A man talking into a cell phone.

Schuetz: Gaming regulators and sludge — stopping the nonsense

According to the W. P. Carey National Customer Rage Survey, sludge — customer service challenges like long wait times and excessive processes — increases the likelihood that customers will seek revenge for poor service.

In this story published Aug. 11, 2025, on Yahoo! Sports:

It also appears that I was not the first person to be frustrated by the more modern reality of customer service. Colin also notes that the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University initiated the National Customer Rage Survey in 2003. It was last performed in 2023, and it noted 'record level of product and service problems incite surly customers to yell more and seek revenge for their hassles.'