Few things are more frustrating than calling customer service and waiting on hold for what seems like forever before someone finally answers your questions.
If you want to avoid this uber-annoying aspect of modern life, try not to call customer service later in the day, according to a recent analysis of call-waiting times by Talkdesk.
The provider of contact center software solutions looked at data from millions of calls its customers receive every day and found that the best time to call customer service is 7 a.m. When you dial at that time, you can expect wait times to be 70% shorter than if you call at noon.
And things get even worse later in the day, with the longest wait times in the 3 p.m. to 12 a.m. window. Getting a jump on other customers by calling early in the day can get you in touch with a representative faster.
As for the best day to call, Talkdesk says your time on hold will likely be reduced on Wednesdays and Thursdays, when wait times are reduced by 7% compared to other weekdays.
However, if the company you are calling offers customer service on Sundays, that is probably the best day to call. Your wait time can be reduced by 19%.
On the other hand, calling customer service on Mondays will likely lead to the longest time on hold, with more people calling in after the two-day weekend and causing wait times to increase by 16%.
Whatever time you call customer service, there are things you can do to increase your odds of a successful outcome, according to Talkdesk. They are:
- Make sure you always talk to a real person.
- Prepare for the call by keeping notes about everything you have done to try to resolve your problem.
- Be polite, which will make call center agents more likely to go out of their way to help.
- Use the power of empathy by “painting a picture” of the woes the problem has caused you.
- If you have to call back a second time, try to get the same agent who served you the first time.
- When all else fails, ask for a manager.
- Once your problem is resolved, show your appreciation through a positive review.
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