UK full of 'shouters and switchers', finds YouGov poll

Britons are likely to stamp their feet and moan to anyone who will listen when they find themselves on the receiving end of poor technical service, according to research carried out by YouGov.

Forty-three per cent of users in the UK will tell as many people as possible when they experience bad service, the study, carried out for SunGard Availability Services, claimed.

Technical downtime can also affect the country's buying habits, as 27 per cent of British users will simply switch to another service without bothering to complain.

Along with the 'shouters and switchers', YouGov also identified 11 per cent of the population as 'seekers' who try to find a better way to get good service.

The other major group were the 'sulkers', who make up 11 per cent of users and are more likely to put up with bad service.

"The findings confirm how competitive the world is becoming and that consumers will no longer put up with poor quality of service," said John Holden, a senior research analyst at the Butler Group.

"Corporate success will rely increasingly on IT service availability, and management must take the lead in ensuring that their enterprises are resilient. "

SunGard maintained that, since internet-age businesses and consumers are now reliant on technology, they believe that it should work every single time.

The YouGov study interviewed 2,342 UK consumers.