We get asked a lot about Music On Hold, and while it’s really important to have something for your callers to listen to whilst they wait on the line, music isn’t the most engaging option when on its own. Combine music with Messages On Hold and you’ve got a winning combination! The standard Music On Hold included with every telephone system is often poor quality, tinny and, let’s be honest, boring! Plus call handlers are constantly made to feel guilty for interrupting waiting callers’ private discos… Research shows that there are 3 stages of how much your caller will put up with when placed on hold, faced with varying levels of entertainment.
SILENCE
Placing a caller on hold for them to be faced with silence is, unsurprisingly, bad for business, with callers staying on a silent line for an average of just 40 seconds before hanging up. Being faced with silence is confusing; your customer doesn’t know if they were placed on hold properly or if the call is even connected correctly. Your caller is now sitting debating if they should hang up or not, a debate that lasts just over half a minute. The next best thing would be to add a little music in to jolly things up and reassure your customer that their call hasn’t been lost to the on hold abyss. Oh and if you’re thinking your phone system at least beeps to let callers know they’re still connected, that’s just as annoying!
MUSIC ON HOLD
We can be honest here, no one likes listening to dodgy On Hold Music on its own. Often crackly, dated or over exuberant classical music is played, unless you’re treating your customers and subject them to deafening and confusing beeps. Making them reminisce back to the dreaded bleep test you used to do in school PE does not help to retain your customers unfortunately, with callers who are placed on hold to music alone hanging up after around two and a half minutes.
MESSAGES & MUSIC ON HOLD
There are many benefits to having On Hold Messages and Music playing to your waiting customers – primarily that they will actually wait! Unlike the previous options, callers placed on hold who were able to listen to professionally recorded messages in combination with music, stayed on hold for around four minutes.
WHY CHOOSE BOTH?
Put yourself in your callers’ shoes; when you ring a company how would you feel if there was silence on the line? How would you feel if there was music? Now think how you would feel if there was music with messages?
What better way is there to introduce your company to new customers than by telling them directly what you do, why you do it, how you do it and how well you do it? On Hold Messages are perfect for instilling confidence in new customers that you’re a professional company and also reassuring returning customers. You’ll turn what would have been a passive caller into an active one!
Think of your return on investment, by opting for both Music and Messages On Hold you’re more likely to keep customers on the line, meaning you’re not losing calls and potential leads. What’s more, you can target your patient callers whilst they wait happily on the line.
On Hold Marketing is a fantastic way to communicate and build a relationship with your customer before they even speak to anyone within the company. It gives you the chance to promote your products, offers and services whilst they wait, which could not only create a positive conversation when the call is connected but could potentially convert into a sale. This also helps to improve your credibility, by informing your customers of your experience or accreditations you’ll increase their faith in your services.
Hopefully we’ve convinced you to consider the contrast of call outcome from a caller faced with silence to one faced with entertaining and crisp sounding messages and modern music. If you think it’s time to bring your Messages and Music On Hold into the 21st Century then get in touch, we promise not to bore you if you’re on hold!
