Message & Music On Hold
Your Website Looks Great But Don’t Neglect Your Phone
The Internet has changed the way we do business, yet most of your customers still reach your business by phone.
Human nature is what it is and we want to talk with somebody. So, why are your callers not hearing about your business when you put them on hold?
Telephone On Hold Expectations
A professional on hold message and music program has been proven to do the following:
- Enhance a company’s image
- Decrease caller hang-ups and agitation
- Keep callers interested
- Stimulate new sales
Improve the image of your business by advertising to an interested party, someone who’s already called you and is captive to your message. You can improve sales/profit by retaining callers who might have hung up due to silence or a poorly tuned radio station.
However, just like any other marketing service, the on hold provider you choose should be judged on what it can do for your business:
- Reinforces your advertising campaigns
- Promotes specials, seasonal events or products
- Saves staff time with messages that answer frequently asked questions
- Mentions important manufacturers or product lines you represent
- Cross-sells products your sales staff may neglect to mention
- Increases customer knowledge about your business
An on hold message and music recording that features information about your company gives you control of what your callers hear while waiting and greatly improves their perception of your company.
On Hold Breaking Point: New Study Reveals Stress Levels Soar For Callers Waiting At Least 5 Minutes
Researchers in the U.K. polled people to find out when their frustration kicked in after being placed on hold. They found it happens between five and six minutes. More than half of the people who responded said they have been irritated waiting on a call and 4 out of 5 have gotten so upset, they hung up. Results of this poll also showed that 67% of participants felt “annoyed” at having to wait at all. Almost one-third said they felt stressed being on hold for an extended period of time and 19% said they got “angry.” Read More
Can you imagine if they had to listen to a static-filled radio or heard nothing? A quality on hold message and music program can provide a more positive experience for your callers. However, it’s still important to keep hold time to a minimum.
Is Your Business The Obvious Choice?
Dan Andrew recently added a message with music that plays for his callers placed on hold. His customers no longer suffer in silence wondering if they are still connected. In addition, he is providing his customers a service by promoting the products and services he offers.
When people call your business, their mind is open to any message you have for them because they want your product or service to fill a need or solve a problem. How well your business fills that need or solves a problem is the difference between success and failure.
Is your business the obvious choice for (insert product/service here)? When people need a new (product/service), do they call you first? Do prospects of your business feel that they would have to be an absolute fool to do business with anyone else but you? If not, why not?
How often do you have your prospects attention when promoting your company? They have called because they are interested. If they are let down, there is always a competitor they can contact.
As a business owner myself, I believe my company is giving prospects and customers quality service they won’t find elsewhere. In fact, most hard-working business owners feel this way. We are so focused on running our business, we don’t have the time to really consider how our prospects and customers perceive our business.
Have you ever called your company and pretended to be a prospect to see how your call is handled? You might be surprised to hear an employee answering the phone with food in their mouth, or the radio station playing on hold has a commerical running from a competitor. Is your phone being answered with enthusiasm that conveys to callers your business is happy to hear from them, or does it sound like you have better things to do?
Some business owners have told us they don’t put people on hold for very long or not at all. We understand, nobody likes to be put on hold. At least that is what people will tell you. What they don’t tell you is they don’t like being put on hold and hearing nothing or a poorly tuned radio station.
