ServiceNow: 50% of customers say lack of empathy is their biggest frustration
While 50% of customers cite a lack of empathy as their biggest frustration, only 23% of executives see it as a priority issue.
What's happening
According to research ServiceNow conducted with ThoughtLab, 50% of customers cite a lack of empathy as their biggest frustration, while only 23% of executives see it as a priority issue. The two figures come from two separate groups answering different questions. Among customers, 40% complain about having to explain their problem again to different people, and 87% want to talk to someone by phone in complex situations.
Where it comes from
According to the source, the problem stems from fragmented systems and agents spending more than half their time on administrative work. Among agents, 43% see inconsistent customer data, and agents can devote only 45% of their time to customer issues.
Behind the number
The research, conducted by ServiceNow with ThoughtLab in September–October 2025 across 18 countries and 8 industries, surveyed 27,250 customers, 3,515 agents and 3,900 executives. According to the source, the study complies with the ISO 20252 standard.
Whose desk it lands on
The call center operations manager's first task is to measure, with the organization's own data, how much of agents' working time goes to administrative work and how many times customers have to explain their problems from scratch. The customer experience executive, meanwhile, should ask whether lack of empathy is on management's priority list.
Our view
The CX Brief's interpretation, not a claim made by the source.
That the vast majority of customers want to talk by phone in complex situations is an important warning for organizations considering scaling back the phone channel. But Türkiye is not among the 11 markets the research covered in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Organizations in Türkiye should test this preference with their own customers before making channel decisions.
Source
ServiceNow·April 1, 2026·Sample: 27,250 customers, 3,515 agents, 3,900 executives; 18 countries, 8 industries
Conflict of interest: ServiceNow sells products or services in this area.
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