On Hold Message What to Include
On Hold Message What to Include:
Here are some tips on what to include in your On Hold Message:
On-hold messages are a great way to convey important company news and updates to your callers. They can also reduce call abandonment and increase customer satisfaction. Here are some best practices and sample scripts for on-hold messages:
– Say who you are and thank the caller. It’s best practice to mention your company name and thank the caller for waiting. For example: “Hi, you’ve reached ABC Company, the leading provider of XYZ solutions. Thank you for calling, someone will be with you very shortly.”
– Share your company’s good news. On-hold messages are the perfect place to let customers and potential customers know about your new products or services. Include a short description of new features or benefits to entice your customers to get in touch or hold on the line for longer. For example: “Did you know that we have just launched a new product that can help you save time and money? Ask our representative about it when we return to your call.”
– Tell callers about promotions. Do you have any sales or promotions you are running or new product launches, or special discount codes for your website? Mention them in your on-hold messages to encourage callers to take action. For example: “Don’t miss our special offer this month! Get 20% off your next order by using the code ONHOLD2023. But hurry, our offer ends soon.”
– Let callers know you have a help section. If you receive a lot of calls around the same questions, a great way to utilise on-hold marketing is to point people in the direction of your website’s FAQ. Not only will this help answer questions faster, it can also reduce call wait times. For example: “Have you checked out our FAQ page?
You might find the answer to your question there, if not call us back and we will be happy to help. Alternatively, if you wait, the next available advisor will be happy to help.”
I hope this helps you create an effective on-hold message for your callers.
How long should my On Hold Message be ?
The length of an on-hold message depends on your average hold time and the number of messages you want to convey to your callers. Generally, an on-hold message should be concise and focused on the most important information.
You should look at the average hold time and make sure that you have enough messages to cover that period of time. For example, if someone is on hold for an average of two minutes, you want to have at least three messages with a good gap of music in between each one and an on-hold program is three to four minutes in length and an average of 200 to 300 words. The message usually begins with a three to five second musical intro and has 12 to15 second musical interludes between announcements.
The length of an on-hold message also depends on the type of phone system you have. If you have a traditional system that operates on a continuous loop, you may want to keep your messages shorter and add an acknowledgement message (thank you for holding, we appreciate your patience, etc.) between every three or four announcements. If you have a cloud-based system that starts the on-hold message from the beginning for every caller, you may want to prioritize your messages in order of importance and relevance.
I hope this helps you determine the optimal length for your on-hold messages.
Should I add music to my On Hold Message ?
Adding music to your on-hold message can be a good idea, as it can help reduce caller frustration, create a positive impression of your brand, and make the wait time seem shorter.
However, there are some things to consider when choosing music for your on-hold message:
– The music should align with your industry, business, or brand identity. For example, if you are a law firm, you may want to choose something professional and formal, while if you are a spa, you may want to choose something relaxing and soothing.
– The music should be steady and simple, without sudden changes in volume or tempo, or complex arrangements that may sound distorted or noisy over the phone line.
– The music should be royalty-free or licensed for commercial use, to avoid any legal issues or fees.
– The music should have short musical interludes between announcements, to create a smooth transition and avoid interrupting the message. The interludes or gaps between your information should be about 12 to 15 seconds long. This of course may vary.
