There is a difference between entry into the US being a pain and the attitude of the officials.
Many of the problems are due to not enough positions being open for the number of passengers arriving. This is due to successive governments, not the line management.
There are some barely communicative officials but even they have a long way to go to be as bad as many of the security people at Heathrow -and next time you go through Heathrow and Gatwick keep an eye on the non-UK lines at passport control!
Last October at IAH, arriving on the BA197, when there is normally only a thirty to forty minute transit from leaving the aircraft to leaving the terminal, my wife and I were faced with a line of over 1500 people and only a handful of desks open. After around forty minutes we had hardly moved when a women in plain clothes appeared and split the line in half taking us through to the US entry section where a number of officials were opening desks.
Ahead of us and at the desk to the left were a French speaking couple evidently with little English and a problem with their documents. As the official did not speak French and no nearby official seemingly did, a plain clothed official was eventually summoned and led them to a private room. There was much discussion between the desks and I gleaned that there had been long queues all day for some reason.
We were faced by a large coloured lady official. Before handing her my passport I said "Bonjour madame, parlez-vous Francais?". The look on her face was a picture. I then handed her my UK passport saying " just joking". The smile she flashed me was a mile wide and she said "you Brits have a great sense of humour, it's been hell here all day, and you must be very tired after your trip and standing so long, I'll have you and your wife through in a flash - and she did.
By the way, you don't have to, but carrying your paper ESTA receipt is always useful just in case there is a glitch.