10 Things to Do When You're Put On Hold

Being put on hold is the worst thing that can ever happen on the phone. You’re trying to get some assistance, and you’re suffering poor response times. This isn’t a unique problem. In fact, it’s an issue infecting countless consumer dealings with companies, both big and small. A company should strive for the best service possible. However, it seems this has skipped the telecommunications aspect for most businesses. This article isn’t going to cure the problem of being on hold, to begin with, but we hope these tips might make it more bearable. So, here are 10 things you can do when you’re put on hold!

Consider Self-Service Options

Not every company has this, but most do now offer self-service options through chat-bots on their websites and attached to certain numbers. So if you’re not interested in being placed on hold, take a look at the various self-service options available and work with them to solve your problem.

Take To Social Media

Twitter is the best tool for getting relatively quick responses from companies. You’ll be able to tweet about your issue and potentially get a helpful response. Social media also offers a more direct line to companies that don’t want to get complaints about slow service. By alerting them of the issues, they are more likely to reach out to you to rectify the problem.

Try Communicate Via Email

This might not be the most effective way to get your problem solved, but if it’s a large problem, you may fare better with an email. We would use this method for small issues, but for bigger problems, you can get away with communicating via email instead. Just be sure to keep this in mind when you first send the email so you can follow up appropriately when necessary.

Request a Call-back

Suppose you’re tired of waiting forever for someone to answer your call. Select the call-back option. Putting the ball in their court means not wasting your time waiting around for someone to answer and instead getting them to call when they’re ready. Not all companies have this option, but if you hear the option to press a button for a call-back, take it!

Prepare Dinner

Take your phone to the kitchen, place it on the loudspeaker and start preparing dinner. You’ll be able to maximise your time efficiently this way. It’s guaranteed to prove effective at making that on-hold time less mind-numbing. It also means time doesn’t stop for anything. The last thing you want is to stop your daily activities purely because you’re on hold.

Play a Game

Being on hold is boring, so why not make it a bit more bearable by playing some games? These can be any type of game. It could be a videogame or maybe even something a bit more old-school, like crosswords, sudoku, solitaire, etc. You need to keep yourself awake because that repetitive hold music is either going to put you to sleep or make you burst out in a fit of rage

Read a Book

Depending on how long you’re willing to be on hold, it’s not the worst idea in the world to pick up a book. It sounds ridiculous, but being on hold can take a long time. So why not grab a book and take a moment to read and enjoy some literature while having the phone on loudspeaker waiting for that sweet release of someone looking to help you?

Reorganise the Living Room

If not, why not? Take this time on hold to do some reorganisation or cleaning of sorts in your living room. It can actually be any room in your house, but the living room is a great place to start. Empty some draws, start organising things, and see if you can take the mess and get rid of it. You’ll have the phone on loudspeaker, so if anything changes, you’re ready to respond. It’s going to take your mind off the infuriating hold time and allow you to feel like you were productive when you had every opportunity to be anything but!

Exercise

We’re not talking about a full intensive workout but some sit ups, pushups, jumping jacks, whatever you want to do during this time, do it. You’re able to get in some exercise so that you can feel good about how you spent this unfortunate amount of time on hold. You’ll be burning calories while burning minutes on the phone. Depending on how often you’re on hold, you might find yourself getting that summer body a bit earlier than usual.

Do Some Gardening

If you’re at a loss for what to do, go and calm yourself down with some relaxing gardening. So, head out to the backyard and fix up some of the things in your garden. It’s a great use of your time and makes a major difference in your garden. You could even plan ahead and go get some flowers to plant or tick off some items on your to-do list, so you’re ready for a long hold time.

BONUS: Pour a Glass of Wine

Is nothing helping you make being on hold any more bearable? You’ve done your best, now open a bottle of wine and start pouring. That’s right, you’ve earned it! You’re allowed to indulge in a little vino if you’re not getting the response you need. Hopefully, you’re not on hold too long. Next thing you know, they answer, and you’ve lost the ability to accurately describe the issue you’re facing.

Conclusion

We all agree that being on hold sucks. It does not just suck the joy out of our day, but also the minutes your provider offers you. So you need to be prepared. That’s why you need to get the best mobile plans Australia has to offer! Of course, we’re talking about Catch Connect’s plans. We’ve got so many great deals to keep you connected. Take a look at our website and find the plan that’s right for you.