Top Telephone Pet Peeve is Put On Hold

By Nancy Friedman, Telephone Doctor

After 15 years of being number one, “Being put on hold” dropped to the third spot in Telephone Doctor’s “What Bugs You On The Telephone?” survey.  What’s the new number one complaint?  The automated attendant!

Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, with headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, recently conducted a survey to update the biggest telephone pet peeve of the American public. With hundreds of submissions received and a multitude of various aggravations, the automated attendant won hands down as the biggest frustration.  “Especially when there is no option for a human,” said Nancy Friedman, President of Telephone Doctor and noted expert on customer service and communication skills.

Nancy says, “We hear from audiences all over the country and there’s not a single program that we present where we don’t hear grumbles about the automated attendant (AA).”  We also found out that while AA is aggravating; the menus and the messages can often times be worse."

“Saying ‘Your call is very important to me’ sends callers up a wall,” said Nancy. Callers think, “Yea?  If I’m so important why aren’t you there?”

So what’s second on the ‘dirty dozen’ list?  Lack of good manners, rudeness and not having a good attitude.   If you’re concerned about cell phones, they came in fifth.  Or more succinctly – the users of the cell phone and their horrible manners – loud talkers, ill placed calls, and obnoxious rings.  

Top Telephone Pet Peeves:

1. Automated attendant

2. Lack of good manners, rudeness and bad attitude

3. Being put on hold

4. Speakerphones

5. Cell phones

6. Foreign accents, speaking too fast, not speaking clearly

7. Eating or chewing while on the phone

8. Voice mail

9. Transferring calls improperly

10. Background noises

11. Carryover conversation

12. Not returning phone calls

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor, an international customer service training company, based in St. Louis, MO.  Nancy is the author of four best selling books.  For more information, call 314-291-1012 or go to www.telephonedoctor.com.