People often joke about how much waiting for
the cable guy and other service people is costing them - in time and
billable hours. Well, now someone has actually
done the math.
It costs a whopping $37.7 billion a year for the time customers
spent waiting on someone to come fix, install or deliver
something, according to a new "Cost of Waiting" study from TOA
Technologies. The company makes software that helps businesses better
track their service people and narrow down the window of time customers
have to wait.
Americans waited 4.3 hours on average - more than double of what
the individuals had expected. On an individual basis, that
works out to about $250 a year, or two full working days, that we waste
waiting for everything from the cable, phone, Internet or utility guy to
a retail home delivery.
"It's clear from this year's survey that customer service needs
to be a top priority for businesses in the current climate,
not only because it can negatively affect a company's performance but
because poor service around wait times has financial penalties for a
company's own customers," said Yuval Brisker, co-founder and CEO of TOA
Technologies.
And, if you've had it with waiting, you're not alone: The survey
found 58 percent of Americans suffered fist-pounding frustration,
waiting on somebody for something, in the past year.
(CNBC) To read more: click here