| According to a recent AT&T study, more than | | | | will take your call shortly so that you can |
| 70% of business calls are placed on hold for | | | | get back to the great outdoors. |
| an average of 45 to 60 seconds each. 60% of | | | | |
| the callers placed on hold hang up, and 30% | | | | Music in between messages for 30 seconds or |
| of those that hang up never call back. | | | | so appropriate to your listening audience. |
| | | | |
| The opportunity to reach out to your | | | | Marketing Message: |
| customers is now! | | | | |
| | | | Are you at our website right now? If so, |
| They are a captive audience, and are eager to | | | | click on the "Special Offer" advertisement on |
| hear what you can do for them. While they are | | | | our home page to take advantage of our Online |
| waiting, which for some business could be | | | | Summer Sale! Anything listed on our website |
| upwards of 10 minutes or longer, you need to | | | | is 25% off if purchased online. Get in the |
| keep their interest, keep them happy, and | | | | groove of Summer early and save! |
| most importantly, retain their call to avoid | | | | |
| losing them and their confidence before you | | | | Depending on the average time that your |
| can even meet their needs. | | | | customers are on-hold, your on-hold script |
| | | | length will vary. |
| By making good use of your on-hold messaging, | | | | |
| you will be able to: | | | | For an average system where customers are |
| | | | on-hold for 1-3 minutes, it's wise to have at |
| - Keep your callers interested | | | | least 2 courtesy messages and 2 marketing |
| | | | messages, each message timing out to |
| - Increase satisfaction levels regarding | | | | precisely 30 seconds (:30). |
| their experience with your company | | | | |
| | | | Music should play in between the messages for |
| - Introduce new products or services for | | | | 30 seconds (:30). This will result in 2 |
| potential cross sells | | | | minutes of voice-over and 2 minutes of |
| | | | uninterrupted music play, giving you total of |
| - Provide additional information about your | | | | 4 minutes of on-hold messaging. |
| company in a friendly manner | | | | |
| | | | For systems supporting callers on-hold longer |
| - Instill trust and assurance that you'll be | | | | than 4-5 minutes at a time, make sure that |
| with them shortly | | | | your material is kept fresh for your |
| | | | audience, with at least 4 different courtesy |
| - Retain your callers while on-hold | | | | messages and 4 different marketing messages. |
| | | | |
| - Save money by retaining the caller, | | | | To accompany the voice-over, music is often |
| eliminating the need for them to call again | | | | used as a secondary track in a voice-over |
| | | | recording. Music can vary throughout or |
| To really capitalize on your on-hold | | | | remain true to a theme. |
| messaging, alternate courtesy messages with | | | | |
| marketing messages. | | | | Music should reflect your business and your |
| | | | customer base. If you're servicing an extreme |
| Here's a sample of a brief On-hold Script. | | | | sports crowd, the music might reflect that |
| | | | culture and encompass a touch of rock, soft |
| On-hold Messaging Script: | | | | punk, or alternative music genres. |
| | | | |
| Courtesy Message: | | | | Capture this opportunity by sharing your |
| | | | message while your customers wait on-hold. |
| Thank you for calling Extreme Sports Gear and | | | | With a powerful on-hold recording and a |
| Mountain Bikes. We're glad that you called | | | | professional voice talent to deliver your |
| and appreciate your business. In respect of | | | | message, you'll be well on your way to |
| your time, a customer service representative | | | | converting callers into buyers. |