How Brands Make Sure You Don’t Hang Up When On Hold

“We apologize for asking you to wait on hold.”

“Your call is very important to us.”

“We know your time is valuable.

We’ve all heard these annoying words—and most of us cringe at the mere thought of having to wait. Yes, there’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that customers don’t like to be put on hold!

And, you can make an already negative experience even worse by mixing in cheesy on hold music, static or perhaps worst of all dead silence! These all provide for a poor caller experience which can be fatal for your business.

Caller Hang Ups = Missed Opportunities and Wasted Ad Spend!

Did you know the The average business places over 75% of callers on-hold?  Are you aware that 90% of callers with poor on hold experiences will abandon their calls (hang up before giving you a chance to serve them) in less than 45 seconds? Even more alarming is that over 40% of those callers “won’t call back.”

When caller abandonment happens, not only are you losing out on potential revenue, but to make matters even worse you could be wasting a good chunk of your marketing budget driving those leads to well, nowhere!  Or perhaps more than likely  – to a competitor!

So Instead, Ask: How Can We Fill those Moments, So Callers Don’t Give Up and Hang Up!

A recent WSJ Customer Experience report looks  ways companies and consumers interact and how companies might make those experiences better for consumers.

One proven tactic: When callers are placed on hold, be sure to play on hold messaging and music that is appropriate to the company—and be sure to include relevant and timely content that caller’s find valuable, and you’re on the way to improving the caller experience at your brand.

To that end, companies who strategically deploy professional business on hold messages are able to influence callers’ perception of how they’re viewed by potential or current customers.

If you can provide voiced information to your callers, you will improve call abandonment (hang-ups) by about a 75% average. In fact –

According to North American Telecommunication Association:

“callers presented with engaging information while on hold will remain on the line for up to 3 times longer.”

It’s Simple. When You Give Callers Valuable Content On Hold You Increase Sales!

Make no mistake that on hold messaging is a crucial customer experience tool that can positively impact a business. However, On-Hold Messaging is also an essential marketing tool for your business that can drive revenue, but unfortunately many businesses tend to overlook the this invaluable marketing tool and opportunity.

Below are just a few of the many benefits derived from of an effective on-hold messaging strategy

• Improves customer experience and satisfaction
• Increases caller retention
• Generates new sales
• Decreases the strain on human resources
• Improves brand appearance and recognition

Final Thoughts….

Businesses need to look at implementing on hold programming not just as a part of their overall marketing plan, but because it is an invaluable customer-experience enhancement tool that is often overlooked.

If you think your company may need to consider a more thoughtful approach to the caller experience with a professional on-hold messaging strategy, then start by contacting Original On Hold today!

Still not sure? Then check out our risk-free custom on hold demo trial offer, and hear what you brand can sound like before you make a purchase!