How long do you hang on a phone waiting an answer?

I do not understand why large organisations who wish to carry out most of their business by telephone never seem to employ enough people to reply to those phone calls.

I saw advertised a specific interest week held at one of a largish group of hotels. Advert showed ( in large letters) cost of that four night break = but in tiny little letters underneath it stated 'based on two people sharing'

Well, I need to have a double bedded, accessible room just for me, so I checked very carefully, and there is no email address given anywhere for this hotel organisation - website says to phone any queries to what they laughingly call 'Customer Service'!!

So I phoned that number, pressed the different 1 - 2 - 3 etc and listened to the muzak. after twenty minutes, pressed 1 for a 'call back'. An hour later, no call back, tried again, and this time left muzak for 40 minutes before I rang off.

Third time I rang, I did not press the buttons for customer service/enquiries as previously, but the one for 'bookings' - and lo and behold got through to a person in five minutes.

Once through, they were very helpful and I got my enquiry sorted out, but surely keeping a potential new customer waiting for so long cannot be good for their business..

That 'call back' did finally take place - three and a half hours after I had pressed that button!!!!!!!