Amazon always seems to be at the forefront of new marketing campaigns (package delivery via drone, anyone?) and excellent customer service. 

The newest Amazon feature is no exception to their marketing success. The Mayday button, which appeared on the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablets in September 2013, allows Amazon customers using a Fire HDX tablet to instantly connect with a customer service representative in a live video chat. Amazon initially marketed the Mayday feature with the promise that customers would receive help in 15 seconds or less. Sounds almost too good to be true, right?

Well, Amazon recently released their data regarding the wait time for Mayday, and it isn’t 15 seconds. According to the new data, the average wait time is 9.75 seconds. With 75% of Fire HDX customers now using the Mayday feature to access Amazon’s customer service representatives, that 9.75 second wait time isn’t just good news for Amazon–it’s proof that instant customer service is the most effective way to please customers.

This isn’t exactly brand new info, however. A 2012 study showed that when customers are forced to wait longer than they had expected, 48% of those customers will automatically assume that the business isn’t running efficiently, and a whopping 52% of customers would simply shop elsewhere. It’s harder than ever for businesses to earn customer loyalty, especially since technology has enabled consumers to locate competitors easily and compare prices virtually.

Sure, we all have some criticisms about the methodology of certain big companies (the drone delivery situation still seems a bit questionable) but the numbers here don’t lie. Instant customer service is undoubtedly becoming the norm for businesses, and Amazon knew that back in September.