Complaints about AI customer service jumped 55 percent in two years, climbing from 22,000 in 2023 to nearly 34,000 in 2025, according to Better Business Bureau data that also recorded more than 100,000 total AI-related complaints since 2023. A companion survey of 20,000 businesses found that 90 percent reported negative experiences with AI services - a warning sign for any support team that has automated its frontline without building clear paths to human help.
The complaints span chatbots that cannot resolve problems and automated phone lines that block access to live agents. Don O'Brien, the BBB's regional director for the Quincy area, said the study drew from the organization's scam tracker and complaints or reviews filed over the last three years.
Older consumers face the steepest learning curve
O'Brien pointed to older consumers as a group particularly vulnerable to AI-driven friction. "So you got somebody, the older folks who's seen a massive jump in technology just in the 21st century, so they are not familiar with it so it's really important for them to know that they are under no obligation to answer the phone when it rings, they're under no obligation to open that email they get or that text message they get that comes on their phone," O'Brien said. "Make sure they're very well-versed on those things and only click on things that they know."
What to do when AI won't connect you to a person
O'Brien offered a straightforward rule for consumers who feel stuck in an AI-driven phone interaction. "When you're dealing with AI, if you're not comfortable with it, especially if it's a phone call, just hang up the phone, and if you wanna say talk to agent or something like that, and they don't connect you, well, just hang up the phone," he said. The BBB encourages anyone frustrated with AI customer service to file a complaint at bbb.org.
For customer support professionals, the spike in complaints points to a clear problem: AI tools deployed without adequate escalation paths create more friction than they resolve. Organizations that build AI for Customer Support systems without human-in-the-loop design risk alienating customers. The BBB data suggests that 55 percent more consumers are now willing to file formal complaints when those systems fail.
Why this matters for customer support teams
The 55 percent jump in AI complaints is not a technology problem alone - it is a process and training gap. Support leaders who oversee chatbots, voice assistants, or automated ticketing should audit how quickly a frustrated customer can reach a live agent. If the path takes more than one or two steps, the system is likely generating complaints rather than preventing them. For supervisors managing these transitions, structured AI Learning Path for Call Center Supervisors programs can help teams design escalation workflows that actually work, rather than leaving customers to hang up in frustration. The BBB's message is simple: when AI fails to connect, consumers walk away - and increasingly, they file complaints.
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