20 Hold / Give Me A Moment Statements For Chat Support

Customer service is supposed to be a fast-paced environment. Despite all our modern advances in chat support technology, however, including macros, snippets, and grammar and spell checkers, there will always be times when chat support agents need to tell the customer, “Give me a moment.”

There are several scenarios where it is perfectly justifiable to ask the customer to wait.

In one instance, you may need to take a minute or two to look up their information and review how other agents have helped them in the past. In another, the customer may make a request that is above your pay grade, so you must forward the request to a manager for approval.

Regardless, the customer usually won’t mind waiting a few minutes as long as they know you are doing something to solve their problem or process their request. Still, sometimes they get impatient, especially in chats where they have been taught to expect lightning-fast replies.

To ask a customer to wait for you, you need to send them a “give me a moment” statement. This statement lets them know that you need to put them on hold to complete an important task that is for their benefit.

In this article, we go over common scenarios in which using a “give me a moment” statement is necessary, along with tips for writing a polite and courteous “give me a moment” statement of your own. At the end is a complete list of 20 “give me a moment” example statements that you are free to copy and paste into your chat script.

Common Scenarios Where “Give Me A Moment” Statements Are Needed

There are 4 common scenarios where a chat support agent will need to deploy a “give me a moment” statement and put their customer on hold.

1. Need To Look Up Information On A Customer

Needing to look up information on a customer is one of the top reasons for asking them to wait.

Looking up information about a customer can take a while. For example, depending on the customer’s history with your company, they may have a long file with several notes. You will need to read each one to get a better idea of how to help them in their current predicament.

Even if their file is short or nonexistent, that, too, can also cause a delay. For example, if they ask you to process a product return, but you find no record of their original purchase under their name, then you may have to resort to other methods of verifying their purchase. It may take you a minute or two to determine which method to use.

Regardless of the situation, it’s usually best when looking up a customer’s information to ask them to “give you a moment.” That way, you have at least a minute or two to find their account and assess the situation.

2. Need to Process Customer Request in CRM or Other System of Record

Another common situation where you need to ask the customer in the chat to wait is if you need to process their request in CRM or another system of record.

The customer should not put up a fuss or express impatience in this scenario because you are performing an action that will hopefully benefit them. You’re getting the permission—or denial—you need to complete their request. That’s always worth waiting a few minutes for.

3. Need To Escalate Request

Chat support agents will occasionally come across a customer request that they don’t have the knowledge or authority to process. They may also deal with a customer that is not satisfied with the level of service that the agent is able to provide. In both cases, you may have to ask the customer to give you a moment while you escalate their request.

When you escalate a request, you are sending it up the chain of command to someone with more knowledge and authority than you. This could take several minutes depending on how many people you need to go through to get an answer.

Customers who are requesting an escalation should understand that this process is not a fast one. They will surely respond well to a polite “give me a moment” statement.

4. Need to Transfer Customer

Finally, another common “give me a moment” situation you may find yourself in is needing to transfer the customer to another department, agent, or manager.

In this case, it’s always best to use a “give me a moment” statement in your chat with the customer, even if you don’t think it will take you more than a few seconds to transfer them. You never know. It may take you several minutes to get the attention of the person you want to transfer them to.

Tips For Using A “Give Me A Moment” Statement

When using a “give me a moment” statement in a support chat with a customer, there are 6 steps you should take - and in some cases repeat - throughout the process.

1. Apologize

Including an apology into your “give me a moment” statement is not only polite, but it touches the customer’s pain point: their impatience.

Saying “I’m sorry” tells the customer that you don’t want to have to make them wait. You understand that it’s an inconvenience, which is why you’re apologizing in the first place. Simultaneously, the wait time is necessary for you to continue helping them with their issue.

An apology may not prevent the customer from becoming impatient or irritated, but it will help soothe their ruffled feathers.

2. Ask For Permission

Asking for permission to put the customer on hold, even in chat, is another polite gesture that will go a long way to making the customer feel better about the wait.

First, it gives the customer a feeling of control and agency. It makes them feel that their permission matters and that you value their time.

Second, it’s good manners. When you leave the chat for a moment, it’s like you’re leaving a room. You wouldn’t just walk out without saying anything to the other person in there with you.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you need to beg, though, or even that you need to ask a full permission question. Adding “please” to your “give me a moment” statement is all you need to do to create the impression of asking permission.

Asking for permission may be a formality, but it’s effective because it makes everyone involved feel better.

3. Give the Customer a Reason for Putting Them on Hold

Customers like to know why you’re making them wait. They may get suspicious if you tell them you’re putting them on hold, and you don’t say why. They may think you’re not going to help them or that you found some information that will prevent them from getting what they want.

You can allay these fears by giving the customer a reason for asking them to wait.

You don’t have to go into specifics. A simple, “I need to research this matter, please give me a moment” is sufficient because it gives the customer a reason without telling them any details, such as what kind of “research” you’re performing.

4. Give Them an Estimate of How Long They’ll Be On Hold

If possible, give the customer an estimate of how long they’ll be on hold. That way, they know what to expect and won’t feel the need to send you a lot of messages asking how much longer the wait will last.

5. Check In With Them

If you need to be away from your customer for longer than a minute or two, remember to check in with them periodically. Make sure they are still online, apologize again for the wait, and give them an update on your progress. The customer will appreciate your attentiveness, and they may not express as much impatience because they know you’re working as fast as you can.

6. Thank Them When You Come Back

When you return to the customer in the support chat, thank them for waiting. This is another way of demonstrating how much you appreciate the customer and value their time. It will go a long way to helping the customer get over any lingering resentment they may have for being asked to wait.

20 “Give Me A Moment” Statements For Chat Support

At Sapling, we understand that in the fast-paced world of chat support, writing a “give me a moment” statement is just one more thing that eats up precious time. That’s why we are providing you with the following list of 20 “give me a moment” statements for chat support which you can copy and paste at your convenience.

1. Examples Of “Give Me A Moment” Statements For Looking Up Information

These 5 “give me a moment” statements will help you ask the customer to give you time to look up their account. It will also help ask for permission to perform other research, such as the status of their order, company policy regarding their request, the process for solving the customer’s unique issue, etc.

• Please give me a moment while I look into this for you.
• Do you mind waiting for a moment while I look up this information?
• I’m sorry, but I need to take a few minutes to research this information. I hope that’s okay.
• Please give me a moment to research this problem for you.
• Please wait a couple of minutes while I look up your purchase history.

2. Examples Of “Give Me A Moment” Statements For Processing Customer Requests

When you need to ask the customer to give you a moment to process their request, you don’t need to be overly apologetic. Remember, the customer knows that after you process their request, their problem will soon be resolved. They expect to wait a little while, so don’t worry too much (unless it takes longer than you anticipated).

A short, simple statement like any of the 5 statements below will help you get your point across.

• Please wait a couple of minutes while I process your request.
• Please give me a moment to process your request.
• It will take me just a moment to process your request.
• I’m processing your request. Please give me a moment to complete it.
• It will take me a couple of minutes to process your request. I’m sorry for the wait.

3. Examples Of “Give Me A Moment” Statements For Escalating Requests

In the event that you need to escalate a customer’s request, your “give me a moment” statement should give the customer a realistic expectation for what’s about to happen. Your biggest concern should be to let them know roughly how many minutes they may need to wait. That’s what the following statement examples focus on.

• Please wait while I contact my supervisor. This could take {{number of minutes}}. I’m sorry in advance for the wait.
• Please give me a couple of minutes to escalate your request.
• I’m contacting my manager to escalate your request. This could take a few minutes.
• Thank you for your patience. Please wait a couple of minutes longer while I bring this issue up with my manager.
• Please give me {{number of minutes}} to find out what steps you need to take to escalate your request.

4. Examples Of Give Me A Moment Statements For Transferring Customer

Transferring the customer to another agent or department shouldn’t take long in most cases. But using a “give me a moment” statement anyway will cover you in case the person you’re transferring the customer to needs time to prepare.

A “give me a moment statement” will also let the customer know that you have started the process of transferring them. This means they should expect to speak with a different chat support representative in a few moments.

• Please give me a moment to transfer you.
• Please wait while I transfer you.
• I’m about to transfer you. Please stay online.
• I am going to transfer you. Please continue to wait.
• I am going to transfer you. This could take a couple of minutes. Thank you for waiting.