Warning: Don’t Apologize for Putting Callers On Hold in Your Message On hold Script
Did you know that apologizing to callers for putting them on hold can actually aggravate the frustration that’s already developing while they’re waiting for you to attend to them?
One of the biggest mistakes that you can do in your on hold message script is to say something along with the lines, “We apologize for the inconvenience of putting you on hold.” It’s obviously a poorly crafted message, and it’s a ridiculous line to say especially when you know first-hand that it’s inevitable not to put customers on hold.
According to a study conducted by a professor at Israel Institute of Technology where they examined what keeps customers on the line and happy on-hold, he, together with his colleagues found out that relevant information about the products and services the company provides in their message on hold usually prevents callers from hanging-up. Some even prefer hearing on hold messages rather than just a typical background music.
However, having an apologetic on hold message has adverse effects due to the fact that it doesn’t only disrupts the background music, but also the apology doesn’t even provide any useful information. Instead, what the “sorry” message does is to remind the callers that they’ve been put on hold for quite some time, which is not exactly necessary. Imagine yourself being reminded of something that you wouldn’t want to put up with if you have the chance.
Saying sorry to your callers about making them wait may seem like a good idea, but in reality it’s not. While you have the best intentions backed up with your sincerity, this is simply not how on hold marketing works. What you can do instead is to craft a professional on hold message that will talk about your brand as well as the products and services you provide.
With brief, but concise on hold marketing, not only will you make the caller’s on hold time worthwhile, you also pass on some important information that will help you in establishing your business.
