Personality On Hold

We’ve all been there, stuck on hold, listening to elevator music versions of top hits from 25 years ago, interrupted every now and then by a voice that assures us that our all is “very important.” Whether it’s a customer service line, a doctor’s office, or the dreaded wait for tech support at your least favourite telecom, being put on hold is a universal test of patience. How we handle this forced pause in our day varies widely, like your internet connection that you’re trying to talk to talk to tech support about. Some see this as an opportunity to be productive; while others use it for quiet reflection. Some consider it a personal challenge in self-restraint, and others will use the time to come up with even more questions.

For Authentic Blues, being on hold isn’t just an experience, it’s an emotional journey. Their first instinct is to think about the customer service representative on the other end. Are they overworked? Underpaid? Having a bad day? Blues are the ones who, after a 45-minute wait, still greet the agent with, “Wow, you must be so busy today! I hope you’re doing okay.” That said, Authentic Blues do have their breaking point. If the hold music is particularly bad, they won’t just be annoyed, they’ll feel disappointed, as if whoever picked it missed a golden opportunity to make someone’s day just a little bit better.

For Inquiring Greens , hold time is not just waiting, it’s research time. The moment they’re placed on hold, they open a new tab and start looking for answers on their own. By the time the representative picks up, they’ve not only diagnosed the problem but have also found three alternative solutions and a conspiracy theory about why it happened in the first place. Or if they frustratingly can’t find the answers themselves, they come up with even more questions to ask the unsuspecting representative. Inquiring Greens  remain calm, at least on the outside, but if they finally get through and the representative gives them incorrect information, they will not hesitate to correct them, with sources.

Organized Golds  approach hold time like they do most things in life, with structure and efficiency. Rather than wasting a single second, they immediately find a way to make use of the time. Maybe they tidy their workspace, plan out the rest of their day, or even draft a list of key points they need to discuss when the representative finally answers. Of course, even Organized Golds  have their limits. If the wait drags on, they’ll start mentally drafting a politely worded but firm complaint, one they will carefully file away, and may never actually send, but it makes them feel better knowing they could.

Resourceful Oranges  see being put on hold as a challenge, how can they make this fun? They’ll start with the usual scrolling through their phone, maybe pacing their free-throws with crumpled paper and a garbage bin. But as the minutes stretch on, they’ll get creative. This is where hold music karaoke begins. If they’re feeling particularly daring, they might even put the phone on speaker and start multitasking in a way that is, frankly, reckless. Resourceful Oranges  are the most likely to forget they were even on hold in the first place because they got caught up in another task. When the representative finally speaks, they’ll need a moment to remember why they called.

Waiting on hold is a test of patience, endurance, and, in some cases, creativity. Whether you’re using the time productively, emotionally analyzing the situation, turning it into a personal concert, or solving the issue yourself, your approach to this universal frustration says a lot about your personality.  The next time you hear, “Your call is very important to us,” take a moment to appreciate how you handle the wait, and try not to take it out on the poor person who finally answers.