July 28, 2025
Public Sector Hold Times Now UK’s Biggest CX Headache, Beating Banks
Healthcare providers and government agencies have overtaken banks as the most frustrating organisations to reach by phone in the UK, according to a new survey by customer experience platform 8×8.
Seventy-five percent of UK consumers say they often can’t get through to the right department when calling about urgent issues, and many won’t stay on the line longer than 10 minutes. Even when the matter is critical, 31% say they’ll hang up if they’ve been waiting that long. Only four people in the entire nationally representative sample said they would stay on a call for more than an hour.
The frustration is sharpest when it comes to public services. Only 28% of people now say they’re most annoyed by bank hold times. In contrast, 35% point the finger at healthcare providers, 33% cite national government agencies like HMRC and DVLA, and 31% blame local councils for delays resolving everyday issues like council tax or bin collection.
Women report significantly more frustration with healthcare wait times than men: 41% compared to 28%. Regionally, Cardiff residents were the least patient, with nearly 8% saying they would hang up in under five minutes. Norwich residents, by contrast, were the most tolerant, with just 1.4% ending calls that quickly.
Expectations aren’t just high for phone calls. While calling remains the most common way to reach out in an emergency, nearly 12% of people now turn first to messaging apps like WhatsApp.
If no one picks up the phone, 41% immediately switch to another channel, whether that’s email, text, or social media. When it comes to text replies, 38% expect a response within five minutes, 25% within three, and 7% won’t wait longer than a minute.
The findings follow another 8×8 survey earlier this year, which showed that nearly two-thirds of the UK public would support fines for companies that keep them waiting too long.
Meanwhile, a separate report by Tussell and techUK has warned that local government tech spending is projected to decline in the coming years, a trend that could make already strained contact centres even harder to reach.
