The Top Hold Time Offenders of 2022 Revealed (And Airlines Aren’t Doing So Hot)

Call Backs | 10 minute read

There are few things worse than wasting precious time on hold. It’s a terrible experience for both the customer and the business. So why do we continue to put up with it?

That’s a question we ask every year as we prepare to name-and-shame Twitter’s top hold time offenders of the year. Your customers have opinions on your service, and if they’re unhappy, they will take to social media without hesitation to voice their frustrations. And trust us, it isn’t pretty.

Don’t believe us? A quick trip to OnHoldWith.com will change your mind fast. There, you can see live tweets of customer complaints as they wait on hold. You can even search by company name to get a full view of what these callers are dealing with, and how they are feeling.

For 2022, we’ve sifted through the data, and here’s what we found:

  • Airlines account for 35% of all tweets complaining about hold time. They also occupy seven of the 10 top hold time offender spots this year.
  • Financial services account for 24% of businesses who have received tweet complaints about their hold time, making them the most common industry dealing with long hold times.
  • Telecommunication services accounted for 16% of tweets complaining about hold time.
  • Other notable industries listed in our report include retail, government, utilities, and more.

This Year’s Top 10 Worst Hold Time Offenders

One of the most notable trends this year was the monumental number of Twitter users posting about being on hold with airlines. In fact, airlines dominated our top 10 list, which just goes to show how customer service can make or break the public’s perception of your brand.

So which businesses experienced the most ‘turbulence’ with their hold time this year? We’ve got the scoop — read on to find out!

10. Air Canada

First up, we have Air Canada. They more than doubled their number of Twitter complaints compared to the previous year, snagging them tenth place on our list of hold time offenders. Just ask these folks…

No amount of Paul Rudd GIFs will make up for the 5 hours this caller has lost.


When you’re waiting on hold longer than your actual flight… yikes.

To be fair, if we had this experience, we’d swear off this airline too.

9. WestJet

WestJet hasn’t changed much, moving from spot 8 to spot 9 on our list since last year. Today, customers are still expressing their frustrations with this airline.

They say creativity can stem from boredom, but this is ridiculous!

Oof. That hashtag has to hurt.

When your communications don’t align with your service, customers notice.

8. British Airways

This airline has flown into our number 8 spot for worst hold time offenders. And according to the following tweets, they certainly earned their place on this list.

This fitness enthusiast has found a silver lining to being stuck on hold.

This post is a lesson in listening to your customers. But they shouldn’t have to plead to get in touch with you!

What’s the point of VIP status if you’re not even receiving basic service?

7. Verizon

This telecommunications provider is notorious for their long hold times. They are no strangers to our top 10 list of hold time offenders, and we can only hope things improve in the coming year.

When your customers are telling you to fix CX, you better listen.

Bet those emoji tears are real.

No one wants to spend their precious vacation time waiting on hold!

6. Qantas

Stress-free travel seems to be a rare thing when it comes to airlines. Qantas has snagged the sixth spot on our list of hold time offenders, and the complaints are really something to behold.

The only thing worse than waiting on hold is finally connecting with an agent who just can’t help you.

That’s a pretty bold move, Qantas. Let’s see how it plays out…

The only thing worse than waiting on hold is finally connecting to a representative, and being placed on hold again.

5. IRS

Stressed about calling the IRS? You aren’t alone — these callers stuck in queue are venting their frustration to the Twitterverse.

That’s a fair assessment. What say you, IRS?

No one should ever be betrayed by a call-back like that.

Now that’s just a waste of a good charge… hope you have spares!

4. Virgin Media

Telecommunications giant Virgin Media has slid into 4th place on our list. The following Twitter complaints just go to show how essential good customer support is.

Looks like Virgin Media just lost a customer.

“Is customer service a luxury of the past??”

If customers can’t reach you in their time of need, they will go elsewhere.

3. American Airlines

American Airlines has secured the bronze spot for Twitter hold time complaints, and with the state of their air travel, it’s little wonder why.

This customer is desperate to speak to a human being. Why does it have to be so difficult?

On the other hand, this person connects with a human and promptly gets disconnected.

What a trooper – waiting on hold for two hours and counting!

2. Southwest Airlines

The silver medal for worst hold time offenders goes to Southwest Airlines. And if there’s any doubt, their customers’ tweets say it all:

Call-backs should be free of hold time. Isn’t that the whole point??

This scathing shoutout is just the tip of the iceberg for Southwest Airlines.

Even the flight attendants at Southwest Airlines are stuck on hold! Now that’s rough.

1. Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines is no stranger to our list of worst hold time offenders. In fact, they have once again secured the top spot for most hold time complaints on Twitter. Do they deserve the crown two years in a row? These customers think so.

Your customer service game is lacking, Delta!

SEVEN HOURS?? This customer is going the extra mile to get her baggage returned. Wouldn’t it be nice if Delta would match her effort?

And finally, this customer who revived her old Twitter account just to spite Delta Airlines.

We hope that this list of hold time complaints helps businesses understand just how essential good customer support is, especially when it comes to time-sensitive issues. It’s not just about resolving customer problems — it’s all about building trust and showing your customers that your team is committed to giving them a positive experience.

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