Music On Hold News

Survey Confirms “Being On Hold” Makes Customers Angry

In an article called, “Know What Makes Your Customers Angry”, guest writer Marco Pacelli (CEO, ClickFox) writes in Bloomberg Businessweek about customer service slip-ups that can get customers hot and bothered.

In a survey, ClickFox asked more than 1,500 consumers what really makes them get ticked off. Their top three responses:

• Speaking with multiple agents and starting over every time.

• Dealing with rude or inexperienced representatives or service technicians.

• Being kept on hold for long periods of time or unable to use self-service options successfully.

Losing customers is not an option… so why not pull out all the stops to help your callers get to know you or fall in love with you all over again. In addition to the tips in the original article, we would like to offer a few ways your music on hold message can be utilized to help with common customer irritations.

Be consistent. If using an auto-attendant, use the same voice as your on-hold messaging. This helps gives the impression of a seamless operation and cuts down on the feeling that the caller is being bounced around to different connections and agents.

Remember why callers are reaching out to you. Do the callers want technical help? Price quotes? Need to make an appointment? Convince your callers that you know their needs by targeting specific announcements in your messages on hold. Stay away from generic hold music solutions.

Promote web service. If callers can get help online, carefully instruct them to use your site to their benefit.  Be certain to use this information in your hold music message. You may be able to save them a phone call–and save them the frustration of having to wait on hold.

Don’t put it off! Ask yourself, which caller can I do without? Which caller is going to bring in business? Can I afford to lose even one call?

Steps Toward Easing Online Shopping Fears

I was cheerfully greeted this morning with this note in my inbox:

Thank you for very professional and easy service.  When you find someone with a google search you never know how professional they will be, you guys arevery good at what you do  and I would recommend you to anyone.   Lori Sowers of Arvine Pipe And Supply

Sometimes an online company can forget that online shoppers have a right to be apprehensive and extremely cautious. “Buyer beware” is truer than ever. So how can we at Easy On Hold continue to build confidence among online shoppers who genuinely need help with music on hold and messages on hold systems? By following a code of ethics.

We’re big supporters of the Better Business Bureau. The BBB’s online division, called “BBBOnLine” has a mission to promote trust and confidence on the Internet. Member businesses with web sites can display the BBB Accredited Business seal online, but only after the BBB has confirmed adherence to the BBB Code of Business Practices, including its online standard.

Here’s a brief look at the BBBOnline Code of Business Practices, which you can find in its entirety here.

1. Build Trust
Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace.

• Have been operational (actively selling products or services) in any BBB service area for at least the most recent 12 months.
• Be free from government action that demonstrates a significant failure to support BBB ethical principles.
• Be free of an unsatisfactory rating and maintain at least a B rating at the accrediting BBB.
• Meet all applicable standards within this Code of Business Practices
• Cooperate with BBB’s activities and efforts to promote voluntary self-regulation within the business’ industry
• Honor any settlements, agreements or decisions reached as an outcome of a BBB dispute resolution process
• Complete the required application and pay all monetary obligations to BBB in a timely manner

2. Advertise Honestly
Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.

• Abide by the BBB Code of Advertising.
• Adhere to applicable BBB industry codes of advertising.
• Cooperate with BBB self-regulatory programs for the resolution of advertising disputes.
• Use the BBB name and logos in accordance with BBB policy.
• Avoid misleading customers by creating the false impression of sponsorship, endorsement, popularity, trustworthiness, product quality or business size through the misuse of logos, trustmarks, pictures, testimonials, or other means.

3. Tell the Truth
Honestly represent products and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all material terms

• Make known all material facts in both written and verbal representations.
• Ensure that any written materials are readily available, clear, accurate and complete.

4. Be Transparent
Openly identify the nature, location, and ownership of the business, and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer’s decision to buy.
Clearly disclose to customers:

• direct and effective means to contact the business
• terms of any written contract
• any guarantees or warranties accompanying a product
• any restrictions or limitations imposed (e.g. limited supply,maximum number available per customer)
• the business’ return/refund policy
• any recurring commitment into which the customer may be entering, including information on how future billing will occur
• total cost of the transaction, including tax, shipping and handling, and other related charges

If selling products or providing services on Web sites or via other electronic means:

• provide any required product labeling information
• disclose the nature and terms of shipping, including any known delays or shortages of stock
• provide an opportunity to review and confirm the transaction before the sale is completed
• provide a receipt summarizing the transaction after the purchase

5. Honor Promises
Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations.

6. Be Responsive
Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.

• Promptly respond to all complaints forwarded by BBB.
• Make a good faith effort to resolve disputes.
• Comply with any settlements, agreements or decisions reached as an outcome of a BBB dispute resolution process.
• Cooperate with BBB in efforts to eliminate the underlying cause of patterns of customer complaints that are identified by BBB.

7. Safeguard Privacy
Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed, and respect the preferences of customers regarding the use of their information.
Businesses conducting e-commerce agree to disclose on their Web site the following:

• what information they collect,
• with whom it is shared,
• how it can be corrected,
• how it is secured,
• how policy changes will be communicated, and;
• how to address concerns over misuse of personal data.
• Secure sensitive data.
• Honor Customer preferences regarding contact by telephone, fax and e-mail, and agree to remedy the underlying cause of any failure to do so.

8. Embody Integrity
Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.

Easy On Hold knows that a spotless customer service record is the gold standard for online businesses, and we will work every day to maintain our BBB A+ Rating.

You’ll find some great tips here: Better Business Bureau online shopping tips.

Do People Care What They Hear While On Hold?

So, what do you think… do people who call your company care about–or even notice–the music on hold?

While folks are waiting, they’re listening. Sometimes really bad music on hold becomes a source of ridicule for a company. For example, the music on hold at the web hosting firm One and One’s tech help line is so weird, a caller posted it on YouTube: http://cpanel.tv/reviews/1and1/strange-music-on-hold/

A comment to the posting says they were once on hold and heard John Mayer’s song “Say What You Need To Say”. Funny.

Blogger Ian Trigillis presents this account:

Because I’m in the process of moving, I’ve been spending a fair amount of time on the telephone, listening to the isn’t-it-a-wonderful-thing-to-be-on-hold music at various furniture stores, credit card companies, and public utilities. Today I had to listen to Jingle Bell Rock for seven agonizing minutes.

Yes, people are listening to what you’ve got on hold. In fact, studies show that what people hear while on hold makes a difference when it comes to perceptions about your business.

A 2006 Washington Post story (music on hold study) reveals details of a study conducted by two Georgia State University professors. It turns out that good music makes hold times seem shorter.  Long wait times typically lead callers to a more negative attitude toward the company they’ve called.  The most convincing piece of evidence in the study shows that there’s a big difference between hearing silence on hold versus music on hold:

Some of the respondents said they liked to hear the music because they knew they were still connected to the company; no music made them wonder if they were still on hold.

The professors also concluded that companies should not let their music choice get stale.

And firms should try to change the songs because customers get tired of listening to same, old music every time they call in.

The phrase “hold music” conjures up images of the “100 Strings Orchestra” playing some droning version of a pop song, however, and many companies are afraid to dip their toe into that cesspool. There’s even an ode written by humorist Phil Nelson (to the tune “Hold On My Heart” by Phil Collins)…

On hold music
Now I’m doing many other things
Finally, when they come back
Break my concentration

On hold music
Used by companies
And some smart people who
Have too many calling

Yeah, on hold music
Difficult to be patient
‘Cause they’re just wasting my time

The bottom line is that callers do notice and care about what they hear while waiting. Work with professionals who know the difference between Muzak and effective music and messages on hold. Callers will believe that their hold times are shorter than they actually are, while developing a more positive impression of your company.

New Easy On Hold Production Studio Opens

One of the studio microphones in use at the new Easy On Hold Recording Studio.

Easy On Hold announces the opening of its new recording studio in Portage, Michigan. The studio features a large production room, client area and generously-sized isolation recording room.

The custom-built studio is constructed on a solid concrete base and is surrounded by brick walls covered with concrete siding. The isolation room is a “room within a room” design to keep all sound and vibration out. Special construction techniques were utilized, such as the use of sound and vibration absorbing material between walls, extra heavy drywall, the use of airspace for sound wave cancellation and high-density flooring.

The window between the control room and the isolation room is made of two panes of 8 layers of laminated glass with a 4-inch airspace between. Acoustic treatment throughout the studio allows for a pleasant-sounding space that’s not too “live” or “dead” (studio terms that refer to the sound reflection qualities of a room).

The studio uses Neumann microphones, including the Neumann TLM103 and Neumann U87. Sound is processed using the API 512C preamp and 525 compressor. A custom-built Windows-based system operates Avid (Digidesign) ProTools. Mogami cabling is used, along with classic Yamaha NSM-10 near field monitors and Alesis reference speakers. (The Wikipedia article on studio monitors says about the NSM-10, “many more successful recordings have been produced with its aid over the past twenty five years than with any other monitor.”)

Audio is stored on a raid-5 server and additionally backed up from there. To accommodate audio file transfers, two T-1 lines are maintained. The studio is equipped with Source Connect, a software that allows a live studio-quality connection over the Internet so that talent at the Easy On Hold studio can record at other studios without actually being there, and other voice talents can be recorded at the Easy On Hold studio from their similarly-equipped facilities.

With the completion of the new studio, Easy On Hold is demonstrating a firm commitment to the very highest quality sound recording.

Easy On Hold is a producer of voice announcements and music on hold messages for phone systems, marketing messages, voiceovers, radio and tv spots, narrations, IVR, auto attendant, overhead announcements, web voiceovers, and voice recordings for flash, video, online and Power Point presentations.

Can Your Message On Hold Company Be Green? 10 Ways We Are.

A recent blog post at AutoMPG.org gets it right when they say:

Message on hold is one of the most cost effective methods of communicating a company’s marketing message to its customers and prospective customers, and it works.  But messages on hold can also be one of the most environmentally friendly forms of advertising there is.

Here’s how Easy On Hold is helping:

1)  We offer message and music on hold players that are managed over the Internet. See information about the iProMOH by Interalia on our site. If you’re managing multiple locations, this type of unit will save you from driving from location to location to maintain and update. Messages are transmitted from the Easy On Hold studio directly to the unit.

2)  Internet delivery of music on hold messages means removable media need not be shipped.

3)  Cassettes and CDs are disposable.We can keep these from landfills.

4) Cassette and CD packaging can be eliminated, saving paper and plastic.

5) CDs are petroleum-based products. Eco Facts – It takes an estimated 300 cubic feet of natural gas, two cups of crude oil and 24 gallons of water to make a pound of plastic, which is enough for 30 CDs. Further, it’s estimated that it will take over 1 million years for a CD to completely decompose in a landfill. [Source - Back Thru The Future, a New Jersey-based company that recycles electronic devices.]

6) Easy On Hold’s music library is updated and delivered electronically. We do not purchase CDs for the reasons described above.

7) Easy On Hold is now paperless. Our new client scripting service is 100% online. Our writers, producers and clients can easily log in and write scripts that can be stored and produced digitally.

8)  Our message-on-hold systems do not use batteries. Easy On Hold recommends the use of a professional music on hold player, rather than an “i-pod” type player that utilizes a battery. We definitely discourage the use of all types of batteries.  Kate Krebs of the national Recycling Coalition states, “Lithium Ion batteries are classified by the federal government as non-hazardous waste and are safe for disposal in the normal municipal waste stream.” Most other types of batteries include toxic metals such as cadmium. [Source: Computer World] Why use a product that creates waste?

9)  AutoMPG.org points out that on hold messaging players may use about 1/50th the energy of a standard light bulb. That’s efficient.

10)  Of course, using available “on-hold” time allows you to talk about ways your company is environmentally sensitive–an issue that is increasingly influencing buying decisions. Contact Easy On Hold for help with a custom music message on hold.

How To Use Your Hold Button

Before you say, “I already know how to use my hold button“, let me ask you about the time YOU spend on hold. Can you think of some “on-hold time” you’ve experienced lately that was painfully awful? Yea, me too. Obviously, plenty of businesses don’t have the hold button thing figured out.

One guy I found has been recording terrible-sounding hold messages and music on his iPhone. Neatorama Blog writes, “Clearly, I spend a lot of my life on hold, as this short list represents only half the total I recorded over the course of the last year.” You can visit the blog and hear samples of actual music on hold messages.

Here are a few steps you can take today to best use that little red button that makes so many people angry.

1. Who is calling? Rule number one in marketing and PR is, “know your audience”. By profiling the callers, you’ll get a picture of who you have on the line, what it would cost to lose them and the potential they hold for boosting your bottom line.
2. How long are your hold times? Be honest. Managers say, “we don’t really keep people on hold”, but would your callers agree? Unless you’re operating a sophisticated call center, you really don’t know exactly how long your hold times are. Make the effort to nail down whether your hold times are 10 seconds or 50 or 60 seconds. While we all want shorter hold times, it pays to utilize the time callers are waiting on hold. Shorter hold times allow for short, meaty announcements, while longer hold times allow you to go into a bit more detail in your on hold message.
3. What is the desired outcome of the call? Are callers looking to make a purchase? Check on delivery times? Make an appointment? What are their concerns? Work with a music on hold expert to develop targeted messages that provide the best possible outcomes.
4. Get a free message on hold demo. By working with a qualified music on hold production team, you’ll be able to test your hunches about what callers want to hear. Share the demo with the people who answer phones at your company; get input; work closely with the production director who manages your script changes.

There’s a lot more to using your hold button than just pushing HOLD. Your hold button is a tool. Put it to good use!