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Customer service calls on hold India
Customer Service Calls on Hold Resulted in 15 Billion Hours Loss for Indians in 2023
New Delhi: Customer service calls on hold led to a staggering loss of 15 billion hours for Indians in 2023, causing an estimated $55 billion in economic loss output, according to a report released on Wednesday. The research, conducted by the AI platform ServiceNow, found that an average person spends over a day each year (30.7 hours) on hold to resolve issues or complaints.
The report highlighted that slow service solutions result in the average employee spending 3.9 days to resolve each customer issue. “Indian businesses are at risk of losing two-thirds of their customer base in 2024 due to slow service solutions,” said Sumeet Mathur, SVP and Managing Director, ServiceNow India Technology and Business Centre.
Structural issues are exacerbating wait times, with 48 percent of Indians identifying inefficient internal communication as a major cause of customer service delays. Additionally, 47 percent believe that customer service staff lack the decision-making power needed to address issues effectively.
Approximately 66 percent of respondents indicated they would consider switching to another company if their issue is not resolved within three working days. “Businesses that can’t meet that standard must act, installing AI-powered self-service options available at the consumers’ fingertips,” Mathur added.
The study also revealed a significant increase in trust towards AI among Indians, with over half (55 percent) expressing confidence in chatbots and 56 percent in self-help guides. Two-thirds (66 percent) showed confidence in Generative AI (GenAI) to deliver quality customer service.
“In an era where customer retention is increasingly challenging, it is time for enterprises to leverage AI to drive growth, improve efficiency, and deliver superior customer experiences in a competitive business landscape,” Mathur stated.
Nearly 60 percent of Indians want customer service teams to improve their speed of resolution, while half would like to see a reduction in the time spent on hold, the findings showed.
