New analysis by Lancashire-based Evolve Document Solutions estimates the hidden productivity cost to 14 million music fans waiting in online queues for Oasis tickets last weekend was over £1 billion.
Evolve Document Solutions is a company that specialises in increasing the productivity and efficiency of its clients. Using a simple formula, their total productivity cost calculation combined average UK wages (£17.62) with the reported 14 million music fans who waited five hours (many waited longer) trying to buy tickets.
The actual total productivity cost was calculated to be £1,233,400,000.
Productivity cost is the financial loss associated with decreased work output, efficiency, or effectiveness. This can be due to various factors. In the case of Oasis tickets, the cost was borne by music fans due to their time waiting online when they went on sale on 31 August 2024; time they could have been doing something else.
The cost is equivalent to 70 million hours or almost 100 lifetimes (using a UK average life expectancy of 81 years). And if you base productive working years from 21 to 67, that is over 500 working lives.
With around 1,150,000 tickets sold and a maximum of 4 allowed per household, the number of people getting tickets comes in at 287,500. That means the 98% of 14 million fans waited with no reward.
For Evolve Document Solutions, Daniel Maddox said: “Our calculation highlights the significant economic impact of software that serves the business ahead of the user. It’s a hidden cost that many overlook, but it can add up to a substantial amount of lost productivity.
“Our own business offers software to save people time and make them more efficient and productive. That’s why I think we should call out companies that place such a low value on their customers’ time.
“We also witnessed social media discussions about waiting times, which created even more interest in the tickets – creating more people waiting hours for their chance to buy tickets. The waiting times were a tactic to encourage even more customers to join the queue.”
With ticket sales taking place on Saturday, outside of the regular working week, ‘some might say’ the productivity cost is open to debate. Leisure time would still be impacted. And each individual may value leisure time as lower or higher than work time.
Then there are the hidden costs of anxiety and stress while waiting in an online queue for highly sought-after tickets, such as for Oasis, can be significant and multifaceted, affecting various aspects of an individual’s life. These include mental and emotional health, where increased anxiety, frustration, and disappointment are common.
Physical health can also be impacted, with issues like eye strain, poor posture, and sleep disruption. Financially, there is a risk of impulse spending, where fans buy tickets they can’t afford and the emotional strain of missed opportunities. Productivity may also suffer, with reduced output and emotional drain taking a toll. Additionally, these stresses can lead to social and relationship strain, manifesting as irritability, conflict, and tension in relationships.
Daniel Maddox added: “It’s not just the financial cost; the stress and frustration experienced by those waiting for hours without securing tickets can also have a wider impact on mental health and overall productivity. Whatever happens, don’t look back in anger.”