Now I Know: The History of Being on Hold

This is a re-run, something I originally shared six years ago today. Enjoy! -- Dan
 

The History of Being on Hold

Here’s a simple experiment you can try at home — and, probably will in the near future, whether you’d like to or not. Call a customer support hotline, try to talk to a real human and, well, you don’t have to do much else. In many cases, you’ll be put on hold, and you’ll get to experience hold music. It’s almost a given that this will happen, as hold music has become very common feature of such phone systems.

But it has a very uncommon history.

In 1962, a man named Albert Levy filed for a patent for a “telephone hold program system.” Observing that customers of phone services could have more than one incoming call, Levy developed a way to keep one caller occupied while the needs of the other was addressed. Levy, per the patent filing, imagined the frustration of the caller whose intended audience was busy with others: “His exasperation many times is heightened by a switchboard operator who, if harassed by a great number of incoming calls, gives short shrift to any particular caller before transferring the caller to a holding circuit. Such a busy operator frequently will simply acknowledge the call and then immediately say that the desired party or the desired line is busy and that the caller should hold for a moment.”

Levy’s solution was to add music to the mix. His invention called for “a key or button, will connect the incoming call to a source of program material, e.g. music, thereby to pacify the originator of the call if the delay becomes unduly long, and also to while away the idle time of the caller who is awaiting connection to a certain party or extension.” By today’s standards, that is a seemingly mundane idea. But that was hardly the case back then. Levy was granted a patent in 1966, so the idea was probably novel fifty years ago.

But how’d Levy come up with the idea in the first place? By accident, it turns out.

Levy, prior to filing his patent application, owned a factory somewhere outside New York City. Unfortunately for those of us who loathe muzak versions of Michael Bolton songs while waiting to talk to our cable companies, Levy’s factory had a problem with its phone service. As Slate notes, “a loose wire [was] touching a steel girder.” The steel acted as an antenna, picking up the signal from a local radio station. The wire tapped into the audio, relaying the station’s broadcast to anyone who was on hold — which Levy only found out when callers informed him of what he thought would be a problem. But to Levy’s surprise, callers were pleased by the distraction — they weren’t bothered by the music at all.

Levy decided to turn this bug into a feature, filed his patent, and half a century later, we’re all better (?) off for it.



Now I Know is supported by readers like you. Please consider becoming a patron by supporting the project on Patreon. 

Click here to pledge your support. (If you do, in gratitude, you'll have an ad-free Now I Know experience going forward.)

Bonus fact: In some sense, the song “Hold On” is the most popular of all time. Since Billboard magazine began publishing its “Hot 100” list (basically, a list of the 100 most popular songs in the U.S. in any given week), more distinct songs titled “Hold On” have made the list than any other common title, with 16 such songs of that name making the list. The most recent as of 2016 was a 2013 song by Alabama Shakes that peaked at #93, and the highest “Hold On” was the Wilson Phillips song from 1990.

From the Archives: Enjoy the Silence: The fake noise on your cell phone calls. Also, The Sound of Silence: The room where you can’t hear anything. At all. Except for yourself. (And most people can’t deal with it.)
Like today's Now I Know? Share it with a friend -- just forward this email along.
And if someone forwarded this to you, consider signing up! Just click here.
Share Share
Tweet Tweet
Forward Forward
Archives · Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2022 Now I Know LLC, All rights reserved.
You opted in, at http://NowIKnow.com via a contest, giveaway, or the like -- or you wouldn't get this email.

Now I Know is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Some images above via Wikipedia.

Now I Know's mailing address is:
Now I Know LLC
P.O. Box 536
Mt. Kisco, NY 10549-9998

Add us to your address book


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your email address or unsubscribe from this list

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp

Older messages

Now I Know: The Pearly History Behind Chinese Takeout Boxes

Tuesday, February 8, 2022

Except: No pearls. 😟 View this email in your browser · Missed one? Visit the Archives There's an Italian place near me that serves spaghetti in marinara in these boxes, and I don't know what to

Now I Know: The Boo Racket

Monday, February 7, 2022

The dark side of clapping View this email in your browser · Missed one? Visit the Archives Hope you had a good weekend! -- Dan The Boo Racket If you're a fan of sitcoms -- and in particular, those

Now I Know: There's No Such Thing as "Plaimfilled"

Friday, February 4, 2022

When research goes backward View this email in your browser · Missed an issue? Click here! There's No Such Thing as "Plaimfilled" Hi! As long-time readers know, on Fridays — like, you

Now I Know: A Different Type of Presidential Mudslinging

Thursday, February 3, 2022

Actually, technically speaking, the mud wasn't the slung part View this email in your browser · Missed one? Visit the Archives If you see the word "Plainville" in the story below,

Now I Know: How Long is Groundhog Day?

Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Not the day. The movie. View this email in your browser · Missed one? Visit the Archives Today is a re-run, originally from February 2, 2016. I was trying to write a history of Groundhog Day, the

You Might Also Like

🤝 I swore I’d never own a business…

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

But now he's scaling a business fast. Houston never wanted to own a business, until working for others made him rethink everything. Here's how he took action... 🚨 Important Update: We're

Knot-tying, frost-fighting, and AI cognition strategies

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Your new Strategy Toolkit newsletter (March 11, 2025) ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Insight into Health

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

I'm baaaack! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

AI for marketing courses?

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

An update on our content. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

KU & 99c Humor Fiction 🔸 Vincible: A New Adult Comedy by Jay Jameston

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

🎈 Life is like a party balloon. You never know when it's going to explode. 🎈 ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Welcome to

Can You Love the Art but Hate the Artist?

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Your weekly 5-minute read with timeless ideas on art and creativity intersecting with business and life͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌

Bombs Away! (Cat Version)

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

A crate idea? ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

🧙‍♂️ Your community roadmap

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

No, it doesn't involve bribing people with cookies...though that's Plan B ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Closes 3/16 • Authors • Spring Into Reading Book Promo •  Email Newsletter + FB Group Posts & More

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Promo is Now Open for a Limited Time ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ MARCH 2025 Reading Promotion for Books Join ContentMo's

You Can't Trust Email Open Rates.

Monday, March 10, 2025

Here's Why, and What to Measure Instead. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏