We are experiencing a high volume of petition

Q u o t e:
Bloody title bar isn't long enough... Anyway, any time I have ever put in a ticket, this _always_ appears. If there is such a high volume of petitions being put in, why doesn't Blizzard hire more GMs?

We are currently hiring, actually. We've positions available within two departments: In-Game Support (Game Masters) and Account Services. You can view those positions and even apply for them here:

Account Support Representative - Austin, TX
https://blizzard.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=09000DS

In-Game Support Representative - Austin, TX
https://blizzard.taleo.net/careersection/2/jobdetail.ftl?job=100000C

I would like to quickly note that, in tandem with WoW's population growth, our Support departments have been steadily increasing their range of service (that is, we're assisting with more issues than ever before). As each of these values grow individually, though, the overall number of incoming petitions, emails, and phone calls we receive can multiply quite quickly. Whereas we may have only had 10 players submitting petitions previously, we now have 25 players submitting petitions. This is obviously an oversimplified example, but the concept is solid and still applies on a larger scale.

We understand that by increasing the breadth of service our Support departments provide we also increase overall demand; this is regardless of population levels. To say that we don't expect and plan for that demand would be a fallacy. We do. Though we may be able to swiftly adapt our policies when the needs of our players change, identifying and training qualified representatives is a much more progressive process.

With that said, staffing is only one part of our ever-evolving commitment to providing epic service. We're also exploring ways to make contacting us easier (e.g. allowing more requests to be addressed via email) and hope to introduce more methods of "self-help" in the future, reducing your need to even contact Support in the event that you have a question or concern. Arrestide touches more on that topic here: http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=24915274084&postId=249126826578&sid=1#70

All in all, we're not satisfied with current wait times and are working every day to reduce them. :)

Let's keep this thread on topic, folks.

Broadway, you're more than welcome to express your concerns about Blizzard's support and service, but it may be best to do so in a separate thread. If you have an issue or concern, just let me know and I'll be happy to work it out with you. :)