Why You Are Kept on Hold So Long and How to Cut Your Wait Time in Half

Everyone knows the frustration of calling customer service only to be left listening to hold music. It can feel endless, and sometimes it is. According to Ged Ryan, Managing Director at Consumer Links, there are clear reasons why queues build up and there are also practical ways to reduce your wait time.

Call volumes often exceed capacity

“Customer demand can rise much faster than staffing levels,” Ged explains. “Even well resourced teams face peaks where the number of incoming calls is higher than expected. Recruitment and training take time, so contact centres sometimes need to balance resources carefully.”

You are in line with everyone else’s issues

“The majority of hold time is caused by volume, not by your specific case,” Ged explains. “If a company launches a new product, raises bills or suffers a technical outage, phone lines are overwhelmed. Even if your query is straightforward you are still in the same queue as everyone else.”

Scripts and compliance checks extend calls

“Once you get through, agents are required to follow certain processes,” Ged says. “Security checks, disclaimers and scripted steps are essential for consistency but they add time. Multiply that across thousands of calls and waiting times naturally increase.”

Certain times of day are busier than others

“The heaviest traffic is usually on Monday mornings, at lunchtime and in the early evening after work,” Ged reveals. “Queues can be twice as long compared with mid-morning or mid-afternoon on weekdays.”

Some businesses encourage digital options

“Hold times are sometimes used to steer people to online chat or self-service,” Ged says. “If it feels like you are being directed to the website, that may be intentional. Many companies want to balance phone support with digital tools.”

How to cut your wait time in half

There are proven strategies that can make a big difference.

“Call at the right time,” Ged advises. “Mid-morning or mid-afternoon on weekdays is usually best. Avoid Mondays if possible. Tuesday to Thursday tends to be quieter.”

“Use the call back option if it is available,” he adds. “Many systems now let you request a call back. It often shortens the wait dramatically.”

“Dial specialist numbers when you can,” Ged recommends. “General helplines are the slowest. If you find a direct number for billing, cancellations or technical support you usually get through faster.”

“Have your details ready,” Ged says. “Delays often come from customers searching for account numbers or passwords once the call has started. Having everything to hand speeds things up for you and for those in the queue behind you.”

“Try social media,” he suggests. “Many companies prioritise public posts on Twitter or Facebook. In urgent cases it can be faster than staying on hold.”

Ged concludes, “Once you understand how the system works you can make smarter choices. A few small adjustments can easily cut your wait time in half.”