They say that “silence is deafening”. The ironic turn of phrase suggests that, in some cases, a lot can be said by saying nothing at all. Suppose you ask a girlfriend what she thinks of your new haircut and the response is dead silence. Chances are your new do doesn’t do it for her.
In the world of telemarketing, the “silence is deafening” idiom has even worse implications. No one likes to hear dead silence when they’re on the phone. It prompts such queries as “Hello, are you there?” And when it comes to serving your customers, the last thing you want is to make them feel as if you’ve disappeared.
Keep your hold times to a minimum.
When putting a customer on hold, it’s vitally important that you inform him/her of how long the hold time is expected to be. No one likes waiting. So, generally speaking, the less time a person spends on hold, the better.
“In a unique study that surveyed more than 2,500 consumers, nearly 60 percent of respondents believe that one-minute is too long to be on hold,” reports Matt Langan of PRWeb, “In addition, 32.3 percent of consumers believe that customer service departments should be answering immediately – with no hold time.”
Hold time doesn’t have to be a bad time.
As call centre professionals know, hold time is inevitable. Most customers realize this too. However, putting a caller on hold can actually be an opportunity to boost customer satisfaction. In case the point hasn’t already been made clear, it’s imperative that there be no silence. As highlighted, leaving a caller in silence will often lead to a hang up. Custom hold music, on the other hand, can often be entertaining and engaging.
“For organizations with a business VoIP phone system, using the Custom Hold Music feature is an excellent way to keep callers connected and entertained,” says Ion Mae on MyVoipProvider.com, “Soft soothing music can make a potentially aggravated customer more patient. Playing a personalized recording or a marketing message (make sure to avoid tacky and cheesy sales pitches) can also ensure a professional wait time experience and can even be used as an opportunity to educate the customer.”
Not all hold music is created equal.
It’s important to note that generic hold music isn’t all that attention-grabbing. It’s wise to have custom hold music that suits your business type and is considered appealing to your customers. As Spectrio.com points out, the only thing worse than silence on the other end of the line is poorly-produced voiceovers and music.
“The answer to filling the dead air sound of being on hold isn’t connecting to any old message player or music recording,” states the site, “Your on hold music or messaging must be professionally produced, played at the right volume, and using the right branded voice to please caller’s ears and keep them on the line.”
Want to ensure your customers never hang up when they’re placed on hold? At MeloTel, our cloud-hosted Commercial Phone Services come with Custom Hold Music among many other incredible features. Take advantage of them today by calling us at 1-888-MELOTEL or using the Live Chat feature on our website!
