Because we all have the desire to do more, be more mobile and get more done in our lives, tops on the holiday gift giving lists this season is consumer electronics. Lots of folks will be receiving Netbooks, Smartphones, Camera’s and more. Along with these great new gadgets, is also a learning curve on how to use all the various features and functions of these items, so also what will be tops this holiday season will be the need for technical support of our new found gadgets, gizmos and software!
Despite the fact that support can obtained via live chat or email, people still prefer getting support over the phone. Some say this is due to the fact that people feel more assured that their needs will be met if they get to hear the voice of a live person at the other end. Or perhaps because words typed on screen fail to convey the emotional weight that the person would like to impart? Because of this preference for phone support, putting callers on hold is fast becoming a prevalent practice in the industry.
Most people do not like being put on hold for a good reason. In fact on hold statistics show that the average person spends more than 75 hours per year waiting on hold. Being put on hold means you'll have to wait, and since you are not told how long you will have to wait, you'll be unable to step away from the phone, in fear that the support person might terminate your call in case you are unable to answer. Waiting is time not well spent, and a lot of people, especially those who are busy, cannot afford that luxury. With fewer sales opportunities in play, and customer loyalty being at all time lows, businesses are realizing that they need to do all they can to provide an unparalleled customer experience and to increase caller retention.
Smart businesses realize they need to cater to their callers on hold, and not ignore them with silence on hold. Studies have also shown that 88% of callers prefer messages on hold over silence or radio, which is why almost all companies use some kind of on hold message to fill the dead air. Capitalizing on the fact that the customer's attention is already fixed once he/she is on the phone, on hold messages transforms that wait time into something which can entertain, inform and more importantly, advertise to customers who are put on hold. Since 16 - 20% of callers make purchases based on an on-hold offer, on hold marketing can prove to be a really worthwhile investment.
On hold messaging is here to stay until a better alternative to support over the phone can be found. People seem to have already succumbed to the fact that calling support will involve being put on hold and companies need to take advantage of this opportunity.