Aussies spent 96.5 million hours on hold in 2022, waiting for issues to be resolved by customer service departments.
The recent numbers from software development company ServiceNow show that 13.3 million Aussies tried to resolve issues with products or services in 2022, an increase of more than 1.6 million customer complaints from last year, causing delays in customer service response times.
On average, each customer spent 7.2 hours on hold trying to contact customer service representatives, with issues taking more than a week (7.3 days) to resolve.
READ MORE: 'Bus chaos' warning for Sydney as students head back to school
Vice President and Managing Director of ServiceNow Australia, Eric Swift said speed is key in delivering good customer service.
"As businesses fight for customers, it's essential that organisations have the right processes and technology in place to get things done fast," he said.
Which industries have the worst customer service?
Telecommunications was ranked the worst industry for customer service, with 35 per cent of consumers unhappy with the service, an increase of 40 per cent from last year.
Government services and financial services came in second and third, with 27 per cent and 18 per cent of consumers unhappy with their customer service respectively.
READ MORE: This painting was found in a farm shed covered in bird droppings. It sold for $4 million
The report indicated that 75 per cent of Australians believe service is getting worse as businesses cut costs.
"Organisations need to find smart ways to do more with less to meet growing expectations of customer service," Swift said.
"Sacrificing the quality of service to cut costs will send consumers straight into the arms of competitors."
How to avoid customer service wait times
The fastest way to skip the queue is through an app, which takes less than an hour on average to get an issue resolved, according to ServiceNow.
In-person customer service, done in-store, was the second quickest option, taking one hour on average.
Online chat was a close third, taking 1.3 hours to have an issue resolved.
Phone contact took the longest amount of time, averaging 2.2 hours each time, followed by email at 1.9 hours.
READ MORE: Government to force streamers to make Australian shows, movies
Shopping habits are changing
A huge 93 per cent of consumers said they have changed their shopping habits over the last 12 months, according to the ServiceNow report.
A third of Australians (30 per cent) were more likely to complain about a service or return items that didn't satisfy them in 2022.
READ MORE: Man charged after father fatally hit by ute at Victorian farm
Shopping habits are also changing, with 57 per cent of Aussies planning to buy less over the next year.
53 per cent of consumers say they will wait for items to go on sale, 52 per cent say they will look for cheaper options, 55 per cent search for special offers and 55 per cent use loyalty programs and perks to save money.
