Hanging up time
On hold for 10 hours
Frustrated Aussies spent a total of 107 million hours on hold to customer service operators waiting for issues to be resolved.
Customers were left hanging on the phone for an average of 10.4 hours in 2023, a report by digital workflow company ServiceNow has revealed.
Retail stores topped the list of worst offenders for customer service, with 62 per cent of customers surveyed complaining about being left hanging on the phone for hours.
Government services and banks were also listed as having the worst customer service. Supermarkets remained the best rated customer service.
ServiceNow head of customer workflow solutions Simon Bowker says the time spent on hold during work hours last year equated to $1.28bn in lost productivity.
Mr Bowker said the surge in customer complaints showed people’s patience was declining, as was their tolerance for bad service.
“Customers are frustrated because as a nation we’re stuck on hold. As the cost of living continues to rise in 2024, fedup Australians are giving brands less leeway when it comes to resolving complaints,” Mr Bowker said.
He said 81 per cent of Australians were forced to waste time on hold to customer service during work hours, because 24/7 service support was not a widespread reality.
However, 82 per cent of Australians said they were having less patience with the bad services (compared with 72 per cent the previous year).
Customers were giving companies less time to get things right, saying they will take their business elsewhere after waiting up to three days.
Phone contact was the most common way to complain, the report found, despite it taking the longest time to get hold of someone – 2.3 hours.
A Gold Coast animal shelter is encouraging singles who’ve been barking up the wrong tree to look for love somewhere different this Valentine’s Day.
Staff at the Animal Welfare League Queensland’s Coombabah headquarters have been playing Cupid for their Swipe Less, Cuddle More adoption drive, which finishes today.
And, with 177,000 pets finding forever homes during the shelter’s 65 years, the odds of a lasting relationship are way better than your average season of Married At First Sight.
AWLQ chief Katie Garrett said that they had a team of experienced matchmakers on hand, with more than 200 animals hoping to meet someone special.
“Our team excels in helping individuals find their perfect animal companions and we’re excited to continue this tradition,” she said.
“We are reducing adoption fees to facilitate these love connections: adult cats are for just $29, and adult dogs are $99.”
Check out the talent ahead of that first date at awlqld.com.au/adopt