A consumer behaviour study by Marketing Focus reported in the Melbourne Herald Sun, 9 June 2002 listed the following as common problems relating to customer service.

• Rudeness among customers and staff is on the rise in Australia.
• Growing numbers of customers are complaining of poor or slow treatment.
• Three in four believed service standards had slipped in the past year.
• The most annoying factors are listed in order below. Those marked with an asterisk (*) are not necessarily customer service factors



1. Automatic answering machines.
2. Mobile phone calls in cafes and theatres.*
3. Long queues in banks, post offices and supermarkets.
4. Unsolicited phone calls.
5. Unwanted telemarketing.
6. Junk mail.
7. Spam emails.
8. Tradespeople ignoring appointment times.
9. Disinterested service staff.
10. Aggressive driving.*

Which of these factors may be annoying your customers and how?