I called my office this afternoon, and was placed on hold. Ah, yes–that is indeed what callers hear every day. Instantly I got a few ideas for good things to talk about.
Have you called, as a customer or business associate would, and listened to what they hear on hold? Most business executives I speak with rarely hear they own on hold message, and don’t give it a thought.
Here’s a clip from a discussion board that provides a little insight into how people react to being on hold, when there is little or no information to hold their interest:
They played lovely classical music–which was interrupted EVERY 30 SECONDS to tell me that my call was important to them, and to stay on the line and my call would be answered as soon as possible. EVERY 30 seconds! I timed it! So what’s YOUR biggest phone system irritation?
Please don’t waste the callers time with bland statements that are not helpful. You should know your callers, make their concerns your own and work with a professional messages on hold script writer to develop content that can make the difference between hostility and hospitality.
