Consumer  electronics have certainly advanced quite a bit since the days the days of the VCR or Sony Walkman.. It used to be that in order to listen to music you’d have to have your favorite mix tape (cassette), or compact disc.  Gone are the days when we need to use cassette tapes or CD players to enjoy audio, and thankfully in the custom music & message on hold industry those days are gone too!

Today’s message on hold players not only ensure that callers are entertained when they’re put on hold, but  are all digital which provides for 100% maintenance-free operation to the end-user. Today, most of us download an mp3 audio file in order to able to play and hear our favorite audio, and with the  advent of technologies, the message on hold industry has also evolved with the times.

Introducing the ePro Series 1200 USB Digital On hold player, which means the on hold experience just got better! Now, don’t get intimidated with the term  Mp3 USB music player, when it comes to crystal clear audio and hassle-free operation, the ePro USB 1200 Series  is  low-cost, but provides high-quality performance to make sure that callers enjoy for a couple of minutes while waiting. And, in most cases it's simple plug-n-play so it easily connects to most phone systems.

The ePro USB 1200 Music On hold players are also user friendly. You can simply “drag and drop” audio files, and transfer them from the computer to the player’s USB flash drive. Then, plug the flash drive back into the ePro USB 1200 On hold player, and voila! You have your instant audio playback! This not only provides the end-user to receive their completed audio faster, but also reduces shipping, fuel  emissions, and other measures which also help to reduce our carbon footprint.

Many clients think they can just plug in an ipod  into their telephone system for hold music, but what they don’t realize is that when it comes to music on hold, the audio needs to repeat and never end, otherwise there would be a gap of silence when the recording ended which may causes callers to hang-up due to silence while on hold. One of the  benefits of using the ePro USB 1200 Digital On hold player  is that they are designed to continuously play, so that customers never have a gap if silence while waiting.

In addition,  a very important feature of the epro USB 1200 is the  “auto-restart” feature.  Meaning if a power loss occurs, as soon as power is restored both the player and audio begin immediate playback. Why is this so important you may ask? … Well, if you’re considering to attempt to use some of the consumer grade audio devices mentioned above (and yes, this includes our beloved ipod) if a power loss occurs these devices need to be restarted in order for your on hold music to play.  You may not even be aware your player has shut off, resulting in hours, or days of silence on hold to callers. So instead of giving them varied marketing information about your products and services, you may actually be giving them the silent treatment?

Your  On hold Message can go a long way when you have the right on hold equipment in place. Today’s on hold players have a mid level entry cost, and will make your life easier  and  your customers on hold experience  worthwhile.

Still having doubts about the merits of messages on-hold? Look at the comments being written an online Cruise Review website about caller on-hold experiences. Then face the facts: today’s economy isn’t what it used to be. This alone makes it all the more important for your company to seize each sales opportunity that comes your way. Through a well thought out custom on hold messages, you can do just that, by informing clients regarding your current offers and creating a positive customer experience. In fact, recent caller on hold statics show up to a staggering "60% potential in lost revenues due to caller hang-ups."

It bears no saying that every reliable company should have a customer service support number, a help line, or otherwise an emergency phone number that customers can dial for their questions, inquiries, and problems. One thing you’ll notice right away if you’ve ever tried calling most customer service help lines all of them provide voice recordings and music on hold.

One sure way to avoid customer support disasters and show customers that you care is by using messages on hold and other related services. This is especially true for companies that have customer service help desks, since music and recordings provide an effective means of easing your customers’ irritation. It only takes minutes to set up the proper  on-hold equipment which is extremely  beneficial for overall customer service and caller satisfaction! 

Music On hold has always formed an integral part of support services, since it keeps your customers pleasantly occupied as they wait for a live customer support representative to take their call. Anyone who has ever been put on hold knows how annoying it is to be kept waiting on the line for several minutes hearing nothing but a constant series of beeps on the other end. You may not realize it, but this experience ultimately creates a negative impression on your customers, leading them to think that you do not actually value them and their time enough.

Make no mistake, operating a business or a company isn’t a walk in the park. If you’re running low on funds, you might think that getting message on hold services, might be an unnecessary expense. However, these services are well worth the investment since they do more than entertain your clients while on the phone. They actually have a significant influence on marketing and advertising.  Ultimately, with an on hold message, you will be able to brand your business as one of the most reliable and experience in your industry.

When setting up a phone system, getting best messages on-hold services should be your top priority. You should also consider Professional Automated Attendant greetings,  another key ingredient to enhancing the professionalism of your business and improving your branding and marketing.

We’ve all been there – being put on-hold by the establishments we’re calling.  Your lucky if you hear anything on-hold (ie. music), let alone a professional on hold system. Some have even attempted to download some software and try to record their own hold messaging/music, often times this is not done correctly resulting in poor quality -- how annoying it must be having to put up with that!  Let’s face it, if you’re not a plumber, you don’t attempt to fix a broken pipe, and the same holds true when it comes to your telephone hold messages.  Some things are better left to be done by the professionals.

With too many tasks to do in today’s competitive world, having to wait on-hold for a couple of minutes surely feels irritating. Now that you've had that "ah-hah" moment and realize callers dislike waiting, your goal is to make sure that your callers’on-hold time is worthwhile. Even the most patient callers can get angry, too! It’s one thing to wait for the customer representative; it’s another thing to put up with an on-hold recording that’s not even close to being good enough. In fact, on hold statistics show that that 34% of callers hang-up after just a few moments, and that 20% of those callers won't call back!

Getting the opportunity to have your customer’s full attention doesn’t come often. As much as possible, you want to prevent them from hanging-up; and, you can only do that with a creative on-hold message. Installing a message on-hold in your phone systems can reduce the feeling of frustration from your callers by educating, selling, and entertaining them, while creating a good impression for your brand.

To have professionally recorded on-hold messages, you should be able to find an on-hold message company that can cater to your needs. How will you choose the right company?

Here are the top 5 aspects you need to consider:

1) An experienced and reputable on-hold messaging provider should have a list of equipment options that you can choose from. They should be able to thoroughly explain the pros and cons of each. Prices should be clear and up-front, with no hidden costs. Also, an experienced company should also be able to either install the on-hold equipment for you, guide you through it, or arrange for it to be professionally installed.

2) An experienced and reputable on-hold messaging provider uses a royalty-free music, or they should offer licensing as part of the price.

3) An experienced and reputable on-hold messaging provider should have a variety of male or female voice talents and with sample on hold demos for each.

4) An experienced and reputable on-hold messaging provider should also provide you with different music styles that will fit the image of your brand.

5) An experienced and reputable provider should include on hold message scriptwriting as part of the package. Should you opt to write your own on-hold script to make it sound more personal, don’t forget to read it aloud yourself to see your long your message breaks. This is to prevent the frustrating cycle of emails back and forth with the company as they might instruct you to cut, and then cut some more.

Truth be told, on-hold messaging is the only way to keep customers on the line. They’re willing to wait, as long as it’s worth waiting for. Create a good lasting impression! Educate. Sell. Entertain – that’s what on-hold marketing is all about.