Redbox = Longest. Hold-time. Ever. I called the service number to report a scratched dvd today and waited patiently for a rep to assist me. I was repeatedly assured (via pre-recorded voice) that there were “just a couple of other people they had to talk to” before they would be with my call or, if I preferred, I could leave a voice message for them. Wanting to speak with a real, live person, I waited. And waited. After an inordinate amount of time, I began to take pictures of my phone, which keeps track of the length of call. This is the last photo I took. Yes, if you click on the photo you can clearly see that at that point I had been on hold for one hour and forty plus minutes!

I have never been asked to wait this long for any customer service representative for any company. At some point, it became a challenge. Did I have what it took to wait it out? In the end, my hungry children demanded their lunch, and I was forced to leave the voicemail. (If I was in management at Redbox, I’d be down-right embarrassed - making a mother choose between remaining online for the next available person or feeding her children!) The recording I heard promised a prompt return of my call. I’ll keep you posted. I’m wondering how they define “prompt”…