Going electronic is supposed to be faster and more efficient for retailers and customers, but in some cases you’d be better off just walking into the store to get your questions answered.

A new study put out by a company that ranks customer service ratings for online retailers delved into which of the big online retailers keep their customers on hold the longest. They found that CrateAndBarrel.com takes the longest for correspondence, taking an average of 88 hours to get back to a customer email. Meanwhile BarnesandNoble.com ranked an ignoble average hold time of 8 minutes and 3 seconds.

But by calling on the right days, you can chop some time off how long you’ll be left finger dancing to the elevator music.

Based on 1200 calls, emails, and mystery shopping, STELLAService found that Sunday was the easiest day to get a live human, while Mondays and Fridays were the worst. So save your calls for the middle of the week.

Every delay between the company and the customer’s interaction increases the likelihood of a lost sale, so retailers who want to get more competitive should step up their game.

Top Response Times from the Top 100 E-Retailers [StellaBlog]

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