As research finds repeating simple questions is one of the nation’s biggest bugbears, Vodafone launches ‘Just Ask Once’ - a promise to customers that, when they need help, they can simply ask once and their query will be sorted.
- From bins and bedtime to customer service, new research from Vodafone uncovers the requests that rile us up on repeat every day, with nearly all Brits (92%) finding repeating themselves frustrating.
- 6 in 10 Brits report repeating themselves to their partner (40%), kids (35%), friends (21%) and colleagues (27%) each day, with over one in five (21%) citing it as their biggest bug bear.
- But it’s customer service that’s pushing Brits to their repeating limit, with 82% of us having explained an issue more than once and the average enquiry needing: four repeated questions; 15 minutes spent on hold; and three different people to resolve.
- This new research comes as Vodafone launches ‘Just Ask Once’, a new customer service standard that aims to resolve any customer query quickly and painlessly, with the same person from start to finish, until it is sorted.
- Rather than having to wait on a call, customers can message through the My Vodafone app at any time and respond whenever is convenient for them. They can get on with their day, while Vodafone gets on with solving their query.
Whether it’s reminding your housemate to take the bins out again (17%), telling the kids to brush their teeth for the third time (18%) or chasing that colleague one more time (27%), new research from Vodafone reveals that we’re a nation stuck on repeat.
According to the findings, 6 in 10 people say they’re regularly forced to repeat themselves every day, with nearly all Brits (92%) finding it frustrating and a fifth (21%) admitting it’s one of their biggest bugbears, with serial repeaters wishing they never had to ask more than once (95%).
Vodafone introduces ‘Just Ask Once’ - customer service made easy
No more waiting on hold. No more transfers between agents. No more repeating yourself.
Asking someone to do their share of the housework (20%) more than once is the main reason those living with partners are irked at home. For parents across the nation, they are tired of repeating themselves when young kids aren’t going to bed on time (30%) or doing their homework (24%).
Continually reminding friends about plans (12%), asking someone to transfer money (12%) or asking a colleague the same question more than once (13%) also feature highly on Brits’ lists of the repeat requests that rile them up the most.
But, while household- and relationship-related asks rate highly on the list of most annoying things people have to ask repeatedly, the research found that it is customer service that really pushes Brits to their repetitive limit.
Having to repeat ourselves, especially over something simple, can feel incredibly frustrating because it signals that we’re not being heard or valued...Feeling ignored or being asked to start from scratch repeatedly creates what’s known as cognitive overload, where mental energy is drained... it can produce emotional fatigue and can even trigger avoidance behaviours.
Jo Hemmings, psychologist
When faced with a product or service problem that needs contact with customer service, almost all Brits (87%) have had to explain their issue more than once. In fact, on average, we’re having to repeat it up to four times, spend over 15 minutes on hold, and get passed around three different agents while doing so.
Remembering the answer to the tricky ‘first pet’ question (36%), old account numbers (32%) and order numbers (28%) are all added pressures that test our patience along the way.
In its ambition to set a new standard for customer service in the industry, Vodafone has launched ‘Just Ask Once’, a game-changing new service available via the My Vodafone app that will see one person deal with a customer’s query from start to finish, until it is sorted.
This removes well-known bug bears such as waiting on hold, repeating the problem to multiple different people, and the need to chase for an update. If the query can’t be resolved straight away, the same person from Vodafone will proactively message the customer with updates until it is solved, so they aren’t left worrying, wondering what is going on or spending time chasing.
One Conversation. Real Results: How Vodafone’s Just Ask Once service can help ease the load for small businesses
Now available to mobile customers with 1-to-9 employees via the My Vodafone app, Just Ask Once ensures your query is handled smoothly from start to finish - without having to repeat yourself or chase for updates. It’s support made smarter, faster, and more human.
Partnering with Vodafone, psychologist Jo Hemmings not only reveals that repeating fatigue is real, but why we find it so irritating to ask simple things more than once. She says:
“Having to repeat ourselves, especially over something simple, can feel incredibly frustrating because it signals that we’re not being heard or valued. And the proof is there – Vodafone’s research shows that 95% of us wish we didn’t have to ask the same thing more than once!
“This taps into the basic human psychological need for recognition and autonomy, which are both key drivers for mental wellbeing and day-to-day motivation. Feeling ignored or being asked to start from scratch repeatedly creates what’s known as cognitive overload, where mental energy is drained.
“And whether it’s with loved ones, colleagues, friends or even customer service, it can produce emotional fatigue and can even trigger avoidance behaviours. Over time, it’s not just inconvenient – it’s stressful and disempowering.
“That’s why solutions that reduce this mental load, like Vodafone’s ‘Just Ask Once’, are so important in helping people feel seen, heard and supported. It’s removing the unnecessary stress that people feel when they have to get in touch with customer service, and is a promise that their problem will get solved.”
Top things Brits are most fed-up of repeating more than once:
- Issues to multiple customer service representatives
- Answering the same question from customer service
- Chasing people to reply to a message or email
- Asking for an update once you have flagged an issue or problem with a service or product
- Making general complaints to customer service
- Asking someone to do their share of the housework
- Asking someone to transfer money
- Having to ask a colleague the same question over and over
- Repeating a food or drink order
- Having to ask someone to take the bins out
- Continually reminding friends about plans
- Having to chase a colleague
- Having to ask your kids more than once to go to bed
- Asking the kids to brush their teeth
- Telling the kids to do their homework
- Prompting your partner to put the washing on or take it out
How to contact and complain to Vodafone UK customer care
Some customer issues are easy to sort out for yourself, but if you need get help from Vodafone, here's how.
Customers don’t have to remember any long difficult case, tracking or order numbers, their mother’s maiden name or the name of their first pet; they can simply log in to the My Vodafone app, send a message and get on with their day, while Vodafone gets on with solving the query.
Vodafone will proactively message the customer with updates until it is solved, so they aren’t left worrying, wondering what is going on or spending time chasing. If Vodafone can’t provide the service they’ve promised, then customers can leave with no exit fee.
Rob Winterschladen, Consumer Director, VodafoneThree, said: “We all know the frustration of having to ask more than once; whether it’s at home, work, or when dealing with customer service – repeating ourselves is annoying. Over half of the nation find repeating themselves to customer service frustrating and, for a fifth, it’s even their biggest bugbear.
“Our new ‘Just Ask Once’ promise is based on a simple principle: when a customer needs help, they ask us once and we’ll sort it. By messaging through the My Vodafone app, just like you would a friend on WhatsApp, you’ll get your own dedicated problem solver and proactive updates. So there’s no repeating yourself or waiting around on your phone – you can just get on with your day.”
Customers can also access Vodafone customer service by calling 191 on their mobile or through the Vodafone website.
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About VodafoneThree
VodafoneThree is the UK’s largest mobile provider serving fixed and mobile customers, formed following the merger of Vodafone UK and Three UK in June 2025.
Through an unprecedented £11 billion investment, VodafoneThree will build the UK’s best network. The network will deliver reliable, quality connectivity to all nations and regions, creating as many as 13,000 jobs and laying a digital foundation for the country’s growth ambitions.
VodafoneThree is the only mobile network operator with a fully funded, regulated and guaranteed network build plan, reaching 99.95% population coverage by 2034. From big cities to small towns, and everywhere in between, the company’s mission is to build the UK’s best network.
VodafoneThree is a private company, 51% owned by Vodafone and 49% owned by CK Hutchison Holdings. It encompasses all businesses and assets, including Vodafone UK, Three UK, VOXI Mobile, SMARTY and Talkmobile.
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