Tag Archives: Tips For Music On Hold Buyers

Repetitive Marketing Is Effective Marketing

Posted on by

There’s an old-school on-hold marketing approach that says, “load up that script with all the content you can dream up. Throw everything in it–including the kitchen sink!”

I cringe when I work with a client with that kind of thinking because what they don’t understand is that repetitive marketing is effective marketing. One-size-fits-all marketing falls flat. A script that tries to cover too much ground is like throwing mud at a wall and seeing what sticks; a little bit does, but the rest just slowly falls to the ground leaving behind a real mess.

On hold marketing works best when you limit your message to a single idea, and resell it over and over by writing each paragraph a bit differently.

For example:

A plastic surgery/facial rejuvenation office would like to entice prospects and customers to try something new, using a “special offer”. Old school on hold would work one paragraph about the special into a laundry list of other paragraphs (hours, the facility, the dermatologist, the new this, the new that). Of course those are all good things, but if building business is the goal, then why only mention the promotions once? It’s a bit like playing Russian roulette with your most important message.

My preference would be to write 5-6 different paragraphs about the same promotion, but in the first paragraph, briefly mention the convenient hours for booking your new procedure at that special price. The next paragraph would indeed mention the new modern facility where you’ll be getting your new procedure done–at that special price! Then talk about the dermatologist who will be providing your new procedure–at that special price, and so on.

The repetitive message doesn’t get missed with any of your callers.

“But I don’t run specials,” you say. “I do want my callers to hear a variety of ideas; I’m okay with that.”

Yes, I understand that not all companies are alike, and your goal may not be as sales-driven as the example above. But keep this in mind: Hold time really is most effective for you when you answer the question, “What do I want my callers to do with the information they’re receiving while on hold?” Without a call to action, you simply have a dull brochure that’s all about you, not the caller.

Once you’ve decided what action your callers can take to receive maximum value, don’t bury it. Get it out front and repeat, repeat.

With the Easy On Hold Anytime Plan, you have the freedom to keep your message very targeted…and if you’re using one of our internet-load players, you can have us add or remove content based on specific dates which we program into your unit. Perfect for time-sensitive promotions.

Our scriptwriters are ready to help you bring a more targeted focus to your scripts. Just let us know, and we’ll be happy to help provide ideas.

Share

How To Connect A Music On Hold Message Player

Posted on by

Is music on hold installation a do-it-yourself project? It might be as easy as plugging in an audio cable. Here’s what you need to know.

THIS REPORT APPLIES TO: Connecting a professional music on hold player to an MOH input on a PBX or KEY style phone system. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO: Off-site or hosted PBX systems, non-PBX or KSU-less phone systems (i.e., ordinary office phones purchased at electronics or office supply store).

AUDIO TRAVELS FROM MUSIC ON HOLD PLAYER INTO PHONE SYSTEM
First, let’s take a look at the “big picture”. Audio is played continuously from the music on hold player. The sound travels from the AUDIO OUTPUT over the audio CABLE to the MOH INPUT on your phone system.

8 OHMS OR 600 OHMS? WHY TWO OUTPUTS? On the back of your music on hold player are two connections labeled AUDIO OUT. The 600-Ohm output is intended for telephone systems. (If your particular situation needs a louder signal, you may use the 8-Ohm output without harming your equipment.)

The 8-ohm output is appropriate for sound amplification systems, such as public address systems used by museums and amusement parks.

RCA CONNECTOR
Introduced by the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) this plug is also known as cinch/av or phono (a term meaning phonograph, but too easily confused with phone, as in telephone). All professional music on hold players sold by Easy On Hold use an RCA connection for the audio output.

 

 

REPLACING RADIO OR CD PLAYER

If you are replacing an in-use audio source such as a radio or CD player with

 

your new professional music on hold player, remove the connection from the player and adapt the plug to RCA.
Adapters are inexpensive and easily found at electronic stores, or by calling Easy On Hold at 1-888-798-HOLD (4653). Shown: RadioShack 274-871.

NO PLUG AT ALL?

Perhaps your telephone technician connected wires for music on hold directly into your telephone system. Try connecting an RCA plug on the end for the music source.
A “punch-down block” is a device for attaching wires to phone systems. Your telephone technician may need to attach the on hold playback device there. A telephone technician using the proper tools will be required if changes to the punch-down block or any other part of your phone system are needed. Do not tamper with your phone system’s punch-down block.

TIPS & TRICKS

  • Never force a 3.5mm (mini-plug) into an RCA receptacle. Once the inside of the receptacle is bent, the correct plug will no longer make the connection.Never plug an audio cable into a power receptacle. To be sure, plug in the AC power adapter first and see that there is power to the unit.
  • Some on hold audio players come with a speaker button. Is the unit putting out sound? If so, turn the volume to 50% and call in. Once on-hold you can adjust the volume.
  • If the audio seems to get faint or fade in and out, try more volume. Some phone systems have an anti-noise filter that will try to turn off the hold music unless a certain volume threshold is reached.
  • If the audio is intermittent, check the connections at the player and the MOH input to be certain they are secure.
  • All wiring must be insulated. Old audio cables may need to be replaced. Message on hold players purchased from Easy On Hold include one RCA-to-RCA cable and one RCA-to-3.5mm adapter plug for use with 3.5mm telephone system MOH input receptacles.
  • Cell phone signals often distort or warp music on hold. Call in using a land-line for the clearest test signal.
  • Callers hear the music on hold message in progress, not from the start. The player repeats the audio production over and over.
  • There is no need to turn the music on hold player off. It is designed to play 24/7.
  • A support ticket can be submitted online at www.easyonhold.com/support.

Get the full report: Connecting_Music_On_Hold_Message_Player_Equipment-Easy_On_Hold_Whitepaper.pdf

 

Share

Panasonic 2-Line, 4-Line Phones And Support

Posted on by

For small offices using ordinary phone lines, Panasonic makes a few business-friendly phone models of note. Setting up these phones can be tricky when you’re dealing with multiple lines and handsets, voice mail, auto attendant, etc.  This post will point out some features that you’ll find, and point you toward support options.

KX-TG9391T

Panasonic KX-TG9391T Phone – Can be used with music on hold adapter.

Attention! Do not use the built-in message on hold offered with some phone models. We’ve heard several complaints about the poor quality and lack of memory. Use only licensed music through a music on hold dealer, such as Easy On Hold.

The Panasonic KXTG9391T overcomes many of the drawbacks that have been associated with wireless telephones. It is a 2-Line phone with a wired base and wireless handsets. In addition, it can be paired with a music on hold adapter that allows phone hold music activation by pressing the hold button.

Features:

  • KXTG9392T comes with 2 wireless handsets
  • KXTG9391T comes with 1 wireless handset
  • Accepts 2 incoming lines
  • One year manufacturer’s warranty
  • Includes one corded base and one cordless handset with its own charger cradle
  • Expandable: add up to a total of 6 wireless extensions
  • 30% battery life increase over 5.8ghz models, such as the KXTG4500B
  • 40-minute digital answering system
  • Night mode ringer
  • Program each handset to ring when you want
  • Both the base and speakerphone function as hands-free speakerphones
  • 3-Line Backlit LCD Display
  • Backlit Keypad
  • 3-Way Conferencing
  • Number Caller ID Memory
  • Message Waiting Indicator
  • Adjustable Ringer / Volume Control
  • Handset to Base / Handset Intercom
  • Call Transfer
  • Handset Locator / Paging
  • Date / Time Display
  • Clock & Alarm
  • Hold button – only activates hold music when paired with Skutch Electronics CK1P-6 Adapter

If you need 4 Lines, the Panasonic KX TG4500B makes strides toward PBX-style features in an ordinary phone system. (Video) There can be a time-consuming set up for

Panasonic KX TD824

Panasonic KX TD824 is a hybrid system. It mimics features found in PBX phone systems at a lower cost.

any of these smarter, programmable phone systems.

The alternative is to move up to a Hybrid phone system, such as the KX TD 824. (Brochure) The Hybrid system does not require a music on hold adapter. Most of the benefits of a PBX style phone system can be achieved with a hybrid system, usually at $600 to $1500 (depending on number of lines, extensions, used or new, etc.).

Getting Help

While Panasonic does have a complete support site with live chat and documents, multi-line phone support is only achieved via telephone. Panasonic Multi Line Telephone Unit support: 9am to 9pm weekdays: 800-211-7262.

Using a good-quality office phone is important, when you consider that a majority of business dealings involve phone calls. AT&T reports that only 3 out of every 10 calls get through without on-hold time, so having a plan for what callers on hold will hear while waiting is essential. Most small office phones, including the Panasonic KXTG9391T, KXTG9392T, and KXTG4500B do not have the capability to play music or messages on hold. With Easy On Hold working with you, however, a professional on hold music and message can be added using an adapter made for your specific phone device.

Share

Dental Practices: Branding Includes Messages On Hold

Posted on by

Attention Dental and Orthodontic offices! Here are some branding tips.

First of all, why brand your practice? Dr. Roger P. Levin, D.D.S. says:

Branding brings new patients to your door by clearly positioning your practice as a specific type of service provider. If branding efforts are successful, your practice will see many more new patients, allowing you and the dental team to educate and motivate them to become long-term patients.

Dr. Levin mentions the importance of having a consistent message. Branding is not a single event. It takes repetition and consistency. Don’t be a moving target. Become a bit predictable with your message, to make sure it sinks in. Some areas to consider, according to Dr. Levin: staff scripting, business cards, brochures, website, social media, direct mail, posters, signage, and on-hold messages. The key factors in branding: patience and a consistent message.

When a patient calls, you have two touch-points to consider: The way the phone is answered and what the caller hears while on hold. A potential third touch-point is the possibility that the phone is answered by an auto attendant (either because staff is busy or the caller has reached you after hours).

Our client, Dr. Stella uses on hold time to promote his “fun” theme to appeal to families with children…

Say goodbye to “ouch!” At Dr. Stella’s Funtastic Dental and Orthodontics we do EVERYTHING possible to make sure you don’t feel a thing. From the almost 100% pain-free injections with computer assisted numbing to our special micro drill that allows you to have your small & medium-sized cavities fixed comfortably, and most often without need for anesthetics!-No Shots!!! If your kids don’t beg to come back, it’s FREE! Visit our website at www.FuntasticDental.com for more details.

Oshtemo Family Dentistry is a practice that does a great job of promoting their website. The goal is to brand the practice as an “educating” practice. When callers are placed on hold, they hear…

Our dentists are experts when it comes to your teeth. But it also helps for you to know how to properly care for them. Be sure to visit our website, Oshtemo family dentistry dot com, and click on the “Patient Education” link for information on a wide variety of topics pertaining to oral health. That’s o-s-h-t-e-m-o family dentistry dot com. Thank you again for calling.

If this were your practice, how else might you “educate”? Informational emails? Articles and fliers in-office? Posters? Quizzes and prizes on Facebook?

Finally, remember to consider the entire patient experience as a branding opportunity. What does the customer hear, see and smell when he or she enters your practice? Dr. Susan Shiffman, a professor of psychology at Duke University Medical School in North Carolina, has been using chocolate and apricot aromas to help reduce anxiety in her patients.

“We wanted to set a new standard with our dental care facility… And the music is great!” – Charles M. Trauring, D.M.D. President And CEO, Duke University Medical School.

The background music and scent is offered through dmx. Talk to your Easy On Hold representative for information about commercial-free overhead music in your practice and the new scent technology.

Share

iPod Not The Best Choice For Music On Hold

Posted on by

A caller to Easy On Hold asked for some tips on plugging in his iPod to play music on hold on his phone system. It can be done, but that’s not to say it is a good idea.Portable mp3 players are great for personal listening, but these music machines are not built for 24/7 music on hold playback. Here are a few reasons why we recommend against using your iPod for on hold music playback.

Continuous use of your iPod may void the warranty.
Since the warranty explicitly states that the product is not made to be used continuously (“uninterrupted”), any damage from such use is not warranted.The following is directly from the Apple Warranty on iPod products:

Apple does not warrant that the operation of the product will be uninterrupted or error-free. Apple is not responsible for damage arising from failure to follow instructions relating to the product’s use. This warranty does not apply: (a) to damage caused by use with non-Apple products; (b) to damage caused by accident, abuse, misuse, flood, fire, earthquake or other external causes; (c) to damage caused by operating the product outside the permitted or intended uses described by Apple; workmanship; or (g) if any Apple serial number has been removed or defaced.

Low-level output may be inadequate.
Because the iPod is built to conserve battery power, the audio output is configured for use with high-efficiency headphones. This low-power output is not made to match the impedance of a telephone system.

The iPod will need to be reset if it loses power.
An iPod will not restart in the case of power loss; someone will need to remember to restart the iPod.

An iPod makes a tempting target.
The popularity and universal usability of the iPod makes it a frequent target for theft. Due to the small size, someone could easily walk off with it.

Lithium batteries are not meant for 24/7 charge cycles.
The battery life of an iPod varies by model and allows for a limited number of battery charges (“cycles”) before the battery needs to be replaced by an Apple store or representative. A USB Power Adapter can be purchased from Apple for an additional charge, however this type of audio player is not intended for use in a 24 hour, 7 day rotation.

From the Apple Support Website
Charging your iPod, iPod Nano or iPod shuffle while in certain carrying cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice your iPod gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.

From The Seattle Times
March, 2008 — Japan is investigating a possible defect in Apple’s iPod after one of the popular digital-music players reportedly shot out sparks while recharging, a government official said Wednesday. An official at the trade and economy ministry, which oversees product problems, said a defect is suspected in the lithium-ion battery in the iPod Nano. See article.

From Fortune Magazine
March 2008—After researching Japan’s investigation of an iPod Nano that caught fire, Fortune Magazine found the following entry on an apple comment board: “Is there something wrong with the battery they put on the first gen iPod Nano? Mine just got blown to pieces. I was just charging it on my Laptop then it suddenly sparks and it caught fire. Even the clicking wheel got melted and the back of the iPod split open.”  See article.

From WSBT-TV
Lock, stock and two smoking iPods! Atlanta man burning mad! “I’m still kind of freaked out that after only a year and a half my iPod caught fire in my pocket,” said Williams. The iPod uses a lithium ion battery — the same type of battery under recall for setting laptops on fire. See report.

From PC World
It’s now against federal regulations for passengers on U.S. flights to pack spare lithium batteries. The new regulations are intended to reduce the risk of aircraft fires.

Share

7 Tips For Choosing a Music Message On Hold Provider

Posted on by

You’ve decided to take care of the “hold button problem”–you know, that silence or fuzzy radio that callers endure while waiting for someone to come back on the line. Now you need to choose a music on hold provider. Here are 7 quick tips–things to watch out for when shopping messages on hold.

1. CONTRACT OR NO CONTRACT?
There are services with ongoing contract payments and there are “buyout” message-on-hold providers. If you want to own your equipment and messages, mention this up front. If you simply want to pay a monthly fee for complete service (equipment, message changes, scripting) then remember that there will be a time limit on the use of the messages. At the end of the contract you have silence on hold once again.

Monthly Model
You may look at your messaging on hold as a “utility” or ongoing service, so you’re thinking of paying a simple monthly fee (like you would your cable tv bill). That can be accomplished, but look carefully at what you’re getting. Ask about whether the entire audio production can be changed, or whether just a few paragraphs can be altered. Can you change the music at any time?

Buyout Model
We often hear, “I paid every month and never changed my message”. Buyers who feel trapped by a monthly contract are looking for a pay-once play-forever model. A buyout means you may play the message on hold as long as you like, with no obligation to buy again. If you purchase 4 complete productions, for example, you can use them in 12 months, 20 months, 36 months or more.

2. WHAT IS A MESSAGE?
Some companies call a short paragraph a “message” or “commercial”, then they say you’ll get 8 messages. This means you get one on hold production containing 8 paragraphs of copy. Often a “message” refers to a self-contained 4-minute production that will loop continuously. Ask about word count. How many words will I get in my script? How many unique scripts?

Questions To Ask

  • Are we talking about a 4-minute message?
  • What is the word-count?
  • How many unique 4-minute messages will I get?

3. DO YOU NEED AN EXTERNAL MUSIC ON HOLD PLAYER?
First, do you need equipment? If you have had music-on-hold on your current phone system, state this to your prospective supplier; it may keep you from paying for unnecessary equipment.

Internal/VOIP
Your phone system may allow messages to be entered into an internal memory, in which case you may not need any equipment at all. Most VOIP off-site or “hosted” systems allow you to upload a file to the system.

2-4 Line Ordinary Phones
You might have a 2 or 4 line phone you purchased at an office supply store. These types of phones cannot play music on hold without the help of a special adapter that allows music to be piped into the phone line.

Avoid Consumer Grade Players
We recommend against the use a consumer-grade audio player in place of a professional message on hold player. Lithium batteries should never be plugged in day after day. The idea of a message on hold player is that it repeats 24/7 so any time a caller is placed on hold, your message will play.

MARKETING, GREETINGS OR JUST MUSIC?

Marketing
Consider who is calling. If you are doing business on the phone, then a marketing message may be ideal. You’ve got a captive audience of potential buyers at a critical moment. They’re already connecting with you, so phone on hold is a great time to insert your current specials, announcements, image enhancers, etc.

Greetings
A mostly-music message can include a few short spoken statemetns. For decades, callers have been hearing “thank you for calling” or generic messages on hold. These are predictable, but friendly statements that can add a human voice to the waiting-on-hold experience. Consider a custom greeting that includes your company name, to make the message more personal.

Just Music
Knowing how long your hold times are, and who is calling will help determine what content is appropriate. Companies with callers that are “internal” or “departmental” won’t need a marketing message, so just music will do. Extremely long hold times may call for mostly or all music.

HOW OFTEN WILL YOU CHANGE YOUR MESSAGE?
If you do go with a marketing message, then you will want to consider keeping it fresh over time. The on-hold message industry calls message changes “updates”. If you have a seasonal business, or if you hold monthly webinars, events and shows, you should ask for pricing on a package of custom hold messages. You may also find a plan that allows unlimited message changes over the course of a year. Easy On Hold offers an “Anytime Plan” for a flat annual fee. This can reduce the per-production cost considerably. You may be interested in a smaller package of 2 or 4 unique productions. Easy On Hold offers packages of 2 to 4 on-hold productions that “roll over” (like unused cell phone minutes that never expire).

BEWARE OF UNNECESSARY INSTALLATION AND SETUP FEES
Chances are, you can plug the message on hold equipment in yourself. If you have never had music on hold playing on your phone system, you can place a call to your system installer and ask about the MOH INPUT, which may be as easy as plugging in one cord. Installation may be best handled by your I.T. department, your phone installer or an outsourced technician.

REQUEST A CUSTOM DEMO
Typically, message on hold providers will play an audio sample of messages on hold they’ve produced for other businesses. That’s fine, but it doesn’t really show you what they’ll do for you. Will you get the same voiceover/announcer, script quality, production quality, etc. as the sample? The only way to know for sure is to discuss your business with a music on hold producer. Let them take a couple of days to write up a short script–about your business. (Free music message on hold demo.) Listen to the voiceover for your actual production. Listen to how the music works with the voice. You don’t need to be completely satisfied, as the script can be modified, the music can be changed, etc., but the demo should tell you if the producer “gets” your business. Also, consider how the production process was handled. Were deadlines met? Did the script speak to the caller, or was it all fluff and corporate-speak? Don’t let the script writer get away with using a boring template.

Share