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Original poster

Who has the most annoying hold music?

34 replies

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 22/04/2022 14:31

On hold to HMRC and they’re playing the same 2 tones over and over but it’s not yet doing my head in (only 23 minutes in…) and I’m reminded of being on hold to the Disney store for 76 minutes on Christmas and they played the same Aristocats song over. And over. And over. And over.

I also hate Virgin Business hold music because I’ve spent so many wasted fucking hours on hold to them it makes me murderous

OP posts:
PastMyBestBeforeDate · 22/04/2022 14:33

The DWP's hold music features a slightly off key piano to punish the callers.

RampantIvy · 22/04/2022 14:44

Our GP.

hiredandsqueak · 22/04/2022 14:48

Our prescription medicine order line plays the theme to Silent Witness. I think somebody was having a laugh having the hold music as a theme from a show about pathologists

Original poster
IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 22/04/2022 14:52

hiredandsqueak · 22/04/2022 14:48

Our prescription medicine order line plays the theme to Silent Witness. I think somebody was having a laugh having the hold music as a theme from a show about pathologists

This has made me laugh!

I got through and am now back on hold with a tinny tinkly music which is making me a little rage induced

OP posts:
Idratherhaveacuppa · 22/04/2022 14:55

@RampantIvy I was coming here to say my GP (27 long minutes this morning). I wonder if they all use the same music?

Laska2Meryls · 22/04/2022 14:58

So Energy, .. its like pan pipe yodelling torture...but they didnt break me, I held for a g, good 20 mins without hurling the phone at the wall and finally got through !

Laska2Meryls · 22/04/2022 15:03

And the Camping club.. ,'The Caravan of Love '.. (with helpful breaks to day you are no 23 in queue)
Nope it certainly isnt .... I only wanted to cancel a booking and for some reason you can't do that on their website..

HouseyHouse21 · 22/04/2022 15:09

I had to spend over 7 hours on hold with Virgin Atlantic this week. Exceedingly irritating. It wasn't so much the music, but the chap who popped up every few minutes with 'fanks for bearin' wiv us, we'll be wiv you soon'. Lies!

MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot · 22/04/2022 15:12

My doctors have had the same one for years and it’s slightly feedbacky and distorted. As if they weren’t unwelcoming enough. Longest I held was 2 hours 20 mins before I realised it was after 12.30 and they had closed for lunch. I was nearly insane

NeverDropYourMooncup · 22/04/2022 15:18

Way back when I was stupid enough to get caught in a contract with them, Virgin.

Not only did it include Coldplay (I think - something equally anodyne and dreary at any rate), the actual sound quality was atrocious with static and hisses and whooshing noises. Add to that the fact that you could be on hold for 58 minutes before there was an answer and I think it was pretty clear that it was a deliberate decision - the one thing they didn't want was anybody phoning up to notify a problem.

Soffit · 22/04/2022 15:22

Virgin Media - If my refund arrives (been waiting a while) then hopefully I will never need to contact them again ...ever!!

HippyChickMama · 22/04/2022 15:33

IKEA customer services have ABBA as the hold music, such an obvious choice it made me laugh

MargaretThursday · 22/04/2022 15:47

I dislike fast jazzy ones because they make me feel impatient, but my real hate is when there's quite a nice one, or at least an ignorable one, but they interrupt it every 5 seconds to say "Your call is important to us. Did you know our website is really helpful and you can find lots of information on that?"
Firstly I've already checked the website, and if I hadn't I'm not likely to do it on the 50th repetition if I haven't by the second.
Secondly every time the music breaks off, I jump and think the call's been answered. Grr!

BearSoFair · 22/04/2022 15:57

One of the suppliers for my old workplace. McFly's 'It's All About You' on repeat. It bloody isn't is it or I wouldn't have been sitting here for 10 minutes waiting for you to actually answer the phone and speak to me! Used to give me the rage.

TheFlis12345 · 22/04/2022 16:02

HSBC. It weirdly crackles and randomly glitches like it’s playing on a dodgy old record player.

DrBrennerFan · 22/04/2022 16:16

All 0f them they just irritate me.

littledrummergirl · 22/04/2022 16:20

TGI Fridays.
Anything that's played at full volume.
The ones that use: dah dah dah daah daaaah daaaah daah, dah dah dah dah daaaaaa da dah dah

balalake · 22/04/2022 16:50

Anything over about 30 seconds.

QuestionableMouse · 22/04/2022 19:45

Not music, but I recently had to phone the AA as the app wasn't working and listening to the phone message telling me to use the app was giving me the urge to chuck my phone out of the window.

If I could use the fucking app, I would have been! Stop telling me about it!

BerryPieandCustard · 22/04/2022 20:34

I work in catering and have to regularly call a company to order stock. There hold music is
Food glorious food. It is so loud and tinny sounding. There is a small respite in the song every 30 seconds or so. My heart leaps thinking I am the next caller only to be disappointed to learn I am number 17 in the queue.
with Furlough/covid absences there have been massive wait times, I once spent 32 minutes with it on speakerphone in my office. Makes me want to cry

Nutrigrainygoodness · 22/04/2022 20:39

British gas.
I spent an hour on hold recently. It plays for a bit, then enough silence for you to get your hopes up before the recording starts again. "you're call is important to us, be nice to our staff, use the website, don't call us when you're driving" tinkly music, silence and repeat.

underneaththeash · 22/04/2022 20:42

Disney had beauty and the bees - played on a sort of kazoo a few years ago. Awful!

Pootles34 · 22/04/2022 20:45

York theatre have Alex Cornell 'I'm on hold' - vaguely amusing the first time, less so after 45 minutes

GingerDuo · 22/04/2022 21:25

Jet2. Fuck off Jess Glynne!

Galwayg · 22/04/2022 21:26

Sell your car the motorway!! It’s a snippet of two songs just on repeat for hours on end 🙈 honestly, phone it just to hear the hold music!