All the staff at Birmingham telecom are very helpful and always patient with us when we ask 100 questions a day! We generally work with Dan who is efficient and knowledgeable. Thanks to you all!
When you work with a professional audio production company, that uses legally licensed music and professional voice over talent and has experience editing audio for telephony applications, the sound quality is going to be much better than something put together by an amateur or something you've recorded and thrown together yourself. Professional audio production is very cost-effective, and you'll get a big bang for your buck by going professional.
.
Present your callers with multiple options ensuring they are directed to where they need to be quickly.
"You know, we get people who ask us to put them back on hold." - Eric Smith / Binkelman Corporation (Hear a sample)
No matter how you choose to create the on-hold recording, once the audio file sounds exactly like you want it, simply ask your IT team to update your phone system with the new recording. You’ll be giving your callers a better experience in no time.
One that makes time not seem like a constraint, one that has a mix on hold music and voice messaging sprinkled across.
Length – if your callers typically wait 2 minutes at a time, then at least 2 minutes of programming should be the goal. The idea is to ensure the callers don’t hear repeated messages every time they call. A typical on-hold message is 4-8 minutes in length.
3. Don’t repeat the same message over and over again, create a sequence that provides relevant messages during the duration of the hold.
Professional business voicemail greetings are significantly different from ones you record for individual use and complete your professional business image. They’re more generic in nature and designed to provide information to the caller while ensuring they leave a message. Where possible, explain when you expect to return calls. Typically, they’re recorded for the following:
For example, if you have the same people calling multiple times a week and being put on hold for long periods of time, it might be useful to update your messaging more frequently so they are getting value out of the time they are spending on hold. The more specific and targeted your voice messages are, the more impactful and successful they’ll be as a marketing tool.
It doesn't matter how great your customer experience in store or with an employee is, if you neglect the on hold experience, you're neglecting the customer. Not sold? Check out Number 5, below:
On-hold music is considered standard in business phone systems today because people actually perceived wait times as shorter when they hear it. On-hold music traditionally worked by having specialized equipment attached to the phone, and the jack might plug into the radio, then tapes, then CDs, then MP3 players. PRI boards are built with jacks to play on-hold music.
“Call center operators who picked up the phone reported feeling less emotionally exhausted when dealing with customers who heard standard pop music.” –Time, “Why Music on Hold Drives You Crazy”
On average, 5 to 15 seconds of music plays between each message blurb. Keep your audience in mind: musical breaks that are too long are boring, but message blurbs that are long or too detailed can be overwhelming. In most cases, 5 to 15 seconds, between message blurbs that don’t exceed 30 seconds are usually appropriate.
We strongly recommend that you write short, independent messages, with a musical interludes. The volume of the music should be turned down during narrative messages.
First NameLast NameEmailPhone NumberCompany NameNo. of Handsets?I am Interested in :*
So how do you choose the right hold music? Start with what’s appropriate for your business. A funeral home wouldn’t blast the Bee Gees. A sports arena isn’t going to stream some easy listening to the fans. Know your audience, understand their mind space, and pick your music accordingly.