Which Business Gets You to Swear on the Phone the Most?

An analysis of 1.2 million U.S. consumer calls from March 2012 to November 2013 by Marchex, a mobile advertising company, found that we are most likely to swear while on the phone with satellite TV providers, housing contractors, and cable providers. Here’s their full list:

1. Satellite TV providers — 1 in every 82 conversations
2. Housing contractors — 90
3. Cable providers — 123
4. Auto Repair — 144
5. Tow Truck — 159
6. Locksmith — 192
7. Storage — 214
8. Pest Control — 215
9. Heating & Cooling — 215
10. House Cleaning — 218
11. Lawn Care — 271
12. Carpet Cleaning — 275
13. Plumbing — 334
14. Home Buying — 411
15. Auto Dealers — 870
16. Flowers — 1,110
17. Property Management — 1,390
18. Hotels — 1,486
19. Senior Living — 1,742
20. Veterinary — 2,634

Our favorite swear word to say on the phone? The F-bomb, though sometimes we’re polite enough to wait until we’re on hold to let it out.

Photo: Frederic Bisson

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