On-Hold Music!

[Galant]

Being on hold, not one of life's best experiences or way to spend time. Like death and taxes, though, it's on it's way to becoming an unavoidable reality. Not all of those realities are the same, though. You might get stuck with a repetitive "We Value Your Call" message, or perhaps some of the most awful musak ever "written" (Can I use that term?), sometimes though you might actually be treated to some real music or at least some pretty decent electronic tunes.

So - anyone here had any 'exceptional' experiences with on-hold music - one way or the other?

I've actually just got off the phone with Worldpay and they have some slightly repetitive but surprisingly not annoying electronic music. It's got this 880's/90's Amiga feel to it that I actually find quite enjoyable!

Anyone else?

[Jowsey]

Was on hold to Three about 2 months ago for about 10 minutes. Had a couple 90's classics and found myself putting my phone on loud speaker and dancing with my girlfriend!

And then the other side, HMRC's agent helpline. Tax advisors aren't normally kept waiting very long but in peak times I've waited 30 minutes plus to sounds of the same 8 bars of jingling lift music, with cut ins saying how long the queue is. During the tax return period I can close my eyes and that music haunts me.

[mr-b]

I've noted that many on-hold music systems are suffering from the same distorted music glitch. It plays OK for a few seconds and then there is a loud white noise rushing sound which phases in and out. Then the music gradually returns and the cycle begins again.

This has been going on for several years now. It seems odd that (a) lots of companies/organisations are using the same faulty music on-hold system and (b) no one has noticed it. Or if they have, they obviously don't give a stuff! The music is different in each case, so it must be a system issue rather than a faulty recording.

On another note, I really hate it when the hold music is periodically interrupted by a voice stating the blimming obvious i.e. that help can be obtained online. I keep thinking that someone has taken the call and so resort to ignoring the interruptions, so that I sometimes miss it when someone does eventually take the call! :-(

[Smudger]

Vodafone seem to regularly change their songs to those which are riding high in the hit parade, which is fine, but the song then repeats over and over that same day. I now hate Bastille.

[BobF64]

Plusnet ruin their hold music by repeatedly interrupting it with announcements that "all their operatives are busy" and "please have your details ready".

I'm sure their hold music is just a single CD of "best of the 80s" though, as both times I've phoned up it was just the same 2 songs I remember hearing, Robert Palmer, Addicted to Love, and Human League, Don't You Want Me.

[big_hairy_rob]

The most annoying I've recently had was on call to Admiral insurance which had the first 20-25 seconds of You're So Cool by Hans Zimmer (the theme tune to True Romance) which was constantly interrupted by a barrage of different announcements by different voices at different volumes, all before starting the loop again. I would have been far more relaxed/calm just listening to the full song without interruptions. Yes I know that I can get help on your website, but you clearly don't realize that I'm phoning as the website doesn't support the query that I'm asking about ...

[Galant]

It's true, I think those constant interruptions are the most annoying thing about being on-hold (apart from, you know, being on-hold).

I can't say I've come across anyone who plays well-known music. I have heard that there are some places that'll swap over to Christmas tunes when the season arrives.

[Guy]

Been a long time since I've needed to call but Apple used to have pretty awesome hold music. All current stuff at the time.

[scaryjim]

Plusnet ruin their hold music by repeatedly interrupting it with announcements that "all their operatives are busy" and "please have your details ready". ...

gets grating after the first hour, certainly

I'm pretty sure PlusNet have a CD of "greatest Yorkshire artists of all time" - there's some Pulp on there as well iirc.

[BobF64]

Yes I know that I can get help on your website, but you clearly don't realize that I'm phoning as the website doesn't support the query that I'm asking about ...

Yes! that really pees me off too.

The worst one was when I phoned British Gas, who kept telling me I can do things on their website.

Except the one thing I wanted to do.

Become a customer.