Four in 10 Brits avoid ever contacting companies due to poor customer service

A caller canvass has revealed the nation's apical 30 biggest lawsuit work bugbears including rubbish clasp music, nary enactment to telephone backmost if you get chopped disconnected - and not being capable to talk to a existent person.

A canvass of 2,000 adults recovered that agelong waiting times and having to repetition the aforesaid contented to aggregate unit were among the astir frustrating aspects of dealing with companies implicit the phone.

These communal issues, on with others, made up a apical 30 database of the astir complained-about work experiences.

More than a 4th of respondents admitted they couldn’t retrieve the past clip they had a affirmative lawsuit work acquisition – highlighting the strain galore consciousness erstwhile seeking assistance from companies.

Among the frustrations, 28% were annoyed by rude staff, portion 34% said automated responses neglect to decently code their problems.

The probe besides recovered that 4 successful 10 radical debar contacting their inferior supplier altogether due to the fact that they expect the process to beryllium stressful. Even much concerning, 80% consciousness that inferior companies simply don't attraction astir solving their customers’ problems.

Common phrases like, “We’re experiencing higher-than-normal telephone volumes,” “I’m sorry, there’s thing I tin do,” and “Please clasp portion I walk you to my colleague” were identified arsenic the astir aggravating things to perceive erstwhile calling a lawsuit work line.

According to the findings – commissioned by Utility Warehouse – the mean Brit spends 2 hours connected the telephone with their supplier erstwhile trying to resoluteness an issue.

Poor lawsuit work was flagged arsenic the starring crushed radical would see switching providers, but the hassle of switching stopped 32% of respondents, portion 26% feared they mightiness extremity up with a supplier offering adjacent worse service.

In an effort to crook the tables, Utility Warehouse, a Which? Recommended Provider for Energy Companies 2025, is moving a Valentine’s Day run - this play - to assistance Brits ‘break up’ with their existent providers and find 1 that genuinely cares.

They've adjacent created a light-hearted quiz to assistance users recognize the parallels betwixt their relationships with inferior providers and their real-life romanticist styles.

"Too galore radical are stuck successful frustrating relationships with their suppliers," said Robyn Hyde of Utility Warehouse. "For inferior companies, providing seamless, friendly, and adjuvant experiences is not a luxury – it’s essential."

The run has seen the engagement of dating and narration adept Sarah Louise Ryan, who helped plan the inferior 'break-up' quiz.

She explained: “On the surface, idiosyncratic relationships and inferior providers whitethorn look similar abstracted worlds. But successful reality, a person’s romanticist benignant often reflects their attack to connections with energy, broadband, oregon mobile providers.

“This amusive quiz helps users place their narration type, offering a amended knowing of their wants and needs – yet starring them to a supplier that’s a amended match.”

TOP 30 CUSTOMER SERVICE BUGBEARS

1. Not being capable to talk to a existent person
2. Suddenly being chopped disconnected aft being connected hold
3. Long waiting times successful queues
4. Automated responses that don’t code the issue
5. Being asked to repetition your contented aggregate times
6. When lawsuit work unit are rude
7. Promises of follow-up that don’t happen
8. Being transferred repeatedly without resolution
9. Agents who don’t perceive properly
10. Being told you are ‘next successful the queue’ connected the telephone and inactive waiting for ages
11. Generic, scripted responses alternatively of personalised help
12. Overly analyzable telephone paper options
13. Terrible clasp music
14. Being asked to interaction antithetic departments for basal queries
15. No enactment to ringing backmost if you get chopped off
16. When the idiosyncratic you are speaking to can’t assistance you
17. Lack of empathy from staff
18. Lack of merchandise cognition from staff
19. Being enactment connected clasp without explanation
20. Unclear oregon contradictory information
21. Overly pushy upselling during a enactment call
22. Frequent disconnections successful unrecorded chat oregon calls
23. When online chat enactment disconnects without warning
24. Being forced to explicate wherefore you privation to cancel a service
25. Limited work hours for support
26. Being offered nary alternate erstwhile a solution isn’t possible
27. No mode to way the presumption of a ailment oregon query
28. Blaming the lawsuit for the issue
29. Not being informed of delays oregon presumption changes
30. Staff who redirect blasted to different departments