$55 billion lost on hold, Indians’ customer service wait soars: report

Indians spent over 15 billion hours on hold on customer service calls in 2023, costing businesses $55 billion, reveals ServiceNow’s new report. This issue has pushed two-thirds of consumers to consider switching brands over poor service.

The report, based on a survey of over 4,500 Indians aged 18 and above, showed that the average person spent 30.7 hours on hold last year. More than 50% of respondents believed wait times have increased, and 66% are willing to switch companies if their issues aren’t resolved within three days.