12/18/2006
The Pros and Cons of On Hold Phone Messages
No company wants to strand customers on hold for an extended period of time. But when it happens, you want to make the experience pleasant–or at least tolerable. Music CD’s or radio make convenient and inexpensive options for on hold background. In some cases, however, a custom on hold phone message is worth the investment. The most common varieties–
1. Educational messages. An accounting firm offering commentary on recent tax law changes, or a veterinary clinic describing symptoms of various pet illnesses, are examples of solid material for educational messages. If you have a timely topic of wide interest on which you can shed light, consider this approach.
2. Redirecting messages. Phone service providers, banks, and airlines like to provide customers with alternate methods of contact to steer them off the phone and onto the Web. This tactic serves the dual purpose of reducing phone volume and explaining and promoting unfamiliar customer service options. But only if your company has extremely efficient online help capabilities is this technique worth considering.
3. Promotional messages. Lots of flexibility here. Companies can announce promotions, describe products and services, report company news, and/or explain their position or mission in the marketplace.
Is an on hold message right for you?
1. If you have a compelling educational message, it will keep customers on the line longer than music or radio. Compose your message as a series of brief tips–you don’t want customers coming off hold in the middle of a long, complex dissertation.
2. Be extremely cautions with redirecting messages. Even if your online support is second-to-none, promoting it with an on hold phone message can backfire. Customers with a problem, in the heat of battle, might infer you don’t consider them important enough for a personal conversation.
3. Promotional messages similarly can backfire. Again, customers with a problem might be in no mood to hear a commercial. However, customers enjoy learning how to save money or gain new benefits. Make your message a series of brief announcements, for example using the “Did You Know …” technique. And be sure to develop about five minutes-worth of material–you don’t want customers listening to the same blurb over and over.
The production cost of a custom on hold phone message ranges from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars, depending mainly on the length. Content can be developed by the production company or by the firm itself, usually in collaboration with a copywriting firm.
The main disadvantage of a custom message is cost. To prevent your message from growing stale, you need to change it on a regular basis. Depending on your message and caller frequency, “regular” can mean quarterly, semi-annually, or annually.
The main advantage of a custom message is that appeals to the widest range of callers–if it’s done properly. It’s impossible to find a single radio station or music program with universal appeal, and chances are, whatever you choose will completely turn off some of your callers. If a custom message keeps customers on the line, relieves their stress, and delivers an appealing company message–well, why not?
Bottom line–being put on hold is an extremely unpleasant customer experience. Statistics indicate upwards of 80% of customers hang up when confronted with on hold silence. Silence or the wrong sound will drive business away. Your on hold phone strategy cannot run on autopilot.
One Response to The Pros and Cons of On Hold Phone Messages
In your opening paragraph, you say “Music CDs or radio make convenient and inexpensive options for on hold background.” You should be aware that playing radio or music CDs is in violation of US Copyright Laws unless you have purchased an annual ASCAP, SESAC and BMI music rights license. Each license will cost, on average about $150 each.
Message on hold companies have either prepaid rights fees and pass along to the end user their rights or they may own outright the music and pass it on royalty free.
Bruce Miller
Media Promotion
http://www.mediapromotion.com