No one likes being put on hold or waiting as the line rings, but it's a fact of life in a call center service. A recent AT&T study found that approximately 70 percent of service calls are put on hold for more than 30 seconds, and if left to listen to nothing but silence the abandon rate is over 75 percent. This rate rises to 80 percent when callers listen to nothing for a minute or more.
You know what else AT&T found? The callers who were put on hold and listened to music, stayed on the line for up to five minutes longer. That was just with music. Imagine what an informative, educational on-hold message can do for you. Here are a few must-haves that a call center service professional suggests to keep in mind for your on-hold messaging.
Put your big ticket items first
An important thing to consider is what your overall marketing strategy is, and to work outward from there. Is your primary goal to boost sales? Lead with that information during the on-hold message, feature your services or products. Is your primary goal to provide excellent customer service? Feature service options right at the beginning. Of course, both of those things should be part of your overall goals, but take the time to look at your business and what you'd like to tell someone if you only had ten seconds to make your pitch.
This is also very important to bear in mind for inbound marketing. Your on-hold message should be a quick, up-front confirmation of why the customer called into the call center service, how they will be helped, and most importantly of all, include a thank you for taking the time to call.
Watch out for overload
It is a reality of the business that sometimes on-hold messaging can go on for longer than 30 seconds. Remember that placing someone on hold isn't always all bad. It's an incredible time to strengthen your brand and reinforce professionalism in front of a captive audience.
With that said, don't drown the caller with information. A few breaks here and there for hold music or, to remind the caller they're still on the line, will help break up the hold and make it feel as if not much time has passed.
Put the marketing team to work
Whenever your company works on advertising, the kind where actors are hired for television or radio, make sure those actors record an on-hold message for you. They're already there for the day, you might as well get your money's worth. This is effective because it helps callers who saw or heard your advertisement will likely recognize a familiar voice and stay on the line longer. This is a double win if you have a celebrity spokesperson working with you. A few minutes of their time to record a professional hold message will pay off in the future.
Have fun
If you're having fun fleshing out the copy, odds are the caller will be entertained as well. Introduce fun facts about your company that the caller may not know or mix in a pair of voices, utilizing a theoretical conversation. Crafting on-hold messaging can be a bit like radio advertising, but always work from the most important question: “What do I want my caller to do?”
If you would like to make your customer’s experience positive and memorable, let Outlook Business Solutions give you a helping hand. Our customer care professionals can assist you with everything from welcome campaigns, appointment setting and customer satisfaction surveys. Make your customers happy by letting them speak to real professionals. Contact us to start giving your business a personalized touch.