Being placed on hold

[roadman65]

I do not know about you, but when I am placed on hold, I do not like when the loop message that assures you that someone will be with you in a moment.  I think that it is totally redundant as we already know that we are on hold awaiting someone, so why even bother to keep telling us.  Then each time that message comes on you think that the wait is over only to be disappointed to find out is that same voice that spoke to you when you first dialed to retell you again you are on hold.

The customer is not always right like the bosses always tell us employees when we are the customer.

[Zeffy]

I hate the cheesy music that they play while on hold. At that point, I put my phone down and put speakerphone on just to await when an actual person (and that not that damned auto-recorded voice) picks up the line.

[ET21]

*wait half hour*
"We're sorry, the line is busy at the moment, please try again"

[Avalanchez71]

I think that I would rather listen to something than just dead air.  I was transferred many times yesterday because I esclated a call four times until I had the same answer that was communicated to me in writing heretofore by the company.

[Brandon]

*wait half hour*
"We're sorry, the line is busy at the moment, please try again"

Sounds like you tried to call Communist..er..Commonwealth Edison during an outage as well. 

[Scott5114]

The customer is not always right like the bosses always tell us employees when we are the customer.

That's because that's not what "the customer is always right" means, and the phrase has been bent far out of the shape of its original meaning.

"The customer is always right" means that if your customer base asks for red widgets, you should sell red widgets. You might not like red widgets or think green widgets are superior, but if your customer wants red you should put your opinion aside and sell red.

It does not mean every customer should have their ass kissed, or be allowed to redeem expired coupons or demand that the manager tap dance or allow them to haggle.

Pet peeve of mine. I hate that phrase with a passion since it is used as justification for unacceptable customer behavior too many times.

[vdeane]

*wait half hour*
"We're sorry, the line is busy at the moment, please try again"

IT does that at work, except their timer is four minutes.  And they never check their voicemail.

[triplemultiplex]

Advertisements for other products the company offers while you're on hold.
Those are always exactly what you want to hear...

Something about the financial sector with that one.  Credit cards, banks, etc.

[ZLoth]

I hate the cheesy music that they play while on hold. At that point, I put my phone down and put speakerphone on just to await when an actual person (and that not that damned auto-recorded voice) picks up the line.

I don't even like my own company's hold music which, in my not so humble opinion, is designed to annoy. We even have joked about the hold music with the customer. Whatever happened to soothing classical music?

[roadman65]

The customer is not always right like the bosses always tell us employees when we are the customer.

That's because that's not what "the customer is always right" means, and the phrase has been bent far out of the shape of its original meaning.

"The customer is always right" means that if your customer base asks for red widgets, you should sell red widgets. You might not like red widgets or think green widgets are superior, but if your customer wants red you should put your opinion aside and sell red.

It does not mean every customer should have their ass kissed, or be allowed to redeem expired coupons or demand that the manager tap dance or allow them to haggle.

Pet peeve of mine. I hate that phrase with a passion since it is used as justification for unacceptable customer behavior too many times.

I know that distinction very well. Although try telling that to the resort I used to work for back in the 1990's, they were saying that we must "kiss the ass the customer, even if it for something stupid."  I used to get into arguments with my bosses boss on that one, as I pointed out your logic to them.

Anyway, I am talking about general.  Like no one likes the lack of direct customer service anymore on the telephone.  If you were to survey the American people and average consumer, you would hear bring back the customer service rep.  So in reality, the people want to deal with humans not a dumb ass machine, but from now until whenever we are stuck with it as at the same time the customer needs businesses too as it works both ways.

Perfect example is the banks.  They do not give us the much deserved interest anymore on savings accounts because they know they will never loose a customer by not giving any out.  Why? Because the banks know that we have to have them as much as they need us.  That is also why we pay high gas prices, because we do not pick the fact we need fuel.  If we need to drive we have to purchase gasoline.  Of course we need to drive to go to work, the store, and on road trips, so that is why they want to charge way above $3.00 a gallon as this monopoly on us does effect the oil market aka supply verses demand.

Basically its like the first amendment, we do have freedom of speech to say whatever we want, but it has to be within reason.  The same with the phrase, the customer is always right.  You cannot take it literal either.