The data: US consumers aren’t happy, even after years of corporate investment in customer experience.

• Overall satisfaction with US businesses held at 76.7 on a 100-point scale in Q1 2026—flat with Q1 and Q4 2025 and nearly unchanged from 2013—per the American Customer Satisfaction Index’s (ACSI) latest report.
• Complaints continue to rise, with the share of customers raising issues directly with businesses reaching a record 17.5% in Q1, up from 15.1% a year earlier.

Fixing that gap is getting harder as retailers facing rising costs—from tariffs to the ripple effects of the war in Iran—look to protect margins without adding to consumer frustration. For example, many retailers have introduced return fees as ecommerce return rates outpace sales growth: 72% now charge for at least one return option, per the National Retail Federation. But those policies can backfire, with 57% of consumers saying they’ve stopped shopping with a retailer after it started charging for returns.