Tell Me More: Hold music

Most people that call businesses understand that it could be a while before they speak with a customer service representative. That doesn’t mean they appreciate waiting in silence. With hold music, you can assist your customer service team by providing waiting callers with information and entertainment. Hold music also helps customers avoid confusion – they may confuse the lack of sound with getting disconnected.

Hold music lets the caller know that they are still on the line and waiting for the next available person to take their call. It can also let them know where they are in the call order (queue) and the average wait before they get a live person on the phone. This lets customers know that their calls are important and will help prevent them from hanging up in frustration.

When it comes to selecting hold music, many businesses simply connect the radio to your messaging on hold system. But there are several drawbacks to this technique. Radio stations can often feature content that is potentially offensive such as political talk, religious programming, or so-called “shock jocks.” You want to keep radio tuned to instrumental, jazz, or musak versions of contemporary popular songs. You also have to concern yourself with copyright – even though you’re not profiting from the music, the radio stations have the rights to the licensing. And don’t forget about regular commercial breaks that can further aggravate callers.

To avoid copyright issues, many hold music providers offer “stock MOH CDs”. These were created solely for messaging on hold system. It allows you to insert voiceovers into a number of messages that apply to all businesses. This lets callers know that their calls are important to you and that you will talk with them as soon as possible. It could also inform callers know how much longer they will be waiting.

Customizable music on hold systems can prevent copyright issues and avoid using generic messages that could seem impersonal. You can set up messages specific to your business using the voice work of in-house employees or a third party. Customizable hold music also lets you tell callers about your newest products, store hours, and any sales you currently offer.

For businesses that provide account information, such as banks or credit card companies, customers can bypass hold music by pressing a phone button and moving directly to an automated system.