You call up a company. You travel through the various voice prompts in order to get to the right department. You speak to a representative. And, at some point in the conversation, you’re placed on hold. What do you hear? The answer to that question can certainly have a big impact on your opinions about the company. Is it dead silence? Is there a recorded message? Are you listening to hold music?
Consider your opinions about the various things that you can hear while you’re waiting on hold. In our experience, customers much prefer music to any other sound. Who doesn’t like some type of music? And even if you’re listening to music that you don’t particularly like, it’s better than the alternative of silence. And why is that? Well, there are actually several reasons. In today’s blog, we’ll explore five.
1. It’s entertaining. As we alluded to before, it’s hard to find someone who isn’t a fan of some type of music. The general purpose of hold music is to keep people aware that they are on hold, and not have them want to hang up. Music fills the silence in a way that nothing else can. Generally, music serves to keep people calm and somewhat entertained while they are waiting for service representatives to return to the lines.
2. It lets customers know you haven’t hung up. How often have you been on hold only to discover that the line has actually been disconnected? In today’s smart phone-obsessed world, we don’t hear the same dial tones that we used to when we were disconnected using traditional landlines. So today, there are many times when people are holding for no one! Hold music guarantees a caller that he or she is still connected to the line.
3. It reduces hang-ups. Naturally, you don’t want your customers hanging up on you. If the music you are playing is worth listening to, you will help your business to service more of its customers. People are prepared to wait if they don’t feel that their time is being wasted. Have you ever been on hold and enjoyed the music being played while you waited? Consider the impact that good music can have on your customer service regimen.
4. It makes you look more professional. You run a business. When people call you, they expect a certain level of professionalism. If you place someone on hold using your regular phone, they have no choice but to sit in silence. Your business telephone line, however, should immediately be recognized as a pathway to professional service. When you place your callers on hold and they hear music, this is the impression you give.
5. It helps you to be creative. The hold music that your callers listen to should reflect the image of your company. It can be upbeat and fun or it can be mellow and relaxing. It can even be something completely original. For some time, MeloTel’s hold music was the “888-MELOTEL” rap performed by our very own company president, John Meloche! Perhaps, creating your own original piece is in order.
MeloTel offers Music On Hold as one of the many Telephone Features that come with our VoIP telephone services. Our Voice Talent Production team would also make the ideal choice for creators of your own original hold music. Call us for more information by dialing 1-888-MELOTEL today!
