"PLEASE HOLD" MAKES CALLERS FUME.

If you increasingly are finding yourself in eternal telephone limbo, you're not alone. According to a nationwide survey by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in highly skilled temporary office and administrative professionals, the average executive spends 17 minutes on hold each day.

"Managers today have precious little time for unproductive situations," points out Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Even with the increased use of voice mail systems--which most would agree are...