What is Eroding Customer Experience?

Most (43%) of U.S. employees strongly agreed they feel great responsibility for the customer experience, according to a Gallup study from the third quarter of 2025. However, only about a quarter (23%) strongly agreed their organization always delivers on the promises it makes to customers. Gallup said this disparity has remained unchanged in recent years.

When asked to identify the greatest barrier to delivering exceptional products and services, employees most often said staffing shortages. More than one-third (37%) named staffing as the top obstacle, far exceeding training (16%), tools or equipment (9%), and unclear standards (8%), Gallup found. This perception holds across all levels, with leaders most likely to identify staffing as the top barrier.

Staffing concerns have intensified with continued workforce reductions. Nearly a quarter of U.S. employees (23%) reported that their organization is reducing its workforce, up 12 points since early 2023, Gallup reported. Among those reporting layoffs, 65% said individual contributors, who work directly with customers, were most affected.

Additionally, nearly two-thirds of employees said they have been asked to take on more responsibilities in the past three months. More than half reported reorganizations or team restructurings, and a growing share, up 23 points from 2024, cited budget reductions.

When Gallup asked employees, “In the past three months, has your organization done any of the following?”:

• 63% said employees have been asked to take on additional responsibilities.
• 58% reported a reorganization or team restructuring.
• 52% cited budget reductions.

When Gallup asked executive and senior leaders, “Which of the following have you experienced at work in the past three months?”:

• 46% said they have observed stress and frustration among employees.
• 34% reported reduced budgets.
• 32% cited a lack of communication from leadership about new priorities.
• 29% said they have noticed difficulty in balancing people management and individual contributor responsibilities.
• 18% reported that the number of employees they manage has increased.

These pressures have real implications for customer outcomes, Gallup said. Workers who frequently experience employee burnout are far less likely to believe their organization delivers on its customer promises, reinforcing the link between internal strain and external performance.

Additionally, Gallup found that employees’ confidence in quality customer service closely aligns with employee engagement. Engaged employees are far more likely to feel responsible for customer quality and to believe their organization delivers its promises. For example, most engaged employees (69%) strongly agreed they feel responsible for product and service quality, compared with 31% of those who are not engaged or are actively disengaged, who said the same. Similarly, 45% of engaged employees strongly agreed that their organization delivers on customer promises, compared with 12% of those who are not engaged or actively disengaged, who said the same.