then holding forever just for a CM. One time I held 20 minutes to see about getting my Club ID number so I could pay my dues on-line. Minute it starting ringing for a CM, I was disconnected. 
Finally, got back through and when I asked why I hadn't received my member packet (resale), she said "I don't handle that, but I will transfer you to the person who does." She then comes back herself . . . and said she talked to the guy that handles that (guess he couldn't be bothered telling me himself) and he requested the packet be sent to me on December 8th from a company they outsource to, so they have no idea when I will get it. 
I told her, albeit pleasantly, seems odd I can't get my member packet, but I sure got the Annual Dues Statement. 
To add to what Chuck has already listed, you also have people calling to pay their dues by phone. That involves Member Accounting rather than MS, but it's the same phone number (different option once you get through). So that's adding to the call volumes that are causing some folks to get a busy signal.
I haven't had any problem getting through to MS, not even last January when I called first thing every morning to book a day-by-day reservation for Dec '06. I am fortunate to have a flexible schedule that allows me to make calls in the middle of the afternoon which is what I opt to do when I'm calling MS for something that is not urgent. I get things done more efficiently and it helps other members because I am not competing for access to MS when they are experiencing high call volumes. If I had experienced the sort of frustration you describe and there was nothing I could alter on my end to make things easier on myself then maybe I would feel differently about this. But our dues pay for MS so hiring more people and/or extending the hours comes out of the pockets of all of the members. MS has recently extended their hours in response to the increase in membership. I imagine they are keeping an eye on call volumes as well as the "bottom line" to try to find a good balance between keeping wait times low and keeping costs down.I'm sorry, but I still maintain they need more lines if this is a problem every January! Where else is this acceptable? When you call the IRS on April 12?! Maybe. But I call when I have time at work to do it - and it's usually during my lunch hour. And I may not want an 11 mo. Dec. res. but I DO want a 7 mo. Aug. res. Again, I'm sorry, but I don't think it shouldn't be this huge ordeal to call...and to dread doing it.
