The most hated 'on hold' phrases revealed as UK customers lose patience with call centre bots

Automated call centre bots are pushing UK customers to the brink, with new research uncovering the most frustrating aspects of the ‘on hold’ experience.

According to Talkmobile’s study, half of Brits admit they regularly lose patience or raise their voice while waiting to speak to customer services.

The most despised phrases? "We are experiencing high call volumes" and "Your call is important to us" top the list of call centre clichés that drive people mad. Waiting to be connected is the biggest gripe, with 60% finding it frustrating.

A quarter say the process leaves them feeling helpless (24%) or outright angry (24%), while nearly a fifth (17%) report being reduced to exhaustion or ‘head-in-hands’ despair.

Automated systems are a major culprit - more than half (53%) say they’ve resorted to shouting at bots in frustration, while 56% have lost patience trying to relay their name or personal details.

Repeating themselves is another common struggle, with 78% saying it happens regularly. For many, just the thought of calling a customer service line is enough to trigger frustration (41%), anxiety (29%), or even dread (24%).

Being ‘on hold’ is seen as worse than sitting in traffic (43%) or enduring a blaring car alarm (24%).

Talkmobile’s research, based on a survey of 2,000 people, builds on a previous study that found Brits typically wait an average of 38.2 minutes before giving up - often with their issue unresolved.

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Have you ever found yourself shouting at a call centre bot or losing patience while on hold? What’s the most frustrating phrase you’ve heard? Share your experiences in the comments section.