A man in Ohio named Dave figured he'd make a quick call about a billing error.
Fourteen hours of his life later, he'd secured a refund roughly equal to a single gas station hot dog.
Verizon, for its part, considers this a win, because technically he stopped calling.
Dave's saga started when he noticed an extra $2.37 on his monthly bill.
He called customer service, got transferred four times, listened to a hold playlist so long he started humming it at his kid's soccer game, and finally reached a human who hung up while "pulling up the account." Classic.
The internet, of course, did what it always does: turned his screenshot into a folk hero narrative.
Reddit's r/verizon lit up with thousands of comments, most of them variations of "first time?" One user claimed he'd been on hold since the Obama administration and was now legally a Verizon employee.
To be fair, Verizon isn't uniquely cursed here.
Every major carrier has trained its customers to expect the hold music as a lifestyle.
But there's something poetic about a company with "Can you hear me now?" as its legacy making you wonder if *anyone* can hear you now.
Industry analysts note that carriers spend billions on 5G towers while call centers run on vibes and a single guy named Greg.
Dave eventually got his $2.37, plus a $5 credit he'll probably never use because it expires in 30 days.
It's that "customer service" at telecom giants has quietly become a psychological endurance sport, and we're all just competing for a participation trophy no one asked for. **The bottom line:** If you have a Verizon issue, just accept the $2.37 as a donation to the void and move on with your life.
Final Thoughts
Your time is worth more than the hold music is catchy.