This is why call queues feel much longer than they actually are. When we have nothing to do while waiting, time seems to pass even slower. If we are already in a bad mood or stressed out, the wait can feel even longer.įor example, in a scenario where you’re trying to sort out an issue like, “My bill is too high” or “My product isn’t working”, then you’re probably in a negative state of mind before even being put on hold.Īnd for anyone in a stressed mental state, time perception stretches and warps even more, making the wait feel agonizingly long. Our mental state also plays a role in how we perceive wait times. It goes without saying that in a call center queue, we can’t see who is ahead of us, but the feeling of unfairness can still persist if we feel like we should have been served by now or that our problem is more urgent than others’. Most of us have experienced this scenario at some point – you’re in a restaurant and see someone who came in after you get served before you do. If we feel like others are getting preferential treatment or jumping ahead in line, we become even more impatient. Perceived unfairness in queuesĪnother factor is the perception of fairness. This is why announcements that inform us of our wait time or position in the queue can help alleviate some of our impatience. You could say it becomes a bit of a vicious cycle. The feeling of anxiety – a result of cortisol (a stress hormone) and other chemicals being released in our body – is a powerful emotion that can change our perception of time, making the wait feel even longer. If we don’t know how long we will have to wait, what position we are in the queue, or if our call will even be answered at all, we become more anxious and frustrated. One major factor in our dislike for call queues is uncertainty. He identified several factors that influence our perception of wait times: Uncertainty is the enemy So, what makes call queues so intolerable? Why do some people get more impatient than others? And why are we willing to wait for some things, but not others?īack in 1985, David Maister, a Harvard Business School professor, spent some time studying the psychology of waiting. We become anxious and feel like we’re wasting our time. Especially today, when we’re used to getting everything at the touch of a button, waiting for something can feel like an eternity. Waiting in a call queue forces us to put our lives on hold and relinquish control over our time. 60% of us say that we wouldn’t be willing to wait longer than one minute in a call queue. In this article:Īs humans, we are hardwired to dislike waiting. No one likes to wait in line, whether it’s at the grocery store or on the phone with customer support.īut why do we hate waiting so much? What is it about being in a call queue that makes us feel irritated, frustrated, and downright angry?Īs it turns out, some scientists have gone out of their way to study the psychology behind our hatred of waiting – and we’ve got some answers for you. Call queues are a universally dreaded aspect of calling customer service.
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