What Annoys You the Most? Consumer Reports Surveys Americans' Annoyances
Hidden fees, not getting a human on the phone top the list of consumer gripes.
Dec. 1, 2009— -- Americans must hate paying their utility bills because the two most popular gripes among adults in this country have to do with the kind of experiences folks have when they call their cell phone or cable service provider. Hidden fees and the inability to get a human being on the phone are Americans' top two annoyances, according to a new survey conducted by Consumer Reports.
Read the full survey HERE.
In today's fast-paced, technology driven, spam filled society, Americans have plenty to be annoyed with. So what are the top things that irk Americans' nerves? That's the question that Consumer Reports wanted to find out when it conducted a national telephone survey of adults aged 18 and up. The popular ratings and recommendations magazine and Web site is out with its "Top Gripes: What Bugs America Most" survey at newsstands Dec. 1 and online at www.ConsumerReports.org.
Most noticeably, Consumer Reports' survey found there are certain things that annoy women more than men, Democrats more than Republicans, older people more than younger people and people who live in urban areas more than people who live in rural areas.
Americans' Annoyances Run Deep
Coming in third in the Consumer Reports survey behind hidden fees and not getting a human on the phone was tailgating, followed by cell phone use by drivers and incomprehensible bills. Rounding out the top ten: dog poop, unreliable Internet service, discourteous cell phone use, waiting for repair people and spam.
Political talk shows annoy more Democrats than Republicans, according to the survey. Respondents who identified themselves as Democrats were more annoyed than Republicans by television and radio programs during which people often end up shouting their opinions.
The survey says women were significantly more irritated than men by 11 of the 21 choices. Having to remember passwords and PINs, speeding drivers, and products that shrink on volume but still cost the same were among the things that ticked off the women surveyed more than men.
