A Little Respect: American Consumers Are Really Mad But They’re Not Asking for Much

American consumers are mad. About 50 million of us experienced at least one problem with a product or service in the last year, and it really got our blood boiling. That customer rage may cost American businesses more than $58 billion in lost future sales of goods and services. But here’s the good news: customers aren’t actually asking for much. An “I’m sorry” or “Thanks for your business” can make a surprisingly significant difference in assuaging customer rage -- and increasing brand loyalty.

That’s all according to the recently-released 2011 National Customer Rage Study, which showed that consumers have more problems than ever before. In 1976, 32 percent of survey respondents reported having a problem with a product or service in the past 12 months. By 2011, that number had risen to 45 percent. And among those unhappy customers, 60 percent are extremely upset or very upset (i.e., enraged).

The study, conducted by Customer Care Management and Consulting (CCMC) in collaboration with the Center for Services Leadership at the W. P. Carey School of Business, lends insight into why customers are so angry, what that rage means for businesses, and what companies can do about it.

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