UK Public Sector Hold Times Now Worse Than Banks, Claims New 8x8 Survey

Globe and Mail

4 days ago

Three out of four UK consumers say they often fail to reach the right department when calling about an urgent issue – and many won't wait more than 10 minutes on hold, according to a new survey commissioned by 8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT), the industry's most integrated platform for customer experience (CX).
The Streetview survey revealed that even when the matter is critical, 31% of respondents will abandon a call within 10 minutes. For an urgent text message, 70% of Brits expect a reply within five minutes.
Less than 0.2% – four people – said they would stay on a call for more than an hour.
Across the UK, people in Cardiff were the most impatient with almost 8% saying they would hang up in under five minutes, compared to 1.4% in Norwich.
Healthcare and government agencies top the frustration list - and women are more annoyed than men
Historically, banks have been on the receiving end of the majority of caller frustration. But with only 28% of respondents citing current frustrations with bank wait times, essential public services now draw the most ire from callers:
35% cite healthcare providers as their top source of hold time frustration.
33% point to national government agencies, such as HMRC and DVLA.
31% name local councils for delays resolving basic issues like council tax or bin and trash collection.
Women reported higher frustration with healthcare wait times than men (41% vs. 28%). While most of the country was aligned in annoyance at wait times, slight regional differences did emerge, with North West residents being the least tolerant of local council delays.
The findings come after an 8x8 survey earlier this year showing that 62% of the UK demands fines for companies that keep them on hold for too long.
'Wait times are a solvable problem'
'UK consumers won't tolerate long wait times or poor call routing for urgent matters,' said Jamie Snaddon, EMEA Managing Director at 8x8, Inc. 'In an age of AI, chatbots, and multiple contact options, wait times are a solvable problem. Businesses need to modernize contact center strategies with intelligent routing, automated callbacks, and real-time messaging to meet rising expectations. Using technology for the simple queries – which normally make up more than half of calls to organizations – frees up human agents to deal with the more complex matters.'
Demand grows for messaging options and faster replies
While 53% still prefer calling for urgent issues, nearly 12% now choose text or WhatsApp. If a call goes unanswered, 41% immediately switch to email, text, or use social media to try and get a resolution.
Expectations for text responses are high:
38% expect a reply within four to five minutes.
25% expect one in two to three minutes.
7% wouldn't wait more than a minute.
Anger is up while spending is down
The findings come just weeks after insights company Tussell and techUK released a Tech Titans report showing that anticipated spending on local government technology solutions is set to decline in the coming years, which will likely increase times and add to frustration.
8x8: working with the private and public sector to bring solutions
8x8 works with a number of organizations in the public and private sector to address problems like wait times and call resolutions through the 8x8 Platform for CX. By seamlessly uniting contact center, unified communications, and communication APIs, the 8x8 Platform for CX helps organizations connect customers and teams around the world, empowering CX leaders with AI-powered performance and insights to make smarter decisions, delight customers, and drive lasting business impact.
To learn more about 8x8's involvement with the public sector, please visit the 8x8 public sector webpage.
Read the full survey and see the mood of the UK
You can find the full survey results here. More than 2000 people were surveyed across the UK in February of 2025.
About 8x8 Inc.
8x8, Inc. (NASDAQ: EGHT) connects people and organizations through seamless communication on the industry's most integrated platform for Customer Experience – combining Contact Center, Unified Communication, and CPaaS solutions. The 8x8® Platform for CX integrates AI at every level to enable personalized customer journeys, drive operational excellence and insights, and facilitate team collaboration. 8x8 helps customer experience and IT leaders become the heartbeat of their organizations, empowering them to unlock the potential of every interaction. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or follow 8x8 on LinkedIn, X, and Facebook.