One of the first things we talk about in marketing with a new business is the development of the “elevator speech”. The business owner and marketing people need to be able to explain what they do and why in the time it takes to go from the ground floor to to 10th floor. This is your intended message. Meanwhile, as your representatives (i.e.,customer service personnel, receptionist, etc.) make contact with customers, there are unintended messages being sent. Scott Flood at Inside Indiana Business smartly blogs about it.
Businesses put a lot of effort (and money) into trying to send messages to their customers. Unfortunately, they don’t realize that many of the things they do end up sending other messages. Those unintended messages may be inadvertent, but they’re also pretty dangerous.
Scott analyzes the messages he’s heard at the bank, restaurants and other businesses, pointing out that the entire customer experience–every touch-point–has the potential to send the right or wrong message about your company.
The last example I’ll mention is one of the most common: the on-hold recording that repeatedly tells me how important my call is. About the twelfth time I’ve heard it, I start to have my doubts. If my call was that important, wouldn’t you have answered it by now?
Now that caught our attention! Easy On Hold has been advising customers on how to handle music on hold/message on hold content.
- Never apologize; be helpful instead.
- Decide what you want the caller to do as a result of hearing the on hold message. For example, a credit union has a new member rewards program. Focus on that and be clear about action the caller can take.
- Callers know they’re on hold, so don’t rub it in. A short “thank you for calling” works as a part of the script content.
- More meat! You can serve up fluff or you can give callers meaty, interesting stuff. Cut the fluff.
- Don’t break your arm patting yourself on the back. It’s about the caller, remember?
Send us your thoughts. How would you like to use your callers’ waiting-on-hold-time?
