Stop Bad Service Day – March 5, 2025

History of Stop Bad Service Day

Bad service can be the difference between a repeat, loyal customer and one who bashes the business online and offline. And according to NICE CXone’s customer survey, more than half of the 700 people surveyed were not happy with the service or the resolution they received.

But how did customer service even start? And when did it become so important to a business that awful customer service can cost a company billions (according to a 2018 report, this amount came up to $75 billion per year in losses)?

The story began with a little invention known as the telephone. Although most items were created at home, the idea of someone to complain to was starting to take hold. As catalogs increased, people began to order more items via post. By 1894, another invention called the telephone switchboard came around. Still, customer service was reserved for an elite few, those who could afford the — at that time — expensive service.

Then came the Industrial Revolution, and with it, the new middle class. They had buying power and access to mass-produced goods. By the 1920s, department stores created sections specifically to cater to customers’ demands. Customers could visit these departments and talk to employees for help with returns or other quick fixes. New machines meant new questions — and repairs — and more customer service was needed.

From 1929 until the end of World War II, the economy tanked and took people’s buying power with it. Customer service regained its power only when computational technology came around. The 1950s and 1960s were a period of innovation and efficiency. Switchboard tech gained more finesse, and service calls could now even be taken offsite; customer service was no longer confined to one physical location.

The latter part of the 20th century saw many technological inventions. Technology now allowed customers to store recorded messages on a disk and even play previously registered messages. Gradually, analog shifted to digital. Call centers in international labor markets became the norm, and voice technology improved to unrecognizable heights.

Then, another major change shook up the way everyone handled service. The internet changed every aspect of communication. Instant chats, personalized behavioral information, and now, social media. Each innovation influenced how companies, organizations, and others interacted with clients and customers. People began to see and expect a better quality of service. Customer service was now a full-blown necessity. Today’s customer demands good quality of service and, despite all the technology at our disposal, a human touch.

We haven’t found anything about the origins of this day yet, but when we do, you will know.