The worst part is the time cost. I spent three hours trying to fix a billing mistake that was not my fault. That is basically unpaid labor. Companies know many people will give up over a small amount, and that feels like part of the business model now.

As someone who has worked customer service, I think companies understaff the departments and then blame workers when customers explode. The frontline person often has no power to fix the issue. The decline is not because workers care less; it is because companies built cheaper systems that frustrate everyone.

It is worse. I am patient when someone is actually trying to help, but the problem now is getting trapped in systems designed to prevent human contact. The chatbot answers the wrong question, the phone menu sends you in circles, and by the time you reach a person you are already angry.