When people call your company, you have their unwavering attention. Their minds are open to any messages you tell them because they want to do business with you. They didn’t call because they just want to have a chat, otherwise they would have called their friends. But, no. They called because they want to do business with you. Customers call because they want your brand to fill a need to solve a problem. How well your business work around these situations can make or break your brand.

Let me tell you this. Have you tried doing spy calls? Those types of calls where you pretend to be a prospective customer to a certain competitor? You might be surprised at how customer representatives entertain calls and handle customer queries. Some of them even have food in their mouths while answering the phone. Other agents, of course, sound enthusiastic and happy helping you with your requests and needs. However, there are others who sound bored like they’ve got better things to do.

Now, agents are not the worst part. How some customer representatives handle the call, I’m sure you can handle. But, what’s quite unforgiveable is the fact that they have a radio station playing as their music on-hold but running a commercial about the competing company? (…this makes absolutely no sense what so ever? In fact, its taboo in business!!)

That said, you need to make sure that you’re on-hold marketing includes important information such as updates from the company, latest offers, even frequently asked questions by callers – anything that would persuade callers to put an order.Remember that they have called because they’re interested.  When you don’t pay attention to them, they can simply hang-up and call other companies who’d be more willing to make them happy.

On hold messages are created to make the customer’s on hold time worthwhile. It should be a wonderful experience. Of course, nobody wants to be put on hold; remember even the most patient caller can still get annoyed with unprofessional on-hold messages. But, if truth be told, nobody likes to be put on hold and hear nothing, or worse, listen to a poorly tuned radio station.

Pay attention to your on-hold message script and make sure that your message is worth listening. Some owners are too busy running their business that at some point, they fail to consider how customers and prospects perceive the brand. Always think about your customers and how to make them happy. After all, without them there is no business!

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.

Sure the NBA is back on the hardwoods, the NFL is gearing up for the playoffs, the NHL is in full swing and Major League Baseball is on hiatus until spring training. What do sports have to do with On-hold messages you might ask?  Well, On hold messages are not only for keeping your customers entertained while on-hold.  Another amazing thing that on-hold marketing can do for your company is to tell about your brand’s story, and below is how one MLB star accomplished just that.

Yes, you’ve read that right. On-hold messages can tell more about your brand by merely delivering  a clear message to your callers while giving them something to think about. But, before we give you tips of how to utilize your message on-hold into creating wonderful stories and moments of Eureka for your brand, let me share with you this inspiring incident by free agent, Jose Reyes.

A New York Post reporter, Kevin Kernan called Peter Greenberg and Associates who represent New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes for an update on his free agency. To his surprise, he heard Reyes’ recently released song “No Hay Amigo,” translated to “There are no friends” while he was put on-hold.

From there on, Kernan understood and got all the answers he needed before he was even greeted by someone from the company. He soon found out that Reyes is unhappy with the Mets and using his song as music on-hold is one way for him to let someone know the status of his career.

Isn’t it interesting to have something that can capture your brand message without having to do so much about it? You know people will be put on-hold, and when they are, they will hear your message and understand what your brand is all about.

Reyes’ song was pretty clever and to use it as an on-hold music; anybody who calls the Mets would readily understand what’s going on. How do you do something like that? Here are three strategic ways to make sure you’re on the right track with your music on-hold and messages.

Come up with your best pitch

Callers are a hot prospect. By the time they dial your number, you know they mean business. Show them you’re a big-league player by creating a compelling on-hold message that will talk about your brand’s asset and what sets it apart from your competitors.

Think about message’s purpose

Reyes and his agent knew reporters would be calling. They knew a lot of people would have inquiries and they’re completely aware of what the callers wanted to hear. Now, your goal is to make sure that your message is clear enough and that it will be readily understood by callers and customers. What do you want to tell them? Think about the message’s purpose and your on-hold message and music will go a long way.

Pay attention to details

In Reyes’ case, the music on-hold was the message. However, not all businesses can afford to have a single music or message that can encompass everything they need to tell to their callers. What you need to do is update your message to spotlight your latest accomplishments, current deals, or seasonal events. You can also craft a music or message that will reflect your business’ culture and personality.

Do something with your marketing campaign by coming up with a good and clear on-hold message. You need not to worry, we at The Original On Hold,Inc are your friends, and we’ll make sure that your business will step-up to the plate.