The now ubiquitous hold button has been around for a very long time. Milton H. Herzman (born in 1909), invented the ability to leave someone on hold. Consider for a moment the burden this one individual has placed on subsequent generations of office workers.
Never attempt to talk to the major phone carriers directly. You will endure long waits on hold that will tax your patience to the breaking point. While some business professionals may fidget incessantly as they are forced to endure long stretches of boring, repetitive music, others have invented creative ways to reclaim that time.
Here’s some tips on how to stay productive while waiting on hold.
The closer your desk is to the boss, the less productive you will be. Knowing your superior is listening to every word you say is a bit unnerving to say the least. A recent survey revealed four of out ten workers would prefer to perform ‘unpleasant’ activities rather than sitting within hearing range of a superior. On the positive side, you’ll have ample opportunities to collect juicy bits of office gossip! What workplace would be truly functional without those ‘under the radar’ communication channels?
Long waits on hold also allow you ample opportunities to annoy your coworkers, as you plan that Caribbean vacation, or stand up and peek over the cubicle of the worker next to you. And then there’s hands-free dialing, which gives you abundant opportunities to annoy your coworkers. We’ve all been there. At the end of the day, those speech-activated commands you are forced to listen to are slowly driving you crazy.
And, isn’t it fun trying to work, while hearing phrases like these: ‘I just got a huge raise.’ (And, you didn’t.) Or, this juicy morsel that will make the rounds in record time: ‘Hey, Joe. I heard the top guy say he wanted to trim back the staff. Who do you think will get the axe this time around?’
Yes, we’re being a bit facetious! In reality phone tech has made for an immensely more productive workplace as long as you’re working with a company that knows how to work with those ginormous cellular companies. We can help you stay productive and avoid long waits on hold.