Singaporeans are losing nearly half a work week each year stuck on hold, as new research reveals rising frustration over poor customer service and slow resolutions — despite high national service standards.

A study released by enterprise software firm ServiceNow shows that Singaporeans now spend an average of 19 hours a year on hold to resolve customer service issues — up two hours from last year. In total, this equates to a staggering 40 million hours lost nationally to waiting on the line.

The wait doesn’t end there. The research, titled The Customer Experience Report, found that it now takes nearly five working days on average to resolve an issue, a 4 per cent year-on-year increase. Yet, customer service employees surveyed believed that a complex issue takes just 30 minutes to resolve — exposing a clear disconnect between customer reality and internal perceptions.

A $1.3 Billion Disconnect

Singapore’s reputation for strong service, particularly in government and financial services, remains intact. However, the study warns of a growing gap between customer expectations and actual support, what ServiceNow terms a “customer service deficit” that could cost businesses up to S$1.3 billion.

“Service is only complex because organisations are complex,” said CK Tan, APJ Innovation Officer, Singapore at ServiceNow. “If you have to speak with five departments to resolve one issue, you risk losing business. Customers want to have one conversation to resolve their issue.”

The findings show that customer service agents spend just 18 per cent of their week — or one working day — directly addressing customer needs. The rest of their time is absorbed by administrative work, liaising across departments, and managing internal systems — with staff needing to access more than three platforms just to solve a single query.

Customers Ready to Walking

Singaporeans have simple but firm expectations: serve me quickly (47%), don’t transfer me (45%), and empower staff to solve issues (32%). Yet when these expectations aren’t met, loyalty falters. The study found that 85 per cent of Singaporeans would consider switching brands due to slow or poor service — a warning signal for businesses heading into 2025.

Consumers are also taking matters into their own hands. Three in four Singaporeans now turn to self-service options first, and social media has emerged as the fastest resolution channel, with issues addressed in an average of 1.5 hours.

AI Raises the Bar, Not Just Speed

The adoption of AI is also reshaping the service landscape. About 62 per cent of Singaporeans say AI has improved access to quality customer experiences, with 75 per cent willing to accept AI-powered service as long as standards are maintained or improved.

Notably, nearly two-thirds of consumers believe that tools like ChatGPT have lifted their expectations around what good customer service should look like.

“A lot of simple issues can now be resolved through self-service and AI options,” added Tan. “Singapore consumers are among the most optimistic in the APAC region to unlock the true potential of AI services.”

While customer satisfaction remains high in sectors like government, healthcare and finance, others — notably telecommunications and transport — saw the steepest increases in customer wait times this year.

As consumers become savvier and service expectations rise, businesses may need to rethink how their systems, staff and AI work together — or risk losing hard-earned loyalty.