2020 was the year that video calls and Zoom meetings became a permanent fixture for workers, as face-to-face interactions were halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
But as with any technology, glitches can occur, and video calls are no different to this issue. As more and more professionals relied on this type of software to communicate with colleagues, managers and clients, these tech issues became more prevalent.
For many working from home Brits, the biggest bugbear they came across was video calls freezing on them. 22% of 2,000 adults in a Virgin Media poll stated that they had to put up with this problem, while 15% said they had to deal with calls cutting out altogether due to bad Wi-Fi connections.
On average, the data found that adults take part in around five video calls a week since the pandemic struck, and a fifth of those shared that they had suffered with delays, leading to some awkward scenarios.
Virgin Media’s research also found that employees lost patience quickly when it came to frozen calls, with many citing that they lost their patience after 30 seconds.
Around four in 10 said that they felt frustrated by the issue, while 21% of respondents felt fed-up.
Fixing the issue
Many employees have resorted to their own measures to fix these types of problems – 19% said they restarted their device, 12% moved closer to their router and 10% went into another room in search of a better signal.
For 11% of respondents, closing all their browsers was an option, and 10% decided to upgrade their own broadband package.
Speaking on these frustrations, Gareth Lister, Director of Connectivity at Virgin Media, said: “We understand how frustrating bad Wi-Fi can be and no one wants the shame of a frozen self-portrait.
“People are going out of their way – quite literally to different rooms – to try and find a reliable W-Fi signal for crucial work calls or when catching up with family and friends.”
And with the third lockdown now underway, 16% of Brits claimed that they want to improve their Wi-Fi in their work from home space.
Zoom bugbears
But it’s not just freezing and lagging that is bugging Brits, as those surveyed stated that everyone speaking at once, microphones not working, struggling to share a screen and not knowing when to jump in a conversation were all frustrations the majority had suffered with.
The top 10 video call bugbears were:
Everyone speaking at once
Struggling to hear someone but not wanting to say 'pardon' again
Cameras freezing
Speaking before realising you're on mute
Not being able to see everyone on the call at once
Not knowing when to jump in the conversation
Microphone not working
Struggling to share your screen
The call crashing and having to log back in
The call time running out and having to log back in
Image credit: Virgin Media
