Waiting in a call centre phone queue for more than five minutes and 58 seconds is bad for your health, new research shows.
Experts found callers' stress levels and blood pressure rise dangerously high as they become frustrated with the delay in getting through.
In the survey which involved in 2,054 adults, 64 percent say their grievance is inflamed further by"annoying" music, which is supposedly played to calm them down.
Panpipes are considered the most annoying hold music, followed by classical tunes and sounds from nature, such as crashing waves. Four in five adults have become so frustrated they hung up.
Dr. Roger Henderson, a stressexpert and GP, said other symptoms of queue induced stress include a racing heartbeat, sweaty palms and headaches.
This could develop into a more serious medical condition such chronic anxiety, stomach and bowel upsets - or even the breakdown of relationship, he warned.
Dr. Henderson said: "We live in an age where for many people time is the most valuablecommodity of all. If we do not get the service we expect very quickly, our stress levels increase quickly and significantly. When stress levels rise, a range of health problems can begin to develop."
And not surprisingly, 67 percent admitted to feeling "annoyed" when they are forced to wait too long.
Furthermore, long waits in a queue are not just bad for customers' health but for the company's reputation too, the study found.
Almost 70 percent said their impression of a company was "permanently damaged". Just under a quarter have even terminated a contract as a result of their wait.




据英国《每日邮报》9月22日报道，一项新研究表明，如果在呼叫中心排电话队（等待处理业务）的时间超过5分钟58秒，人们的健康就会受到损害。
专家发现，当呼叫者因电话延迟接通而变得沮丧时，他们的压力和血压水平就会升高到危险状态。
该研究调查了2,054名成年人，64%的调查对象称那些"闹心"的音乐给他们的不满火上浇油，虽然播放音乐的本意是让人们冷静下来。

牧笛被认为是最"闹心"的音乐，紧跟其后的是古典音乐和如海浪拍击声等取自自然的声音，5位成年人中就4位因为过于沮丧而挂掉电话。

压力专家兼全科医生罗杰·亨德森医生表示，电话排队诱发的其他压力症状包括心跳速度加快、手心出汗和头痛。

他警告道，这可能发展成如慢性焦虑症、胃肠紊乱等更严重的健康状况，甚至还能导致情感破裂。

亨德森医生说："我们生活在惜时如金的时代，如果人们不能迅速的得到他们所需要的服务，他们的压力水平就会迅速明显地上升。随着压力水平的上升，也就发展出了一系列的健康问题。"


因此，67%的研究对象承认他们会因被迫长时间等待而闹心（的事实）也没什么好惊讶的。
此外，研究发现，长时间的排队等待不仅会损害顾客健康，还会有损公司声望。

70%的调查对象表示，这会"永久地破坏"他们对一公司的印象，将近四分之一的人甚至会因为等待时间（过长）而终止合同。

• waiting [´weitiŋ] n.等候；伺候 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• stress [stres] n.强调；压力 vt.强调 (初中英语单词)
• pressure [´preʃə] n.压榨 vt.对...施压力 (初中英语单词)
• survey [´sə:vei] vt.&n.俯瞰；审视；测量 (初中英语单词)
• expert [´ekspə:t] n.&a.专家；内行 (初中英语单词)
• medical [´medikəl] a.医学的；医疗的 (初中英语单词)
• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)
• stomach [´stʌmək] n.胃；胃口，食欲 (初中英语单词)
• valuable [´væljuəbəl, -jubəl] a.有价值的，贵重的 (初中英语单词)
• impression [im´preʃən] n.印刷；印象；效果 (初中英语单词)
• relationship [ri´leiʃənʃip] n.关系；联系；亲属关系 (高中英语单词)
• commodity [kə´mɔditi] n.日用品；商品 (高中英语单词)
• grievance [´gri:vəns] n.不平；冤情；抱怨 (英语四级单词)
• classical [´klæsikəl] a.经典的；传统的 (英语四级单词)
• reputation [repju´teiʃən] n.名誉；名声；信誉 (英语四级单词)
• dangerously [´deindʒrəsli] ad.危险 (英语六级单词)
• annoying [ə´nɔiiŋ] a.使人气恼的；讨厌的 (英语六级单词)
• chronic [´krɔnik] a.慢性的；剧烈的 (英语六级单词)
• breakdown [´breikdaun] n.崩溃；倒塌；损耗 (英语六级单词)
• surprisingly [sə´praiziŋli] ad.惊人地；意外地 (英语六级单词)