Pushy sales people, spam emails and foreign call centres have topped a poll of the biggest ‘bug-bears’ of modern life, according to new research. Other irritants include having to stand on the train when you’ve paid for a ticket, deliveries getting lost in the post and PPI calls and texts.
Grumbles slightly closer to home include unloading the washing machine to find everything covered in bits of tissue, a messy partner and forgetting to put the bins out.
Researchers, who compiled a top 50 list of the things which bother us daily, found pressure selling was the biggest annoyance for 65% of people.
Stacey Stothard of Skipton Building Society, which conducted the study of 2,000 adults, said:
”Us Brits have a bit of a reputation when it comes to grumbles.
”The stiff upper lip, fascination with the weather and inability to queue are all well documented.
”But it’s really disheartening that by far the biggest bug-bear for Brits today is the feeling of being under pressure to buy something.
”There’s something to be said for the good old fashioned values of listening to people and treating them as individuals – and not being pounced on for the purpose of fulfilling sales targets and ultimately satisfying corporate shareholders.”
The study also showed our cars – and driving in general – exasperate many of us.
Common bug-bears while behind the wheel include getting stuck in traffic, pot-holes in the road, middle-lane hoggers and parkers taking up two spaces.
Financial niggles include receiving credit card offers through the post, banks phoning to check personal details or offer ridiculous loans and automatic direct debits.
Nearly half the respondents said they have actively stopped going to certain places because they’ve felt pressurised in the past to buy something.
Modern technology, while a convenience for many, can also test the patience of the calmest Brits.
Shutting the computer down before saving work, predictive text on the mobile phone and someone ringing but losing reception straightaway are common irritants.
One fifth of Brits admit they get annoyed if they read a book and find spelling errors, while 15 per cent hate the fact they have to shave.
Losing the remote control, breaking a nail, missing the train and being duped by a sales person also appear on the top 50 list of bug-bears.
The study also revealed the average person feels annoyed by something out of their control up to seven times a day.
While most people don’t even get three hours into their normal day before an outside influence ruins their routine and puts them in a mood.
Stacey Stothard added:
”For many Brits, their bugbears cause a short-term annoyance or inconvenience.
”Most are unavoidable and we have a little moan before showing true British spirit and getting on with the rest of our day.
”But out of our top 50 bug-bears, two out of the top three in our list are avoidable.
”And people are understandably voting with their feet to avoid places where they feel pressurised by sales people.
”We have used this research to help develop our ‘No Pressure Promise’.
”We have listened to feedback from our members and have pledged to provide them with time to think about what they want to do with their finances -with no pressure to sign up straightaway, all of the help and information they need and time and space to decide at their own pace.”
TOP 50 BUG-BEARS
1. Pressure selling – people continuously trying to sell you something you don’t want and haven’t asked about
2. Spam emails
3. Pushy sales people
4. Foreign call centres
5. Being put on hold
6. Dog mess on the pavement
7. Pot holes in the road
8. PPI texts
9. Drivers who take up two spaces
10. Getting stuck behind really slow drivers
11. Queuing
12. Really slow people in front of you at the till
13. Rude customers or clients at work
14. Getting stuck in traffic
15. Having to stand on the train when you’ve paid loads for a ticket
16. Having to pay to use public toilets
17. You unload the washing to find a tissue has covered everything
18. Credit card offers through the post
19. Bird mess on the car
20. Middle lane drivers
21. You put on a couple of pounds in weight when you think you’ve been good
22. Cars not stopping for you at a zebra crossing
23. Your delivery gets lost in the post
24. You hang the washing on the line only for it to rains
25. Spelling errors in books
26. Round robin emails that aren’t relevant to you
27. Having to shave
28. Having to find a pound for the supermarket trolley
29. Banks phoning you to offer you a credit card / loan / overdraft
30. Being miss-sold something
31. You close the computer or the computer crashes and you’ve forgotten to save your work
32. Predictive text
33. Being duped by a sales person
34. Self-serve tills
35. Your partner leaving crumbs / mess on the kitchen side
36. Delayed trains
37. Getting a paper cut
38. Calling companies complaints lines
39. You miss the train by a couple of minutes
40. Realising you’ve left your phone at home
41. Banks phoning you to check your personal details
42. Losing the remote control
43. You forget to put the bins out on rubbish collection day
44. Your shopping bag breaks and you lose your goods all over the floor
45. The milk has gone off
46. Breaking a nail
47. Dishes being stacked on the draining board
48. Automatic direct debits
49. Keypad tones
50. Someone rings you and they lose reception straight away
