Contacting customer service is a frustrating experience for many consumers, especially if it gets them nowhere.

According to a June 2018 survey from cloud-based solutions provider LogMeIn, nearly a quarter (23.6%) of internet users in North America—who have contacted a brand for support in the past six months—say their problem was never solved. Those who did manage to get it resolved said it took way too long (33.7%).  

Others (38.5%) hated the fact that they had to repeat themselves over and over to other customer service agents as their query was escalated.

And the issues didn't stop there. There were some respondents who didn't like chatting with a chatbot (32.1%)—they preferred a human agent—and others felt they could only reach a brand through specific channels (15.2%), instead of the ones they used most often.

LogMeIn's survey is in line with another study that NewVoiceMedia conducted in February 2018. It too found that many US consumers find customer service to be ineffective. While a good number of respondents said that a call (27.0%) or social media (20.8%) were some of the most effective channels for getting a customer service problem resolved, nearly a third (31.7%) of the US internet users surveyed said, "There is no most effective channel," suggesting many have had a negative experience.