Painful Credit Card Application Process

I've spent several days trying to just to speak to an agent at ABSA. After being put on hold for ages, calls are eventually answered, but only to be transferred and put on hold for ages again. I have gone through the credit card application process I think 3 or 4 times, halfway through the application calls drop each and every time. Again the vicious circle starts again of having to wait for someone to eventually answer a call, go through the same application questions from the beginning. Surely in a modern age an application process shouldn't be this painful? Surely one should get a call back from an agent if a call drops and you have already spent 10 minutes going through a series of questions? So here I am, nowhere closer to completing a credit card application process and R500 poorer on wasted airtime!