Use On Hold Time To Entertain And Inform Customers
Like most people, you probably don’t enjoy being put on hold when you call a business. Since about 70% of business callers are put on hold, you are most likely to be put on hold more than a few times in your life. Although the average hold time is only 38 seconds, often it can feel like 90 seconds if there is only silence. However, the opposite is true if there is music, meaning a 30 second call only feels like 15 seconds with background music. Since most callers with silence on hold will abandon their calls in less than a minute, and 34% will not call back, it is wise to incorporate a custom on hold message for your company to entertain, inform, and retain customers on hold.
When creating a custom on hold message, it is wise to combine music and information about the company, specifically information about products or services offered. Callers with music on hold will stay 30 seconds longer than with silence, and callers with information on hold will stay up to 3 minutes longer on hold than with silence. With a combination of the two, the callers should be able to stay on the line for longer than two minutes, which is the time when most callers hang up annoyed.
There are many companies that offer music, messages, and systems for handling on hold messages. When shopping for an on hold company, ask yourself a few questions.
• How many messages will my company need during the year? Most companies only need to change their messages a few times per year, such as on a quarterly basis. Decide who is calling and how often to determine how many messages you’ll need. For instance, if you constantly have new callers, you won’t need new messages every month. The more messages you want, the better packaging discounts you can expect. However, beware of unlimited message packages, which companies use to lure you into contracts.
• Compare lengths of messages and productions. Some companies use different terms such as message or production, you should determine how long each is so you can compare pricing.
• Ask if the voiceover talents featured on the demonstration tape or on the website are the actual talent voices that will be used in your production. Don’t allow an on hold company to save money by using amateur voiceover talents because they think you can’t tell the difference between the two.
• Review the script to ensure that it has plenty of information, without the fluff. You want meaningful information that can properly inform and change your customer’s perceptions about your company in a positive direction, and even spark a buying impulse.
• How does the on hold company treat you? Does the company let you ask a lot of questions to establish a relationship? Do you receive a free demo or have to buy first? How quickly do they return your call?
Once you implement a custom on hold message, you may be able to see a 40% increase in retention of callers, 15% increase in inquiries, and a 12% increase in requests for products or services mentioned in your on hold message (US West Communications results from North American Telecommunications Association Natural Study). Otherwise, without an on hold message, you may be part of the statistic that loses up to 15% of your customers because of negative phone treatment. With undivided attention from callers on hold, it is the perfect time to advertise products or services because most callers are more likely to show interest in products and retain information during this time.
Tags: creative hold message, creative hold music, custom on hold message, hold message advertising