WE ARE among the unhappiest customers in the world, convinced businesses do not care about us and finding ourselves increasingly disappointed by the level of customer service we receive, or rather, don't receive.

An international study across 10 countries exploring public attitudes towards customer service has found that 40 per cent of Australians feel that businesses fail to meet their expectations. Only the French are more dissatisfied.

The American Express Global Customer Service Barometer also shows that Australians would happily spend, on average, an extra 12 per cent if it meant they received better service.

Two-thirds of consumers have abandoned a purchase because of a poor service experience in the past year but more than half have spent more with a company because of a history of positive customer service experiences.

Lisa Vehrenkamp, the managing director of American Express Australia, said the survey was a wake-up call for Australia that customers were not feeling appreciated and businesses were missing out. "With businesses competing for sales at a time when consumers are shopping around for the best deal, outstanding customer service can be the deciding factor in getting customers through the door,'' she said.