Survey shows many prefer a trip to the dentist over a call to customer service

FROM being put on hold to being hung up on, a new study reveals why we hate those 'customer care' lines. But take heart: there are ways to get better service.

How much do people hate sitting on hold with customer service?

One in six consumers would rather sit in a dentist's chair, according to a survey released Tuesday by Corvisa Cloud, a customer service company. (Presumably, these respondents have never had a root canal.)

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What's more, 13 per cent of consumers would rather endure throngs of Black Friday shoppers than talk to customer service, and for 7 per cent of Americans a trip to the DMV or doing their taxes is preferable to "please hold."

Finally - if the survey is to be believed - 4 per cent of us would gladly give up sex for a month if we could trade that for not speaking to a customer service rep.

"When you go into the dentist for a check-up, it's likely nothing bad is happening - they'll scrape some plaque and give you a free toothbrush," says Chicago-area psychologist Elizabeth Lombardo.

Having to repeat information is a classic frustration for us all.

But "when you deal with customer service, you already have a problem and a high level of stress: You expect them to say no and it makes you feel like you want to scream."

The biggest thing consumers are enraged about is having to repeat the same information multiple times (20 per cent say this is the most aggravating thing to them), followed by having to wait to be helped (16 per cent), speaking to someone who isn't knowledgeable (15 per cent), having to deal with multiple agents (14 percet), and tolerating someone who is rude (12 per cent).

That may be why nearly half of all consumers say that on average they only call a customer service department once a year.

But, experts point out, you can't wholly blame customer service for your bad experience.

"When you are calling, there's a chance you're calling because you're frustrated," says organisational psychologist Michael Woodward, author of The You Plan.

That can set the tone for the entire experience, he adds, as you may sound angry and not be able to clearly state your problem.

For example, rather than simply saying that your cable is out, you might say something accusatory like, "Thanks to you, I can't watch the season finale of Modern Family."

That is likely going to anger the customer service rep, and it doesn't tell her what the problem is.

A call centre office in Sydney. Picture: Megan Lewis

To get better service, Woodward says, check your emotions at the door.

"Just like you shouldn't fire off that angry email right after something happens, with this, wait an hour before calling," he says.

"You catch more bees with honey."

He recommends using an upbeat or dispassionate tone and focusing on the facts, not your feelings about the incident.

"Remember that it's not their fault this is happening."

If kindness and clarity don't get you what you need, experts say, ask to speak to the person's supervisor.

Consumers may also want to consider posting their complaints on Twitter, as some companies respond quickly to complaints on that public forum.

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