It is inevitable that at one time or another, you have no alternative but to put your client on hold; however, make this your opportunity to demonstrate to them how professional your company is. This may be the only opportunity you have to do business with them, so you can’t afford to get their on-hold experience wrong. It is worth investing a little bit of time to get the script right.
The on-hold messages and background music need to engage the caller, to defuse potential frustration. Make this an opportunity to educate and create a good impression of your company and products.
The Script
First and foremost, tell the caller where they are and thank them for calling. “Thank you for calling [Company Name]. Please hold, an advisor will be with you shortly” is a good start.
Don’t bombard them with all of your information at the start of your script; keep it segmented and concise. If you have 8 pieces of information to communicate, provide 8 short paragraphs so that your audio engineer(s) can spread it out over your chosen music. It will be received better in smaller chunks and combined more effectively with music.
After the initial greeting, make the first three on-hold messages the most salient. These should be points that the caller will be interested in, and ensure they stay on the line.
For example, if your company is holding an annual event, has a special offer, a free magazine, etc., make sure to communicate this information in the first few messages.
You may say something like…
“Stay on the line and request your free magazine when you are connected”
OR
“Stay on the line and get your 15% discount code when you are connected”
Always try to tell them about things that will interest them. Give them an incentive to stay on hold. Telling your caller that you offer a 15% discount at weekends is much more helpful to them than continuously thanking them for holding.
Build confidence in your brand and provide your caller with good information. Here are a few ideas for this:
- Have you or your company won any awards?
- Do you or your company hold any relevant qualifications?
- What charitable foundation do you support?
- Do you attend/exhibit at any industry trade events?
- Do you have a useful blog or article archive?
- What do you do that is unique / not been done by your competitors?
Prolonged On Hold
After maybe 1.5 to 2 minutes, it is always a good idea to say something like, “Thank you for continuing to hold. Your patience is appreciated.”
It is also good at this stage to maybe offer some alternatives, for example… “Thank you for your patience. Please continue to hold, and we will be with you shortly. Alternatively, you can send an email to me@mycompany.com”
OR
“Thank you for your patience. Please continue to hold, and we will be with you shortly. Alternatively, you can order online at www.mycompany.com”
OR
“Thank you for your patience. Please continue to hold, and we will be with you shortly. Alternatively, you can leave a message by pressing zero, and we will call you back”
Caller Frequency
How often will your customers call and be put on hold? If this is infrequent, having a single section of an on-hold message will probably be sufficient.
If your customers call often, consider updating your on-hold messages a few times a year or creating multiple sections at once. You could rotate these sections regularly to provide variety. This will give your regular callers the impression that you care about their on-hold experience, and the change can be very obvious to them, especially if you change the music as well as the voice-over.
Also, don’t be afraid to mix and match voices. A range of male and female voices can be used to create interest and variety for the caller.
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Considering having on-hold messages created?
Find out more and request a quote by visiting our on-hold marketing section.
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