Clearly, this is unprofessional. I've got one better: Years ago I called an English backed brokerage firm in NY to submit an order on an active stock and never received a pick-up, the phone just rang and rang. The next day when I complained, I was told they were all in a meeting(while the market was open.) How unprofessional can it get! Needlesss to say, I was gone that day from ever doing business with them again.