Consumers Demand Fines for Long Hold Times in the contact centre , 8×8 Survey Finds with 62% of Brits say companies should be penalised for slow responses
British consumers have lost patience with long hold times — and they want companies to pay the price. That’s the findings of a new Streetview survey by 8×8.
British consumers have lost patience with long hold times — and they want companies to pay the price. That’s the findings of a new Streetview survey by 8×8.While the UK average was 62% calling for fines, Belfast was the angriest city with 66% of people wanting to see action taken, while Cardiff was the least angry with 53.9% of people calling for fines.
Taken at a regional level, the data showed that across the country more than 60% agreed for action needing to be done. A number of people also believe that as companies put their prices up, customer service should also improve.
Accountability for Call Delays: The Public Speaks
8×8’s survey of 2,000 UK adults reveals a clear demand for better customer service:
• 62% support fines for poor call handling
• 66% of men back penalties vs. 59% of women
• Support rises to 66% among those 55+, vs. just 47% of 16–24 year olds
• Sentiment is strongest in Belfast, Edinburgh, and Manchester (65%+)
• Even the least frustrated cities — Cardiff, Glasgow, Nottingham — saw support above 50%
Jamie Snaddon, EMEA MD at 8×8 Inc, said, “Older consumers are probably angrier than the youth because they’ve spent more of their lives on hold,”
“On a more serious note, what makes this annoying is that this is a very solvable issue. AI and automation can handle the routine queries that make up 90% of calls, freeing up agents to focus on complex, high-value conversations.”
Customers Say: If You Raise Prices, Raise Service Too
The survey also found that 78% of UK consumers expect better customer service when prices go up — rising to 84% among those aged 55 and over, and 89% in Cardiff. In Belfast, not a single respondent disagreed.
“The British public plays fair and they expect fairness back,” Snaddon added. “If prices increase, service levels should follow. This is a wake-up call for businesses: the contact centre isn’t just a cost or support centre — each call is a frontline brand experience. And if you miss it, you risk losing customers, not just calls.”
8×8 connects people and organizations through seamless communication on the industry’s most integrated platform for Customer Experience – combining Contact Centre, Unified Communication, and CPaaS solutions. The 8×8® Platform for CX integrates AI at every level to enable personalized customer journeys, drive operational excellence and insights, and facilitate team collaboration. 8×8 helps customer experience and IT leaders become the heartbeat of their organizations, empowering them to unlock the potential of every interaction.
