Corporate cost-cutting and new technology have resulted in the advent of automated systems that can make the on-hold experience even more frustrating. It can feel near-impossible to get a human on the phone these days, which a national survey conducted by Consumer Reports found to be Americans' second-greatest annoyance, after hidden fees but beating out inaccurate weather reports and dog poop. Green observes that often people call as a last resort, because something on the website wasn't clear, perhaps, and they really need an answer quickly. So callers are captive listeners, a state often associated with the gridlock of waiting, whether in line at a Starbucks, in a dentist's chair, or in the proverbial elevator making its slow way up.
In an ideal world you’d never put a caller on hold, but since most of the time that’s not a reasonable expectation for those tasked with receiving calls, your hold button is necessary. And, when it comes to your business, silence is not golden. Dead air on the other end of the line is not only a waste of a golden opportunity, it can leave callers frustrated, questioning whether or not you’re still even on the line.

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