A question of telephone etiquette ?

Question

I use the telephone frequently in my work. How long should you remain on "hold" before hanging up.
1. If I called the person and they put me on hold, or
2. If they called me, and put me on hold.
Thanks.

Answer 1

question one: if you call then be understanding of thier tim and hag up only after five minutes of down time.

number two: if they call you and place you on hold then it is considered polite to hang up after 90 seconds.

Answer 2

I would say as long as you ask them to hold properly for instance "May I ask you to hold?" and they agree; 2 minutes should be fine. If what ever you are researching is going to take longer than that it is polite to come back on the line and ask if they could continue holding while you continue researching the issue in question or you can give them the option to take thier # and call them when you have a resolution or free time if this is not the case. But, remember although you are busy when they are on hold this time may seem like forever for the holder so be sure to continue cheking on them if they decide to continue holding. Good luck.

Answer 3

I think it depends on the circumstances. You should wait less time for someone who called you and then put you on hold, as they should be prepared to assist you when they do call. However, when you have called someone, it depends on a variety of factors such as how badly you need to speak with the person for whom you are waiting, what you should be doing during the time you are waiting (are you the only one available to field incoming phone calls, for example?), and whether or not there is any indication of when the person who has put you on hold will return to the phone. For example, at my place of business, I'm often the only one available to answer the phones, however, when I have to make a call for technical support on any of our hardware or software, I will ensure that I do it at a time when someone else can be available to answer the phones because I know times on hold can range from 10 to 30 minutes for these types of services.

Answer 4

I would sit there on hold for no longer than 30 seconds.

The phone etiquette of the caller (or the person being called) is just as important as my etiquette towards them. I don't allow people to steal my time. They can call me back when they're ready to talk.

Answer 5

I use a speaker, and do other things while listening to the inane on-hold music. What's really irritating is the pause when music stops, and a recorded message tells me to stay on the line - it sounds like someone picking up.

Stay on hold for as long as you have time, then do something else.

Answer 6

I would wait longer if I called them because I may have called at a bad time. If they call you though, it is rude to even put you on hold, but if they do, I wouldn't wait longer than a minute.

Answer 7

However long you feel you can afford. You need to use common sense and give them a reasonable amount of time to get back to you, but if you have to move on to other things, hang up.

Answer 8

Tell them you are way too important to be put on hold.

Answer 9

Give 'em at least a full minute, and two wouldn't hurt.

Answer 10

no more than 5 minutes, anything else is rude and unacceptable...