HOLD ON A MINUTE

Turn your callers into customers! Make sure you’re getting the most out of your on-hold message!

Too often I hear this message when on hold with a company: “Your message is important to us; we’ll be with you as soon as possible,” following bland, middle-of- the-road music….or worse, I wait on hold in SILENCE.  This is not GOLDEN. This is a shame and it’s especially boring when left on hold for more than a few seconds.

It’s painful for the customer & wasteful for the business. 


On hold messages offer a unique selling situation: a captive audience who is waiting to speak with someone and thus likely already interested in learning more about your service. Be sure to offer the latest promotion and information about your company.  Your on hold message can bring an integrated marketing message to a captive audience.  Studies show that callers will wait on hold for a longer period of time when presented with an on hold message. Talk to them! Convey your brand message and play your jingle in between!

On hold messages are likely one of the most cost-effective branding and sales tactics, given that the messages are targeted and reaching people whom have already opted in to calling your company.

Did you know:

•    18% of callers surveyed actually made a purchase based on an offer they heard on hold.
-    Stan Rapp & Tom Collins of Maxi-Marketing

•    A 12% increase in requests specifically for products mentioned on hold.
-    U.S. West Communications (Quest)

•    Callers who hear information while on hold will stay on the line up to three times longer than with silence.
-    North American Telecom

•    60% of callers placed on hold with silence for longer than 40 seconds hang up. 34% of those callers will not call back.
-    Voice Response Magazine

•    A study was conducted with two groups of 10,000 people to see how they reacted to different options on hold. Results in the first group (silence) found 82% of the people placed on hold hung up before one minute. The second group (information) had a hang up rate of only 2%.

-    USA Business Telephone Today


This article is produced by Cool Jingles a USA based, professional quality music production, audio production, custom music and jingles shop.