No one likes to be placed on hold when calling a business, but the fact is that call hold is the most effective way to enable customers to reach a business as well as potentially the most efficient way to handle them.
Almost everyone places callers on hold at some time. The question is how to make the experience as pleasant and informative as possible for the caller and as productive as possible for the business. The tips below will show you how to accomplish these goals.
1. Don’t use FM Radio on hold. Most people don’t realize that virtually
all recorded music is licensed by either the American Society of
Composers, Authors, and Publishers (commonly known as ASCAP) or the
Broadcast Music Institute (commonly known as BMI). These organizations
collect royalties under copyright arrangements and pay the royalties to
writers and performers, among others. Any licensed work played in a
public establishment (including on hold) is subject to royalty payments.
A business that wants to play music on hold, including music from a
commercial radio station, must obtain licenses from ASCAP and BMI at a
cost of hundreds of dollars per month. If an auditor from ASCAP or BMI
determines that a business is playing music on hold without a license,
the penalties amount to several thousand dollars per phone line for
every month that the violation can be proven. In addition to licensing
issues, the second problem with the use of commercial FM radio is
the commercial. If your customer is on hold, he may hear a radio
commercial for one of your competitors. If so, you may have just
inadvertently provided an effective referral to that competitor. The
most cost-effective alternative to licensing is to obtain messages and
music on hold from a licensed provider. These companies obtain the
necessary licenses and provide professionally recorded music for a
fraction of the cost of ASCAP or BMI licenses. Once you’ve selected a
message on hold provider, what do you need to know?
2. Make messages informative. If yours is a business that receives
frequent calls for routine information (e.g. hours of operation,
address) include that information in your messages. The caller may get
what he needs without further delay or the need to speak to a live
agent. If you take orders over the phone, include promotional offers.
Customers usually appreciate the information, and sales of
the promotional item will increase. If you process orders or
information, tell the caller what he needs to furnish when he does reach
an agent. That way, both the customer and the agent maximize their use
of the time.
3. Make messages brief and to the point. Some businesses mistakenly believe that their own 30 or 60 second radio commercials provide effective advertising on hold. However, most commercials are designed to get a customer to call, not to sell him once he makes the call. In addition, most businesses don’t want callers on hold for intervals of 30 to 60 seconds or more. Therefore the messages need to be clear, concise, and above all useful.
3. Make messages brief and to the point. Some businesses mistakenly believe that their own 30 or 60 second radio commercials provide effective advertising on hold. However, most commercials are designed to get a customer to call, not to sell him once he makes the call. In addition, most businesses don’t want callers on hold for intervals of 30 to 60 seconds or more. Therefore the messages need to be clear, concise, and above all useful.
4. Make messages entertaining. With few exceptions, customers will be
more likely to buy if their spirits are lifted. A light hearted mix of
music and messages, and the careful use of humor will make callers feel
better about the on hold experience and therefore, more receptive to the
live agent when they reach one.
5. Know your audience. Select music that will appeal to the broadest
possible majority of your customer base. If your customer base is made
up of 20 somethings, selections of show tunes from the 1950s probably
won’t work very well. If customers are in their 40s, grunge rock is
probably not a good choice. Generally music should be soft but upbeat.
If you target a certain age or cultural group though, you will want to
be sensitive to their tastes.
Music on Hold doesn’t have to be an “audio pacifier” for callers. It can be an important sales tool and a service that customers actually appreciate if you follow the rules of the road.
