How long will you wait on hold before you get angry and hang up?

The “on hold” music is usually terrible, but I would wait ten minutes. I’m impatient, but then again, if it’s really important, I might stay on.

I use a portable phone and set it on “speaker.” Then I wash dishes, file my nails, do paperwork at my desk or read until a human speaks to me.

I use the Fonekey. It emits a signal that goes through the phone and scrambles the computers of whoever it is you are calling. They can not do anything until they answer your call, at which time you send the descramble command.

Oh how I wish!

Depends on what it is and how important my business is. For trivial things 10 seconds is a long time for me to hold. I’m not very patient. Very important things I just hit the speaker button and do something else.

16 minutes!!! If there was no music, because there always is crappy music!, I would think they accidently hung up and phone back.

It really depends on what I was calling for. If it was something important, I’d wait with them on the speaker phone. If it was something I could wait on, I’d probably hang up and try again later.

Usually around 5 minutes. If it takes that long to leave me on hold, then I can just call back later or get what I need via another source of communication.

About 5 minutes. My phone outgoing calls aren’t free so I try to make as few of them as possible and keep the minutes down.

Depends on how important it is to me to talk to someone. Usually 5–10 minutes.

Like other people have said it depends on how important the business is. After my dad died I had to call a lot of people, financial institutions, the VA, credit card companies, his pension fund, etc. both to inform them of his death and to claim benefits like life insurance so I basically had to stay on hold as long as it took. Sometimes I do what @gailcalled suggested and sometimes I play solitaire. That’s when I decide that instead of music they should have educational programs; like language lessons. If you’re going to be on hold for 45 minutes you might as well pick up some conversational Spanish, you know?

Also, this site: gethuman.com can be life saver, or at least a sanity saver sometimes. The site maintains a pretty large database of phone numbers and tips and methods for getting through the automated customer service systems of companies and organizations and getting to a real human. Check it out.

Personally, I hate hold music so I think silence is a godsend. Then, what I do is settle in with a tv show or some activity so I can wait it out without boredom. Honestly, I don’t know how to put my phone on speaker or else I’d do that too. If it gets too long, I will hang up usually in tears.

I’ll send a company an email before I even think of phoning them, unless they have a free-phone number. If they do I sit at the computer while I’m waiting, and I’ll wait as long as it takes, or until I have to go out whichever is first.

If I have to call a company, I time the amount of time it takes me to get to a real person. When I finally get one, I begin the conversation by saying, “Hello, I have been waiting for 23 minutes and 17 seconds. My name is Mowens and this is my problem. Is this something you can help me with?

@mowens Please don’t drop that crap on the person who finally answers your call. It’s not their fault that it took you so long to get through to an actual person. They almost always want to help you, really they do. Laying that crap on them, when it is not their fault only puts you in an adversarial position which will not help you accomplish your goal.

If you want to complain about customer service ask for a manager, don’t light into the people who simply answer the call.

@mowens Sorry about the above. I sometimes just really need to lighten up! That was a little harsh and I apologize. I’ve never worked phones but I’ve worked in retail and restaurants where people always take out their frustrations on the clerks who really have no control over much of anything. I took a lot crap over the years from people about store policy and pricing, all sorts of things that I had no control over so I’m a little sensitive about that kind thing. Again, sorry.

@lillycoyote Not at all. I don’t actually even do it. I heard a comedian say it. I thought it was funny so I repeated it. :)

I believe being nice gets you what you want more than being mean does. But the nice guy doesn’t get the lurve, and I am a lurve whore. :)

Which is a contradiction in itself. hahaah

Until I need to pee.