Hanging on the telephone: Long call waiting times ‘are top frustration’

Being kept waiting on the telephone is the top frustration for customers when dealing with businesses and other organisations, according to a survey commissioned by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Automated call options were the next biggest gripe, followed by unhelpful staff and hard-to-understand terms and conditions, the research carried out by Yonder Consulting found.

Some 2,000 people were asked about their experiences in dealing with insurers, government departments, local authorities, energy suppliers, banks, mobile phone networks, broadband providers, online retailers and supermarkets.

Six in 10 (61%) people surveyed put long call waiting times in their top three annoyances, while 46% highlighted automated phone systems and 34% put unhelpful staff in their top three frustrations.

Some 43% of people said they have encountered difficulties when dealing with government departments, while 34% said this has happened when dealing with local authorities and 33% have had difficulties when dealing with energy suppliers.

A fifth (20%) of people said they have had difficulties when dealing with insurers, while one in 20 (5%) have had issues when dealing with supermarkets, according to the survey, carried out in February 2023.

The ABI said it has joined forces with consumer group Fairer Finance, which has produced guidance to help insurers and long-term savings providers further improve their customer communications.

Its recommendations include cutting down use of jargon.

The ABI is encouraging its members to incorporate the guidance into all aspects of their consumer communications.

When asked about insurance specifically, more than half (57%) of people in the survey said they felt confident of getting the best deal.

However, nearly half (48%) said they found it difficult to fully understand insurance terms and conditions, with 37% saying that clearer, simple documents would be the one single change that would improve their dealings with insurers.

Hannah Gurga, ABI director general, said: “Whatever the organisation, simple, clear, straightforward customer communications is the bedrock for improving trust.

“This research shows that some sectors need to do more to improve how they interact with the public. Many insurance customers know how to get the best insurance deals, but more needs to be done to ensure insurance and long-term savings communications are as clear as possible.

“The industry is committed to ensuring customers understand what they are covered for and are confident that the product meets their needs. Fairer Finance’s report is a valuable additional tool to help firms further improve their relationship with customers. The ABI will be using it to ensure that our consumer materials are fit for purpose.”

James Daley, managing director of Fairer Finance, said: “Clear communication is essential in every industry – but no more so than in the complex world of financial services.

“Although many firms fear that it will be an impossible task to write simply and without jargon, there are now a growing number of examples of terms and conditions and letters which have low reading ages and are accessible to all.”