A new survey from 8×8 reveals that 62% of UK adults believe companies should face fines for long customer service hold times. Frustration is running highest in Belfast, where 66% of respondents support penalties, and lowest in Cardiff, which still saw a majority at nearly 54%.
The data points to a growing national appetite for accountability in customer service, particularly as brands continue raising prices without delivering better support.
The survey of 2,000 adults also found that men are slightly more inclined to support penalties, with 66% in favour compared to 59% of women.
Regional sentiment follows a similar pattern. Cities like Edinburgh and Manchester saw support above 65%, while even the least frustrated cities, Cardiff, Glasgow, and Nottingham, still had a majority backing some form of penalty.
Beyond hold times, the survey uncovered a deeper frustration with the perceived mismatch between rising prices and declining service quality. Nationally, 78% of consumers say they expect better customer service when prices go up. That number climbs to 84% among people over 55 and hits 89% in Cardiff. In Belfast, not a single respondent disagreed.
Jamie Snaddon, EMEA managing director at 8×8, 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.”
The company will continue releasing Streetview data throughout the summer, offering a deeper look into UK customer attitudes around contact centres and service experiences.