.
Australia's Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman received 53,834 phone and internet complaints in the 2025 to 2026 financial year, down 6.5% on the year before.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Annual Report 2025-26 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
In FY2025–26, we received a total of 53,834 complaints, down 6.5% compared to 2024-25.
- 19.
14,953 Australians returned to the telecom ombudsman in 2025 to 2026 because their complaint was still unresolved after being referred back to their provider, down 8.1% on the year before.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Annual Report 2025-26 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
14,953 people came back to the TIO after their first referral to their provider, down 8.1 per cent on FY2024-25.
- 20.
Mobile services drew 24,880 complaints to Australia's telecom ombudsman in 2025 to 2026, the most of any service, though 3.5% fewer than a year earlier.
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Annual Report 2025-26 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
We received 24,880 complaints about mobile services, a decrease of 3.5 per cent on FY2024-25.
Chart
Consumer complaints received by the CFPB, 2019 to 2025
Complaints about consumer financial products, most of them about credit or consumer reporting. 2020 and 2022 not reported in the source sentence.
- 2019352,400
- 2021994,000
- 20231,657,600
- 20243,187,900
- 20256,635,400
Source: Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025
The cost of bad service
- 21.
Organizations worldwide are putting nearly $3 trillion of 2026 sales at risk through bad customer experiences, Qualtrics XM Institute estimates.
Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Source quote
Qualtrics XM Institute estimates that organizations globally are putting nearly $3 trillion of their sales at risk in 2026
- 22.
11% of consumer experiences worldwide were bad in Qualtrics' Q3 2025 survey of more than 20,000 consumers.
Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Source quote
Customers regularly encounter bad experiences; Qualtrics XM Institute's Q3 2025 global consumer research of over 20,000 found that 11% of experiences globally are bad, and 47% of those bad experiences lead customers to cut spending.
- 23.
Consumers cut spending after 47% of bad experiences in 2025, down 8 points from the year before.
Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Source quote
Consumers cut spending after 47% of bad experiences, down 8 points from last year.
- 24.
U.S. organizations risk $973 billion in 2026 sales by delivering bad customer experiences.
Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Source quote
American organizations risk a total of $973 billion – nearly one trillion dollars – of sales by delivering bad customer experiences.
- 25.
Consumers most often cut spending after bad fast food experiences, at 62%, followed by online retail at 58% (2025).
Qualtrics XM Institute, $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025)
Source quote
They most often cut spending after bad fast food (62%) and online retail (58%) experiences, and least often do so after bad public utility experiences.
- 26.
53% of consumers in Qualtrics XM Institute's 2025 survey of 20,000 people in 14 countries worried that AI-enabled customer support poses privacy risks.
Qualtrics XM Institute, 2026 Customer Experience Trends Revealed (Oct 2025)
Source quote
53% of consumers worry AI-enabled support poses privacy risks, and half miss the human touch it replaces.
- 27.
CCMC put the U.S. revenue at risk from poor complaint handling at $596 billion in its 2025 update.
Customer Care Measurement & Consulting, Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025)
Source quote
Our 2025 update calculates the stakes of lousy complaint handling at $596 billion in revenue risk
- 28.
About 40% of customers may defect each year because their issue was not resolved on first contact, SQM Group's call center research finds.
SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026)
Source quote
In addition, approximately 40% of customers may defect to another company each year because their issue was not resolved on the first contact.
Chart
Why calls are not resolved on first contact
SQM Group call center research on sources of error behind failed first contact resolution.
- Organizational policies and processes49%
- Agent errors38%
- Customer miscommunication13%
Source: SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI
First contact resolution, self-service and chatbots
- 29.
The average first call resolution rate across call centers is 71%, according to SQM Group's 2026 benchmark.
SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026)
Source quote
Based on a post-call survey and our AI-powered, rule-based QA evaluation methods, the Call Center Industry benchmark average for the First Call Resolution rate is 71%.
- 30.
Only 5% of call centers reach world-class first call resolution of 80% or higher, SQM Group reports.
SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026)
Source quote
Conversely, the World-class FCR rate is 80% or higher , and only 5% of call centers can achieve it from a CX journey perspective.
- 31.
93% of customers expect their call to be resolved on the first call, according to SQM Group's customer research.
SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026)
Source quote
Moreover, SQM's CX research shows that 93% of customers expect their call to be resolved on the first call.
- 32.
Telecom call centers had the lowest average first call resolution rate in SQM Group's 2026 industry benchmark, at 56%, followed by tech support at 64%.
SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026)
Source quote
At the other end of the spectrum, Telco has the lowest average FCR at 56% , followed by Tech Support at 64% , reflecting the greater challenge of resolving more complex customer issues on the first contact.
- 33.
Only 7% of B2B and B2C customers used a chatbot or digital assistant in their most recent service interaction, though 49% said they would have been willing to, in Gartner's survey of 3,566 customers in February and March 2026.
Gartner, Gartner Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Source quote
While 49% of customers said they would have been willing to use a chatbot if the company had provided one, only 7% used a chatbot or digital assistant during their most recent service interaction.
- 34.
Only 27% of customers said they would try a chatbot again after a negative experience, in Gartner's 2026 customer survey.
Gartner, Gartner Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Only 27% said they would be willing to try a chatbot again after a negative experience.
- 35.
Only 24% of customer service and support leaders could show positive financial returns across their AI use cases, in a Gartner survey of 1,303 senior leaders run from January to April 2026.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are 3x More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026)
Source quote
However, only 24% of service and support leaders demonstrated positive financial returns across their AI use cases.
- 36.
58% of customers who use generative AI have used it to complete a task on their behalf, rising to 74% in B2B settings, Gartner's 2026 survey found.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are 3x More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026)
Source quote
Among customers who use GenAI, 58% said they have used it to complete a task on their behalf.
Chart
Average first call resolution rate by industry, 2026
SQM Group's FCR Benchmarking by Industry Research for 2026, North American call centers, selected industries.
- Retail77%
- Insurance75%
- Not-for-profit73%
- Tech support64%
- Telecom56%
Source: SQM Group, First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI
Customer expectations for AI and human help
- 37.
87% of customers said it is essential for companies using generative AI in customer service to offer an option to reach a human agent, while 50% said GenAI makes interactions easier (Gartner, survey of 3,566 customers, 2026).
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 87% of Customers Say Companies Using GenAI for Customer Service Must Provide Access to a Human Agent (Aug 2026)
Source quote
Customers have mixed feelings using GenAI for customer support, as 50% of customers say their interactions are easier when companies use GenAI, yet 87% of customers say it is essential for companies to provide an option to reach a human agent when using GenAI, according to a Gartner survey.
- 38.
55% of consumers in a 2025 YouGov survey commissioned by Zendesk said they would rather speak with a human than a bot when dealing with urgent issues or disrupted travel plans.
Zendesk, Global survey reveals growing consumer trust in personal AI assistants (Jul 2025)
Source quote
Whether dealing with urgent issues or disrupted travel plans, 55% of respondents say they would prefer to speak with a human rather than a bot.
- 39.
84% of consumers in the same 2025 Zendesk survey said human interaction should always remain an option in customer service.
Zendesk, Global survey reveals growing consumer trust in personal AI assistants (Jul 2025)
Source quote
At the same time, 84% believe human interaction should always remain an option
- 40.
54% of consumers in the 2025 Zendesk survey expected personal AI assistants to make customer support faster and more efficient, and 63% said companies will need to redesign customer service around them.
Zendesk, Global survey reveals growing consumer trust in personal AI assistants (Jul 2025)
Source quote
When it comes to interacting with brands and their customer service, 54% of respondents believe AI assistants will make support faster and more efficient.
- 41.
Service teams estimated that AI handled 30% of customer service cases in 2025, in Salesforce's seventh State of Service survey.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (State of Service, 7th edition) (Nov 2025)
Source quote
This shift is already underway: Service teams estimate 30% of cases are currently handled by AI.
- 42.
Service teams in Salesforce's 2025 survey projected that AI will handle 50% of customer service cases by 2027.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (State of Service, 7th edition) (Nov 2025)
Source quote
By 2027, as AI agents — or digital labor — gain momentum, they project that figure will reach 50%.
- 43.
Service reps using AI spent 20% less time on routine cases, freeing about four hours a week, according to Salesforce's 2025 State of Service research.
Salesforce, AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (State of Service, 7th edition) (Nov 2025)
Source quote
Reps using AI spend 20% less time on routine cases — freeing up an estimated four hours per week for more complex work.
The customer support workforce
- 44.
Customer service representatives held about 2.7 million U.S. jobs in 2025.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026)
Source quote
Customer service representatives held about 2.7 million jobs in 2025.
- 45.
The median hourly wage for U.S. customer service representatives was $21.53 in May 2025.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026)
Source quote
The median hourly wage for customer service representatives was $21.53 in May 2025.
- 46.
The lowest-paid 10% of U.S. customer service representatives earned less than $15.27 an hour in May 2025, and the top 10% more than $30.57.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026)
Source quote
The lowest 10 percent earned less than $15.27, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $30.57.
- 47.
About 289,500 U.S. customer service representative openings are projected each year from 2025 to 2035, despite declining employment.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026)
Source quote
Despite declining employment, about 289,500 openings for customer service representatives are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
- 48.
Customer service representatives in insurance earned a median $22.47 an hour in May 2025, the highest among their top industries.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026)
Source quote
In May 2025, the median hourly wages for customer service representatives in some of the top industries in which they worked were as follows: Insurance carriers and related activities $22.47
- 49.
85% of customer service and support leaders worldwide were adding new tasks to frontline agent roles as AI reduced contact volume, and 75% were moving agents into new roles, in a Gartner survey of 321 leaders in late 2025.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 85% of Service and Support Leaders are Expanding Human Agent Responsibilities Despite Expectations of Mass AI Layoffs (Apr 2026)
Source quote
The survey found that 85% of service leaders are adding new tasks and responsibilities to frontline agent roles, while 75% are shifting agents into entirely new roles within the service and support organization.
- 50.
63% of service leaders in Gartner's late 2025 survey were reducing frontline headcount gradually through attrition rather than layoffs.
Gartner, Gartner Survey Finds 85% of Service and Support Leaders are Expanding Human Agent Responsibilities Despite Expectations of Mass AI Layoffs (Apr 2026)
Source quote
Sixty-three percent (63%) of service leaders are reducing frontline headcount gradually through attrition, while reallocating agent capacity toward higher‑value responsibilities that support growth, loyalty and long‑term efficiency
Chart
Median hourly wage of U.S. customer service representatives by industry, May 2025
Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- Insurance carriers$22.5
- Professional, scientific and technical services$21.8
- Healthcare and social assistance$21.5
- Retail trade$18
- Business support services$17.7
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook
Questions readers ask
- Is customer satisfaction getting better or worse?
- Flat to worse in the U.S. The ACSI scored 76.7 out of 100 in the first quarter of 2026, down 0.3% from a year earlier, and ACSI says it has not materially increased since 2017. The UK's UKCSI rose 1 point to 78.3 in July 2026, according to the Institute of Customer Service.
- How much does bad customer service cost businesses?
- Qualtrics XM Institute estimates nearly $3 trillion of global sales are at risk in 2026, including $973 billion in the U.S. CCMC puts U.S. revenue at risk from poor complaint handling at $596 billion in its 2025 update.
- What is a good first contact resolution rate?
- SQM Group puts the call center average at 71% and defines world class as 80% or higher, a level only 5% of call centers reach. In its 2026 industry benchmark, retail averages the highest at 77% and telecom the lowest at 56%.
- Do customers use company chatbots?
- Not often. A Gartner survey of 3,566 customers in early 2026 found only 7% used a chatbot or digital assistant in their most recent service interaction, and only 27% would try a chatbot again after a negative experience. 87% said companies using generative AI must offer access to a human agent.
- Will AI replace customer service agents?
- The data points to redesign more than replacement so far. Gartner found 85% of service leaders are adding new tasks to frontline agent roles and 63% are reducing headcount gradually through attrition. BLS counts about 2.7 million U.S. customer service representatives and projects about 289,500 openings a year.
- How much do customer service representatives earn?
- The U.S. median was $21.53 an hour in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $15.27 and the highest-paid 10% more than $30.57.
How these figures were chosen
We chose figures that help a buyer pick and run customer support software: satisfaction trends, complaint volumes, the cost of poor service, resolution benchmarks, chatbot and AI adoption, customer expectations and workforce data. Each figure comes from the organization that collected the data, and every quote was checked against the source page on the date shown. Samples differ: ACSI, CCMC, CFPB and BLS cover the United States, the UKCSI covers the UK, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman covers Australia, and Qualtrics, Zendesk, Gartner, Salesforce and Forrester run multi-country surveys. CFPB complaints cover financial products only. Vendor research from Zendesk, Salesforce, Qualtrics and SQM Group reflects each firm's own methods; SQM's benchmark page was last updated in August 2026 and does not give fieldwork dates. Every quote was copied from the publisher's page and re-checked by our source checker. Read the methodology.
Sources
- American Customer Satisfaction Index. National ACSI Q1 2026 (May 2026).
- American Customer Satisfaction Index. National ACSI Q4 2025 (Feb 2026).
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Consumer Response Annual Report, January 1 to December 31, 2025 (Mar 2026).
- Customer Care Measurement & Consulting. Reflections on the 2025 National Customer Rage Survey (2025).
- Forrester. Forrester's 2025 Global Customer Experience Index Rankings (Jun 2025).
- Forrester. Forrester Reveals The Top 10 Highest-Performing Brands In Its 2026 Global Total Experience Score Rankings (Jun 2026).
- Gartner. Gartner Finds Only 27% of Customers Would Try a Chatbot Again After a Negative Experience (Sep 2026).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds Customers Are 3x More Likely to Use Third-Party GenAI Than Company-Provided Chatbots for Customer Service (Jul 2026).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds 87% of Customers Say Companies Using GenAI for Customer Service Must Provide Access to a Human Agent (Aug 2026).
- Gartner. Gartner Survey Finds 85% of Service and Support Leaders are Expanding Human Agent Responsibilities Despite Expectations of Mass AI Layoffs (Apr 2026).
- Institute of Customer Service. UK Customer Satisfaction Index (UKCSI) (Jul 2026).
- Qualtrics XM Institute. $3 Trillion is at risk due to bad customer experiences in 2026 (Nov 2025).
- Qualtrics XM Institute. 2026 Customer Experience Trends Revealed (Oct 2025).
- Salesforce. AI Expected to Resolve Half of Service Cases by 2027, Data Shows (State of Service, 7th edition) (Nov 2025).
- SQM Group. First Call Resolution Benchmark: Measure, Benchmark, and Improve with AI (Aug 2026).
- Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. Annual Report 2025-26 (Oct 2026).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Customer Service Representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook (2026).
- Zendesk. Global survey reveals growing consumer trust in personal AI assistants (Jul 2025).
How to cite
Link to this page or to a single figure. Name the original publisher where you can.
KeenVerdict. (2026, November 4). Customer Support Statistics 2026. https://keenverdict.com/customer-support-statistics
Questions or corrections: editorial@keenverdict.com. Next scheduled review: January 3, 2027.