It’s not often we get this kind of straightforward feedback from customers: “I’m spending too much time On-Hold”, or “Every time I call, I get put On-Hold, and I don’t like it!”

When customers have the guts to speak up and tell you what you’re doing wrong, it would be best to listen.

But it takes really listening, not just to what they are saying, but what they are meaning. If someone is calling your company to see if their order came in, there is a certain expectation that they will have to wait for you to find out if it has arrived.

Yet these same people would say “I’m spending too much time On-Hold” or “whatever you do, don’t put me On-Hold”. So in essence, they are expecting to wait, but they are asking not to make them wait. Hmmmm…

Have you ever been somewhere, expecting to have a mediocre experience, but you came away surprised at how much you enjoyed it! (I sure have!)

Most people’s experience and expectation with being On-Hold is one of frustration, anxiety, and disgust. They’ve experienced the silence (“Am I still connected?” “Did they hang up on me?”), the radio station (“Exactly the kind of music I don’t listen to. “Don’t they know this radio station is not tuned in?”), and Rhapsody in Blue on repeat (Yes, I’m looking at you, United Airlines!)

So what could your customers be saying? They may be telling you that the experience of being On-Hold at your business makes them want to hurl their phone through the window. (or some other nearby glass object) They may be telling you that this is one area of your business that is not drawing them in to do more business with you.

Have someone unrelated call in your business, and get put On-Hold. Have them evaluate the experience. Is it silence? Do you have a message playing, but the volume is so loud that you can’t understand what’s being said? Is it so soft that the sound is dropping out? (Hint: the volume of your On-Hold message should be the same level as your receptionist answering the phone).
Is the radio in tune? One of the hazards of using a radio for your On-Hold is the ease of having the antenna bumped, or station changed. (not to mention the fact that playing the radio On-Hold is illegal in most cases)

So what kind of experience are providing for your callers? Is it an environment that is pleasing to your callers?

And if your customers are talking to you about it, are you listening to what they are telling you?

If you’d like some help knowing what you need to do, check out our Secret Caller service.

And here’s an interesting anonymous tool for reporting good and bad On-Hold experiences: www.heardonhold.com. Next time your On-hold and waiting, check it out.

And finally, a thought to leave you with…What if you delighted your callers?

One question we deal with in our free On-Hold message consultations is whether acompany can benefit from a custom On-Hold message or not.

So how will you, the busy business owner, know when an investment to reach your callers while On-Hold will return good results?

How many calls do you receive?

Over the course of a day, a week, or even a month…how many calls does your business receive? Have you ever thought about counting them? Have you ever tried?
You could get your receptionist or employees to just make a quick tally whenever they answer the calls. It might not be the most technologically advanced method, but it will give you a better understanding of how many calls you do receive!

Or, we can help you with counting calls, as part of our Caller Experience Evaluation service.

How long are callers On-Hold?

We talk with some companies who tell us “We don’t put people On-Hold”, but willing it not to happen doesn’t mean it never does.

Being On-Hold is a fact of life for most businesses. But On-Hold time really falls into two categories:

1. Long hold times…like call centers, tech support, and customer service. These are hold times counted in tens of minutes. (I know…I was On-Hold with American Express for 42 minutes today!)

2. Short hold times…these are hold times that we often don’t think about. Being transferred to another person, or sent to voicemail. Or waiting while someone looks up our order. These are usually measured in seconds. You may be On-Hold for 10 seconds while going to voicemail, 30 seconds while being transferred to the person with whom you would like to speak, or for a minute or two while someone looks up your order, or checks the stock of an item.

These two very different categories require different approches. But for category #2, which most small businesses fall into, optimizing that On-hold time can bring very much value to the caller.

So how do you measure it?

Spend two days asking your staff to roughly track how many calls go On-Hold or are transferred. Again, a simple tally will work. Monitoring a few of those calls will give you a great idea of how long the average hold time is at your company.

Again, this is something we can you with if you like, with our Caller Experience Evaluation.

Then with that information, we can begin to measure the value that a custom On-Hold message can bring to your company.

And if your business really is one of those that doesn’t put people On-Hold? We’ll tell you that as well.

Quantifying the Caller Experience will bring a clearer picture on areas your Caller Experience can improve to maximize customer service.

Remember, you can’t improve what you don’t measure!

I walked into a meeting with a client recently, to

discuss updating their On-Hold message. As I sat down, the business owner said “Let me tell you a story.”

Well, I’m always up for a good story, so I listened.

And here’s the strange tale that I heard!

“The other day” says Mr. Owner, “we received a call from a customer whose job had not been going well. There were issues…some our fault, and some not. But things kept piling up until the customer got pretty upset! He called us up because he was frustrated, and wanted to get his problem solved right here and now. The receptionist answered the phone and listened to the customer explain his story. Knowing that the only possibility of making this customer happy was for him to talk directly to me, she placed him On-Hold while she located me. I took a deep breath and reached for the phone, ready to be yelled at by an angry customer.”

“I was greeting by laughter. That’s right, the caller had gone from irate to laughing, in the few minutes he was On-Hold! He said he really enjoyed our On-Hold message, and we talked about the ways we try to have fun with the On-Hold message.”

“We then proceeded to quickly clear up the issues with the job, and get things back on track. But only because of the On-Hold message we have with Prosound. That’s one thing I know we’re doing right!”

And there you have it. Proof of the therapeutic power of On-Hold Messaging. (cue the “ommmmm’s” and the strings”)

Does YOUR caller experience powered by strings, monks, and angels? Or do callers believe you use a pitchfork to push the Hold button?

With a little work, your On-Hold message can be heavenly!