Oh Ye Of Infinite Patience

People in the Northeast are the most patient in the country when it comes to waiting on hold during calls to businesses, new research has revealed.

The study of 2,234 consumers, conducted by audio branding specialist PH Media Group, discovered 57 per cent of respondents in the region are prepared to wait on hold longer than one minute. This puts them slightly ahead of people in the West (56 per cent) for the title of most patient.

In comparison, both those in the Midwest and South were found to be the least patient with just 53 per cent willing to consider waiting for more than 60 seconds.

“Traditionally, waiting on hold is perceived as an annoyance for customers, so these figures might come as a surprise, suggesting people in the Northeast are fairly patient when waiting to have a query answered,” said Mark Williamson, sales and marketing director, PH Media Group. “The fact that consumers are willing to wait shows that businesses should prioritize improvements to call handling practice rather than necessarily aiming to answer each call within a matter of seconds. When customers do need to be put on hold, it is essential they are kept engaged and entertained."

“Poor-quality audio messages, beeps or silence will only serve to test their patience. Companies should instead give careful consideration to how they sound over the phone, combining voice and music that reflects their brand with informative, targeted messaging,” Williamson said.

The survey also discovered Northeastern women are more patient than men, with 62 per cent willing to remain on the line for longer than a minute, compared to 53 per cent of men.

People were also found to become more patient with age. Sixty-three percent of 55- to 64-year-olds in the Northeast are prepared to wait more than 60 seconds in contrast to less than half (45 percent) of 18- to 24-year-olds.