How often should you give the customer a progress report when they are on hold?

• A. Every 30 seconds.
• B. Every minute.
• C. Every 5 minutes.
• D. Never provide updates.

Answer: (A)

When a customer is on hold, keeping them informed with regular progress updates helps reduce perceived waiting time and builds trust that their request is being handled. The best choice here is to provide updates every 30 seconds because it shows immediate engagement and reassurance that you haven’t forgotten them. Too long between updates, like every minute or every five minutes, can make the customer feel neglected or that the process has stalled, which increases frustration. Never giving updates completely misses the opportunity to maintain transparency and can lead to dissatisfaction or a hang-up. If there’s no visible progress to report, you can still check back with a brief status and what to expect next, so the customer feels connected to the process.