Most of us hate being put on hold. What most of us like even less, however, is being put on hold and waiting in total silence. Some studies have shown that for callers faced with silence, the threshold for remaining on the line is less than 40 seconds. An on hold messaging system can help make the wait more bearable.

A messaging on hold system plays a pre-recorded program for callers to listen to while they are on hold. You can choose to have the system play music, a voice message, or a combination of both. The average length of a program is typically 4-6 minutes. If you prefer, you can also choose to broadcast a local radio station.

Pretty much any phone system can interface with a messaging on hold unit. When shopping, look for a digital unit that will play messages from digital memory. There are also systems that continuously play messages via a CD player. However, they can be more prone to failure since they rely on moving parts to play messages.

What I find particularly appealing about having an on hold system is the ability to market to your callers. Rather than entertaining them with silence, it can be really effective to inform this captive audience about your latest promotions, newest products or recent awards. Sharing information about your company can help stimulate questions and interest in offerings and generate more sales.

If you want to create a custom message for your on-hold system, pay attention to the vendor's recording capabilities. While all will tout having professional writers and voice talents, not all are of equal quality. Take the time to actually hear messages that have been created and confirm that the voices you like are in fact still working for the company.

Also learn about the creation process and how much input you have. Find out how the copywriters will learn about what to include in the message. Is it through an interview or from a questionnaire that you complete? Once the script is complete, you should have the ability to not only review the script but also work with the copywriter to edit it accordingly. Finally, you should be able to exercise approval over the recording before it is finalized.

How much will it all cost? Expect to spend $400 to $800 for the on hold equipment. While you can lease a system, the relatively low price point and reliability of the equipment make an outright purchase more appealing. The cost for a custom recording can range up to a few hundred dollars per customized message. Prices do drop, though, if you sign up to have multiple messages recorded for you.

Stop the silent treatment. With a reported 7 out of 10 callers put on hold, a messaging on hold system may be just the ticket for more satisfied customers and increased sales.