Myth No. 1: We don’t put callers on hold, our phones are manned by live receptionists.
Reality: All companies put callers on hold. Even if your phones are answered live by people, your call is put on hold when a call is transferred to the appropriate party. This can take from 5 seconds to 40 seconds or more.
Also, when the receptionist is busy on one line, the system is likely to answer the other lines (two, three, and / or four). Again, this is a “wait” situation that callers are exposed to.
Simply put, even if you’re answering your phones “live,” you’re putting callers on hold. Period.
ACTION: Call your office from your cell phone for a week and see how often they put you on hold. You will be surprised how long you are “in limbo.” This is what callers are going through on a daily basis and they hate it. And it is damaging your image and your profits.
Personalized messaging and music on hold are an ideal “patch” to replace silence or radio when callers are put on hold.
Myth No. 2: Personalized messaging and music on hold are too expensive.
Reality: Custom music on hold is more affordable than you might think. Advances in technology have reduced production, recording, and scripting costs. Fully personalized messaging and music on hold cost just a few hundred dollars with nothing else to buy. Also, professional standby players are a great investment and discounts are usually available when purchasing messages at the same time. Always look for a player with a multi-year warranty.
Myth No. # 3: My phones don’t support messages or music on hold.
Fact: Almost all phones (99%) support messaging on hold in one form or another. If you have a professionally installed PBX / Key phone system then you are 100% guaranteed to be compatible.
If you have standard office phones (AT&T, Panasonic, RCA, Brother, Uniden, Sony, etc.), you can most likely use standby messaging.
You’ll want to discuss your setup with a qualified standby provider so they can ask you the right questions and make a determination for you. Rest assured, though, most phones will work with music on hold these days, so compatibility isn’t an issue.
Myth No. # 4: My clients don’t want to be “called” when they wait on hold. It bothers them.
Reality: The majority of callers on hold (85%) when surveyed reported that they prefer to hear SOMETHING rather than hear NOTHING. Isn’t that what you prefer too?
Silence is a killer on hold and increases complexes. Also, a custom production of messages and music on hold does not have to be a “launch festival” in any way.
Useful information on hold is very useful for callers on hold. This includes: your location, your hours of operation, your website address, your tagline, your service offerings (most people only know some of your offerings, not ALL of them as you think), and how long you have been on. the business. All people need information like this …
Once again, useful information is USEFUL, not annoying. Silence is annoying. The radio at full volume is annoying. Help educate your callers while they are on hold using personalized messages and music to keep them informed. Your image and sales will increase accordingly.
Myth No. 5: We use the radio (or silence) on standby and no one complains, so it must be working.
Fact: nonsense. Just because your callers are not providing feedback does not show that it is working. “Absence is not a test.” Most people are kind not to criticize you and also don’t care enough to tell you how to improve your business. That’s your job to find out, not theirs.
Standby radio is illegal (BBB, October 2002) and silence is just a hobby. The benefits of personalized messaging and music on hold are worth their weight in gold, and you must begin to realize how important it really is to your image.
Myth No. # 6: We can’t afford messaging and music on hold. We spent all of our dollars on advertising this year.
Reality: You need to reallocate your marketing money to include personalized messages and music on hold. Yellow pages, billboards, television, radio, and all other advertising media are ridiculously expensive. And you know it.
You can trim just a little bit ($ 100) from each medium and put your messages and music on hold. Again, the total costs are only a few hundred dollars, with nothing else to buy, ever. If you look for the dollars, you will find them.
Myth No. 7: We have a LOT more pressing issues to deal with right now.
Reality: What could be more important than the first impression you make on your interlocutors? And what can be more important than your prospects and customers?
After all, they are your “lifeline” for profit and you need to understand how important it is to look like a pro. You will NEVER get a second chance to make a first impression.
Personalized messaging and music on hold not only make you seem less fond, but also show your interlocutors how much you care about them. Not only that, the message waiting process is automated. The instant callers go on hold, your music on hold plays through your phone, over and over again. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.
What to do next …
If you are interested, you can receive a free estimate and a free phone compatibility analysis by clicking HERE
Or please call 1-877-422-1051.
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WHY CUSTOM MUSIC ON HOLD?
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“Because impressing callers and reducing problems increases profitability.”
(c) 2007 – Garrett Todd, LLC – Impressing Callers – All Rights Reserved