Did you know that lonely waits feel longer? And that Finns are the best in the world at queuing?

Waiting irritates and oppresses us; it’s not just something we say, there is an irrational fear of prolonged waiting. It’s called macrophobia.

The Internet, social media, smartphones, tight schedules and, above all, the feeling that we are now more in control of our time than ever before, have turned consumers into people who tolerate very little or no waiting at all. Specifically, they tolerate a maximum of 56 seconds on the phone.

These waiting times are directly related to customers’ perceptions of the efficiency of brands or companies and, interestingly, vary depending on their size. In the case of small businesses, tolerance is greater, as users assume that these types of companies do not have the same capacity as larger ones.

Another factor that influences the final perception is the urgency of the queries. In times of crisis or emergency, users seek speed and, to that end, turn to social media, chat or WhatsApp. In such cases, what they expect to receive is an instant response or nothing at all.

Few know and manage these waiting times better than contact centres. They are capable of analysing user behaviour and predicting both their tolerance limits and the exact words to make each interaction pleasant and appropriate for each communication channel.

However, even with the data available, time will be a relative measure. ‘If you don’t take too long, I’ll wait for you forever,’ said Oscar Wilde, but how long is too long?