Britons Abandon Complaints Over Poor Customer Service, Study Finds

More than one in ten Britons have stopped complaining about poor customer service, having grown accustomed to subpar experiences and deeming it not worth the effort, a study by Talkmobile has revealed.

The survey of 2,000 adults found that one in six individuals now expect bad customer service, and 14% believe there is no point in raising an issue.

Around a quarter of customers avoid making complaints due to concerns about interacting with chatbots, while the average Briton spends 38.2 minutes on hold before abandoning attempts to speak with an adviser. The study also indicated that a quarter of respondents feel companies used to take complaints more seriously and that the process has become intentionally more difficult.

Duncan Knight of Talkmobile described the sentiment as 'sad,' noting that customers apparently believe service is so poor it doesn't warrant the time to complain. He stated that Talkmobile aims to address customer issues quickly and effectively.

Complicated and time-consuming complaint procedures have reportedly left customers feeling frustrated and undervalued. The study highlighted that one in five people refrain from complaining because it is 'too much effort these days,' making them feel like 'one of millions of customers.'

When customers do decide to complain, men are more likely to do so than women, with 50% of men reporting complaints compared to 40% of women.

For serious matters, sending an email to customer service is the most common first step, followed by phone calls, with 21% choosing this method to avoid long hold times. Only 13% opt for online chat functions.

The primary motivations for complaining are resolving a problem (46%) or preventing a recurrence (35%). Financial issues, such as requesting refunds or compensation, are also frequent reasons. However, roughly a quarter of those who complain do so to receive an apology, and 15% simply wish to vent their frustration.