1.   An IBM spokesman said estimates of calls and hold times would not be available for several weeks.

2.   But things are still slow, busy signals are too frequently heard, and hold times for tech support remain ridiculously long.

3.   Elsewhere, Travelocity.com takes the prize for the longest hold times.

4.   He said the company also has cut average hold times in half.

5.   One popular modem manufacturer leads callers through a menu, then to extended hold time and finally announces that the waiting period is too long.

6.   The father also calls tech-support lines regularly, and knows which are the friendliest and which have the longest hold times.

7.   After calls to technical support, long hold times and service calls, the Forrests canceled their service in frustration in December.