The problem with holding – Bad music on hold.
Photo by Emilyl on Flickr
Everyone’s heard it – and almost everybody’s wanted to scream about it. After all, there’s only a certain amount of time you can listen to a tinny version of In the Hall of the Mountain King without going halfway mad, hanging up, or worse, never bothering to call again. So when so many organisations make such a bad first impression, what’s the alternative?
Music or muzak?
Badly produced music on hold has a surprisingly long but mostly unpopular history. Too often it’s associated with muzak – lift music – not to mention all those aching elbows, long afternoons and rants about customer complaint systems. It’s unpopular because by and large it feels like an afterthought – it’s usually of low quality, repetitive, or just plain irritating. Maybe all three. And above all? Poorly made on-hold music is a waste of your resources and your customers’ time – especially when you consider how much money you spend trying to get people to call in the first place.
Using on-hold time effectively
On-hold marketing should be about captivating your audience. Your callers ring up to talk to you about your services – to make enquiries, even buy something. They’re discerning and they’ve chosen you instead of your competitors, so it’s really not the time to annoy them, turn them off, force their hand. It’s an opportunity to build on a client relationship, or even better, establish a new one. So it’s time to minimise the impact of making them wait – and instead, let them know you’re sorry to keep them waiting, and that you’re on the way.
On-hold messaging – Connecting with callers before they’re connected
On-hold messaging does this by combining effective, high-impact messages – voiced by professional talent – with quality on hold music, created with high-end production values. It’s designed to be both entertaining and informative, and done well, gives your callers access to your latest news, your newest products, your flagship services. Even better, it proactively talks to your audience instead of frustrating them.
Ultimately, you’ll be engaging – not simply otherwise engaged.
Share with us in the comments your experiences of being placed on hold, what’s the most irritating song you’ve had to put up with, and are you likely to hang up if left on hold for too long? We’d love to hear from you!
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