Do companies really value your call?

[Neil McCauley]

Being told that your call is valued is the most annoying feature for those waiting on the phone to a company, a new survey suggests.

Consumer group Which? said nearly half of its members surveyed said such reassurance was most likely to make them see red while hanging on the line.

Next on the frustration list was being directed to the company's website, and apologies for all operators being busy.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-37655738

[Macca]

As my job involves a lot of calling to businesses I can agree this is true. Who thought it was a good idea to do this. Must have started somewhere?

Quite shocking the number of businesses you call, in the middle of a working day, and the 'phone just rings out. Not even an answerphone, let alone a divert to a cellphone. What if I was wanting to place a £10K order? I'm just going to call somewhere else and give them my business instead. Then the company who don't answer their 'phone go broke and blame it on the economy, or Brexit, or Thatcher, instead of their own risible incompetence.

Best way to keep people on hold happy is play them some good music without interruption. Used to regularly call one company that had the music from Bagpuss on rotation. The mice singing 'we will fix it' - now that's proper hold music.

[walpurgis]

Ringing my doctor's surgery or the local council gives a good insight into how not to deal with callers. Inane recorded messages and options lists. Being put on hold with dreadful music. Getting the wrong department, who then won't transfer you so you have to start again after being on the phone for twenty minutes. Being mysteriously cut off..etc!..etc!.....

Oh, and the council website is rather like eBay's. It sends you round and around in circles deliberately, choices of dozens if not hundreds of options, none quite applicable, page after page. Presumably so people give up and go away. If you persevere, eventually there is a way through the maze, it takes a bit of cunning and patience though.