Hold On For A Few Minutes
On Hold Statistics
USA BUSINESS TELEPHONE TODAY in Washington, D.C. conducted a survey to determine the effects of putting callers “on-hold.” The callers surveyed were routine callers seeking information. A total of 30,000 callers were placed “on-hold” for one minute under various conditions. Each call was then answered with the same message, “Thank you for waiting. Would you mind telling me how long you had to wait “on-hold?“
The results?
SILENCE (sample – 10,000 callers)
- 52 percent of callers dropped off the line
- 27 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 5 minutes
- 18 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 3 minutes
- 3 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 1 minute
MUSIC OR RADIO (sample – 10,000 callers)
- 13 percent of callers dropped off the line
- 56 percent estimated the on-hold time was less than 1 minute
- 28 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 1 minute
- 3 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 2 minutes
ON HOLD ADVERTISING (sample – 10,000 callers)
- 2 percent of callers dropped off the line
- 81 percent estimated the on-hold time was less than 1 minute
- 16 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 1 minute
- 1 percent estimated the on-hold time exceeded 2 minutes
Instead of letting your callers stay on hold listening to silence, the radio or background music without a message, have them listen to you and make their time spent on hold seem shorter, reducing call abandonment.
Captive Audience Awaits Your Pitch
Wouldn’t it be great, if every day you came to the office, you would have the opportunity to present your product or service to a room full of people already interested in your product or service? And, it would cost you nothing to do so?
With most people reaching your company by phone, you already have this opportunity. Whether you receive 50 calls a day or 500, Free advertising is available to you now with an on hold message and music recording.
Consider this, just 50 calls a day can generate 77 hours of Free advertising every year. What is that worth to you? How many more widgets could you sell with over three hours of Free advertising every day? 20 percent more?
AT&T conducted a survey in 1998 that revealed every 1-in-5 callers took action based on information they heard while waiting on-hold. 1-in-5 callers – that’s 20 percent.
When you call a business to inquire about a product or service that you are interested in buying, your mind is open to any message from that business because you want that product or service to fill a need or solve a problem. When you consider this, isn’t it likely your callers feel the same way when they call your business?
With an on hold message and music program that features promotional information about your company, you control what your callers hear and enhance your company’s image.
QUESTIONS?
Phone On Hold News
Marketing On Hold Information To Help Enhance Your Company Image
