How long is tolerable to wait on hold for someone to come to the phone? I think probably everyone has his or her own time frame, but an article in the paper this morning said that in an informal poll taken by the newspaper, as long as there was music playing on the telephone the bulk of the people questioned said 15 minutes was the far end of what was tolerable. I was surprised that in this day and age anyone would find 15 minutes of waiting acceptable. Now having said that, I must 'fess up to being on hold that long when I call my doctor's office to make an appointment. Not waiting is like shooting yourself in the foot.My normal tolerance level for waiting on hold is probably 5 minutes, unless country music is playing, in which case I hang up immediately.
I think what irks me the most about waiting is when I call someone and then they put me on hold while they take another phone call -- that irritating "call waiting" feature that so many of the younger people have. And a corollary to that is standing at a counter in the middle of a transaction and having the salesperson take a phone call and then deal with that person while I wait. Yes, that is the most irritating! I was there first and I need to be helped first. Phoning and being taken care of is like taking “cuts” in a line. I always mentally picture myself gathering the goods, scooping up my purse and marching away, leaving the salesperson stuck on the phone with the person who interrupted me. Of course I never do, because I don't make scenes but I always run that scenario through my brain when it happens, wishing I were brave enough to do it.
I have never been a very good wait-er. Jerry is a good influence on me. He doesn't ever try to fight the system -- if it takes ten minutes, well, just relax; you'll get there when you get there. He also has a slow tempo to his life -- he walks slowly, acts slowly and sometimes thinks slowly (no offense meant). He has helped me be more patient when I wait in line.
When I lived in Istanbul and dealt with the postal service there, I swore I would never again gripe about the United States post office, or their lines, or their service. To date I haven't, though on occasion I have been mightily tempted. I don't fuss at standing in a long line at a grocery store, unless the cashier and the box person are having a chat about last night's date, which slows down the movement of the line.
One time I went through a checkout stand somewhere - maybe at a drug store - and since there was nobody in line behind me, I was digging in my coin purse to get the right amount of change. The cashier, a man, took my change and said, "I see you’re one of those "pickers" who hold everything up while you hunt for nickels and dimes." I would have liked to punch him in the snoot right there on the spot; instead I wrote a letter to the manager regarding his nasty attitude.
However, it affected me so that now I never, ever, try to get the right change, and when I see someone doing it, I think, "Look how that awful picker is slowing everybody down." I always feel ashamed of myself but it happens, I admit it. Old people are particularly bad and when I get old and my mind gets addled, I hope I remember not to turn into a "picker."
