What's the longest you've ever been on hold...

[Doppelgangers]

Currently on hold to resolve a tax free childcare issue, the only way to resolve it is by calling and I've been on hold for almost 90 minutes so far listening to the same shitty music and message about my call being important to them...

I've read the news, read about 100 MN threads, checked FB, made and eaten an early lunch and pretty much semi neglected my preschooler for the best part of the morning.

So please keep me company and share with me your being on hold nightmares.

Disclaimer - A small part of me hopes by starting this thread I manifest them answering...wishful thinking at it'd best I think...

My record for being on hold is 2 hours and nine minutes.
I was calling the bank.

It,when they Interrupt the shitty music with the automated messages every few minutes that infuriates me. Yes I know I can go.online for. Some things but I need to speak to someone im.not just on hold for fun!.

I think the real question is, at what point does your patience run out?

I've been on hold and just kept my phone on a moderate volume next to me while I worked for hours.

Well after 2 hours 15 minutes I finally got to speak to a person who after patiently explaining everything apparently couldn't bloody help and said she would pass it onto the relevant department. I had little faith in this.

By some sheer miracle they've just called me back it got sorted in less than 10 minutes. I don't know whether to be delighted it's supposedly resolved or completely pissed off that I've wasted most of my day trying to sort it for it to be done so quickly....

Agree completely about the message saying go online, if I could do it online I wouldn't be slowly losing the will to live on hold.

98 minutes to try and re-areange a hospital appointment for my father!

The frustrating thing is I can't do that at work. So I have to call on my days off and on those days I have DS at home. It probably wouldn't annoy me so much if I could just get on with work and leave it on hold next to me.

I did say it was resolved but I've still not had the email he said I would receive so maybe my wishful thinking was premature.

I usually put my phone on loudspeaker whilst I'm waiting so that I can at least get on with other stuff.

I had it on loud speaker for the most part but had to keep it close by which isn't always possible when DS wants to go int garden, get some dinner or show me something etc.

Still no email with the required information so looks like I might have to call back again. 🤯

Also side note but would it kill them to have better hold music. Why is it always so shit.

The way you manifest them answering is going to toilet, more specifically when you need to poop. I speak from experience.

I was just thinking of a thread like this. I'm on hold to the DWP for 40 mins. Everytime I think about hanging up and calling back at a better time I think - well, I might just be 3 minutes away from having my call answered.

They hung up after 10 minutes the first time I rang

God over an hour now. Should have hung up!

Yes I thought so many times I should just hang up but then a small part of your brain goes but what if they answer in a minute and if you hang up now you'll just have to sit through it all again.

Hopefully you're not on for too much longer.

Mine was just over three hours on hold to 111

2 hours 15 mins. That was to the passport helpline in 2022 after HMRC lost my son's passport application. Got no resolution from that call either!

3 hours to 111 is a heck of a wait, hopefully you weren't ringing for anything too major and time critical.

I think this is almost the worst part. I've still had no email which he assured me would be in my inbox in the next 20minutes tops so I know I've got to do it all over again...

I honestly think they sometimes just tell you utter bullshit just to get you off the phone.

An hour for the HMRC

My daughter was dizzy and kept throwing up and had been for a few days and was getting very dehydrated (and it was New Years Eve daytime last year). They sorted her out an out of hours GP appointment for later that day who diagnosed labyrinthitis so it was worth it in the end.

Well over an hour to DWP PIP.

Glad she was ok and it was worth the wait in the end, you must have been incredibly frustrated.

I'm also noticing a pattern that a lot of these ridiculous wait times are when you have to contact some form of government agencies...