Complaint #016: Hold Music

I know, I know, I know; this is an incredibly cliché subject about which to complain, but I figure I would tackle something easy after last week. And what an easy subject this is. Let me start out by saying that I don't mind having to wait on a call (for a reasonable amount of time). If your business doesn't have the manpower to maintain customer service for immediate help to all who call in, I must realize that the money saved in not hiring more personnel is probably (maybe, hopefully) used to reduce my bills. I don't necessarily think it's a great business model, but I'm not a businessman so my opinion is probably as useful as a sword in a gunfight (Indiana Jones fans will be familiar with how useless this is).

I am most offended by what I am forced hear while I am on hold. Again, I don't want to get into an argument concerning musical taste, so I'll just point out a few things that can be objectively measured. That being said, I don't think I've ever heard hold music that I actually recognized. Usually it's some obscure classical or whiny pop-folk (both genres of music of which I have song/compositions that I enjoy). This, of course, is predicated on the assumption that the music can be heard, which, more often than should be, is not the case. Again assuming that the music can be heard, the quality is never good. That is an understatement. Let me illustrate how terrible the recording quality is: I notice it. For those who need context, let me explain that despite the enormous amount of music to which I listen, I am fairly deaf to compression quality. I couldn't tell that difference between 128 kbit/s MP3 and FLAC (or 24/96 WAV for that matter).

Main point: Companies should just put me on silent hold while they transfer my call around. I would be less likely to jam pencils in my earholes while waiting.