Call it “making lemonade from lemons” or call it “smart business”. Whatever you call it, you’d be well-served by giving appropriate valuation to the time spent on-hold by callers to your telephone system. Businesses pay substantial advertising dollars to “get the ear” of others. When a caller is on-hold with you, you have their ear. It’s a big mistake to underestimate the importance of this fact. This is particularly true in light of the prominent role telephone communications plays in contemporary culture.

The reality is that the telephone has become so much a part of our lives that it often seems like a virtual appendage of some people’s bodies. To emphasize the point, the next time you’re out and about driving around town, take note of how many other drivers you see who are talking on their cell phones. (You may want to hang up your own phone first before doing this, as you can only concentrate on so many things at a time.)

I remember a time when the thought of a day in the not too distant future when the average driver on the road would actually have a pocket-sized wireless telephone with them in the car would sound like something straight out of a science fiction movie. I think most of us back then, upon hearing such a notion, would envision people trying to drive while holding some typical telephone of the time such as a big, clunky desk phone. (I actually worked with a fellow who did exactly that in the early 1980’s when I was a radio traffic reporter. One of the veteran reporters somehow had a real, sure ‘nough, working “car phone”, i.e., a desk phone attached to a radio transmitter in his trunk! The rest of us had to transmit our traffic reports to “base” via conventional 2-way radios, but this exalted one actually called in his reports over his car phone. Mind blowing! How he ever came to be in possession of, what for the time was such absolutely incredible technology, I never found out. Then there was the guy at my high school whose father was a millionaire and was reputed to have a wireless telephone installed in his Ferrari. I was sure he knew James Bond personally.) Even in those days there was a well-established, widespread love of and obsession with the telephone, but we had little idea of what was coming just around the corner.

My point is, we spend a lot of time on the telephone. Too much time, I would argue. In fact, I would go so far as to suggest that society as a whole might benefit if some folks had their cell phones surgically removed from the sides of their heads. (According to “statistics”, the average person spends 40 minutes per day/20 hours per month/10 days per year/2 years in a lifetime on the phone. The portion of that time spent on-hold is, reportedly, 17 minutes per day/8.6 hours per month/4.3 days per year/330 days in a lifetime.) At any rate, for people calling into your telephone system, whether they spend a portion of that call on-hold or not, their call to you is just one of many they will make that day. For most people, time spent on the telephone, on-hold or otherwise, is, arguably taken so much for granted that the typical person on a telephone call may be somewhat oblivious to the fact that they are communicating via telephonic technology. During the portion of a call in which they are on-hold their “in-the-moment quotient” is likely even lower. With the right approach, “on-hold” can be positive and productive – for your callers and for you, as well.

No matter how you slice it, there’s just no free lunch. Take the case of technology, for example. Modern, computer-based, digital technology in particular. I remember just short of a couple of decades ago when we all began to be sold like never before on the marvelous ways technology was going to improve our lives. Personal computers, cell phones, etc., were going to increase our efficiency so much that we’d all get our work done in half the time and have more time to enjoy life and the things that matter, such as friends and family. While it would be tough to deny that the list of things we can now do with computers, the internet, cell phones, pda’s, etc. is so long and so impressive that it would have sounded like sheer science fiction just a few years ago, the problem is that the more technological capabilities we have the more things we discover that we can do or think we need to do or want to do or to try to do with that technology. I am not aware of anyone talking about all the extra time they now have on their hands thanks to modern technology. If anything, it seems to be the opposite.

In today’s world of on-hold messaging there is a wide range of “telephone on hold music players” to add to your phone system. Thanks to all the new technology, no longer are you limited to either locking into an over-priced, poorly serviced, long-term contractual relationship with Muzak, or, playing your competitors’ radio ads into your phone system for the listening pleasure of your on-hold customers. The good news is that you have a lot more options to choose from. The downside? There’s a lot more information to wade through and homework to do to determine exactly what you want, how to hook it up to your phone system, how to use it, what the legal ramifications and issues are of playing music produced by someone else, and more. While there is no free lunch, there is a silver lining in that all of this has created a business niche that has been filled very effectively by companies like Holdtime Studios, where custom-written messages, broadcast quality fully licensed music beds, professional audio production, equipment selection and installation, and system and message updating and maintenance are all included in the service. The only downside that I can think of to this picture is that there is a fee involved, but the amount is so small that it’s not really much of a downside at all, especially in light of all of the benefits.

Making Plans for Music On-Hold?
Remember: People do Business with People

The statement “people do business with people” is much more than a truism.  ‘Worth their salt” business people keep the truth expressed by these words ever in mind.  Consideration of the converse of this principle can be helpful as well:  “People don’t do business with… anything but other people.”  Or at least, not if they can help it.  Think about you own experience.  Haven’t you ever felt like exclaiming, “Thank God!  A real-live person…!” after an interminable and exasperating time of waiting and working your way through the auto-attendant or phone-tree of some “monster-mega” corporation, government agency, etc.  And, miracle of miracles, what about the elated relief that courses through you when the human on the other end of the line (A) speaks proper English (B) is reasonably well-educated (C) is knowledgeable and conversant regarding your reason for calling (D) has a positive and constructive attitude and doesn’t treat you like an annoying interruption.  I.e., they are ready, willing, and able to help you.  What a concept!

In your provisions for music on hold, messages on hold, etc., think of how you can make the most of your customers’ wait time with well-written scripts that have a “human touch” – so that when they come off hold your callers don’t feel as if they’ve just been rescued from some desert island.  Here’s a paragraph Holdtime Studios just submitted to their newest client, Boise Vision Care:

“Care… It’s in our name, and all we do.  Your call is ringing in today to Boise Vision Care.  We’ll keep your time on hold as brief as possible, and if you happen to be online, you can also connect with us at “BOISE VISION CARE DOT COM”.  Thanks for holding.  We’re wrapping up with our other patients right now to answer your call as quickly as possible.”

As a general rule, the smaller the business, the greater the number of hats management needs to wear. There’s administration, legal, operations, production, fulfillment, customer service, website, internet and computer systems, telecom, tech-support, sales and marketing, just for starters. In the marketing category, there are the various marketing channels – print, radio, tv, web, etc. Oh, yes, there’s also your on-hold music and messaging. Or does that come under telecom? So many things to think about!

If you’ve been putting off adding on-hold messaging – or upgrading your existing on-hold messaging – because you think it’s too “technical”, hopefully this post will help encourage you to pull this project off the back burner and get it handled so you can check it off your to-do list. On-hold messaging is a low-cost, easily implemented, and surprisingly effective marketing channel that allows you to reach a warm market with targeted, timely messages. Don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you from taking advantage of this strategic tool.

Whether you’re considering hiring a professional service such as Holdtime Studios or supplying your own music and or message you’ll still need to add a little bit of equipment to your phone system. Holdtime Studios has a range of options in on-hold music and message players for whatever your application all of which are available at a surprisingly low cost. Alternatives you’ll purchase on your own also come in a range of affordable price points and are widely available. Either way, you should have no trouble finding an on-hold music or message player, regardless of your telephone system. Most of these players are fairly easy to install and easy to use. Lower end phone systems such as those sold at office supply stores may require a little bit of extra adaptation in the form, typically, of one or two small devices plugged “in-line” between the telephone and the player. Don’t let this intimidate you; probably the most “technical” thing you’ll do is read the directions and make sure you plug these little units into each other in the right sequence. I.e., you’re not doing any “wiring”, you’re just plugging things together like tinker toys. (Do they still make those?)

Then, of course, there is the issue of the actual music or message you play on your on-hold music player. Obviously, the more professionally it is produced, the better the image you will project to your customers. In addition to selling hold music/message players, Holdtime Studios provides their clients with a professional grade of audio recording, music, and production for their on-hold messages. What’s more, they also employ professional, creative writers to custom-craft each one of their on-hold scripts. If you assume such a service is outside your budget, you owe it to yourself to look into it before ruling it out. You just might be pleasantly surprised at how affordable – and cost-effective – it is to let Holdtime Studios wear this hat for you.

In this post we take a break from our considerations of the strategic application of music and message to look at the issue of your choice in an on-hold music and messaging provider.

Muzak has earned a dubious reputation over the years with both the public in general and, apparently, with some of their customers as well. The typical impression most people seem to have of “muzak” is “that insipid, vapid, annoying background sound in the air (regardless of whether or not Muzak actually produced it) on elevators, in restaurants, in hotel lobbies and doctors’ offices, and, while waiting interminably on-hold calling one’s favorite mega-corporation.” Rock music legend, Ted Nugent, was at one time reputed to have attempted to buy Muzak for $10 million “…just for the pleasure of erasing the tapes”.

Nowadays there are options in the world of on-hold music and messaging, however this may not yet be common knowledge. Could it be that Muzak took for granted the popular perception of their being the only game in town? In addition to being infamous for a product most people seem to think of as a joke, albeit the “only” joke, in February of this year Muzak made the news when it filed bankruptcy. Perhaps the apparent scarcity of competition led to a lack of motivation and consequently lax business management in various areas, such as customer service.

Holdtime Music has heard complaints of poor customer service and “vindictive five year contracts” more than once in discussions with local Muzak customers exploring their options. If on-hold music and messaging were “just muzak”, these issues might not warrant a second thought.
Given the potential, however, of on-hold technologies for reaching a warm market with fresh, targeted messages such neglect does not make good business sense. Muzak’s seemingly cavalier attitude has created a wide-open opportunity for competitors such as Holdtime, small though they may be, to pick up valuable market share through no-brainer strategies including realistic contracts, aggressive pricing, and customer-focused customer service. Add to that mix, thoughtful, well-written, custom on-hold productions, and the general public, not to mention Muzak, may soon be in for a paradigm shift.

A friend of mine is the director of a school for the arts that specializes in “unlocking the creative energy and talent in those who are right-brained and who wish to pursue the arts”. She has also written a book on understanding right-brain intelligence and gifting. On the frontispiece, she quotes Albert Einstein, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.”

It takes all types of people to “make the world go ‘round”, and the business world is no exception. “Right-brain creatives”, “left-brain rationalists”, and everyone in-between seem to have their place. While some people may be more strongly disposed toward one or the other way of seeing the world, most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle. None of us is entirely devoid of the alternate thinking style; even the most logic-driven analysts have emotions and some capacity for appreciating the “whimsical”, all of their “rational” denial notwithstanding. Conversely, even the most fanciful “artiste” possesses some sense of logic, dormant though it may be. Chances are, you have a varied mix of “types” calling your business or organization on the telephone every day. Your music and messages on-hold are the perfect vehicle for reaching this diverse audience.

Music appeals to the emotions. Messages – i.e. words – are capable of moving in areas of rational precision and specificity from which music and emotions seem forever barred. At the same time, words can appeal to the emotions as well. In fact, both music and words can impact the emotions in ways the other cannot. Curiously, the actual structure of music is packed full of logic and mathematics, even as its end result can be a mysterious, almost magical manipulation of the emotions or the opening of doors into other worlds of the imagination. Together, music and words (messages) are powerful tools you can easily use to impact the people who call you while they are waiting on hold.

In our last post, we met Jane Doe. Jane (you’re familiar with her brother, John) hails from the famous “Doe” family, long-renowned in the business world for their exceptional business acumen and discernment. Jane has little patience for either poor customer service or cheesy phone hold music. This post continues exploring how you can make better use of your phone hold music to win the “Jane Doe’s” out there as loyal customers.

For many business people, it seems that “phone hold music” – aka “music on hold”, “on-hold messaging”, “messages on hold”, etc. – is little more than an afterthought – i.e., a necessary but trivial requirement on the level of pencil sharpeners, potted plants, or paper towel dispensers in the bathroom. I.e., it’s just one of the “etcetera”. The perception of the public at large with regard to the modern business phenomenon of “phone hold music” may not matter much. Your perception is, arguably, another matter for the simple reason that you may be wasting a potentially powerful, low-cost, and easily employed means of communicating with, educating, and motivating your customers to do business with you. If so, you might want to consider the value of undergoing a self-imposed paradigm shift on this subject.

If you think the only purpose of your phone hold music is to entertain – to help keep your customers from becoming so bored and irritated while waiting on hold that they hang up – you’re missing the boat. Obviously phone hold music can fill in the empty silence. It can also, however, be a great deal more than just “filler”. Regardless of your industry, your customers are individuals – whether they are calling on their own personal behalf, as representatives of a company, or whatever. They not only have unique needs, they may be at different stages in the buying process, or, they may have already purchased and be calling with a service issue, a question, or a complaint. They may be long-time, repeat customers or they might be just “window shopping”.

Regardless, every caller is a future customer. What’s more, there is, generally, no guarantee that a current customer cannot be lost. Moreover, theoretically at least, every customer can potentially be a candidate for additional products or services. It is up to you to “broaden their horizons” by educating them with regard to your product line, suite of services, etc. While they’re on hold, you could describe your sales and fulfillment processes, let them know what they can do to streamline things, and tell them how they can help you help them. You can share the creative ways other customers have made use of your products. Plant the seeds of new ideas. Help them think “outside the box”.

As for the “entertainment value” of your phone hold music, why not bump that up a notch while you’re at it? Instead of “cheesy hold music”, delight with relevant but amusing trivia. Or, engage in some endearing anecdotes or share a notable bit of customer feedback or something your business has done to contribute to the community. “People do business with people”. By the time “Jane Doe” finishes her time on hold she will, if you have made good use of your phone hold music, have undergone something of a transformation into a customer that is better informed about who you are, what you do, how you do it, how she will benefit, and why she might want do business with you.

Something is sometimes better than nothing, but not always. Take the case of “free hold music”, or any kind of “free” onhold messaging your company or organization might be considering. Sure, it’s fair to say that, in theory, it’s far better to have something playing for your callers who are “on hold” – some kind of music, or verbal message, or combination of the two. Almost anything but dead silence. No question. Statistics and common sense back this up.

It’s easy to imagine exceptions to this generality, however. For example, if the quality of your audio is bad it can project an unprofessional, even fly-by-night image. As organizations with unprofessional, low-quality onhold messaging or music become more rare, the detrimental imaging suffered by those who have not yet modernized their callers’ onhold experience becomes potentially that much greater. I know that when I find myself on hold nowadays and subjected to bad audio, and/or cheesy music, and/or poorly written announcements, the experience seems anachronistic, and, even more comical than it used to twenty or thirty years ago! (Search for “worst hold music ever” at YouTube for a humorous response to one particularly egregious example of “cheesy hold music”.)

True, you might save a few bucks on the front end by doing your on hold music or message “on the cheap”, but as with all of your other marketing and imaging tools, you get what you pay for. Especially in an economy like this one, when it comes to your ability to compete and survive, your image really is everything, and your image is potentially threatened by any weak links in the chain. Bottom line, if you do decide to find some source of free music to play on hold, or to write and produce your own on hold messages, you had better be prepared to put the time, effort, and energy into the research and education necessary to ensure that you are not shooting yourself in the foot. A better, more cost-effective option might be to avail yourself of a service who specializes in on hold music and messaging and who has the expertise and experience to deal with technical and equipment issues, writing and production, and regularly scheduled refreshing and updating of your messages, as well as covering all legal and copyright infringement bases.

What do you think of when you hear the words “on hold”?  I’m going to guess that for most people, the connotations are less than positive.  To put a project “on hold” means to postpone it or block its forward progress.  Typical “on hold” experiences for people calling businesses or organizations on the telephone range from the mildly irritating to the outright maddening.  One of my personal pet peeves is the cognitive dissonance I experience when my “listening pleasure” is interrupted with “Your call will be answered in the order in which it was received” as opposed to a more grammatically correct alternative such as, “Calls are answered in the order in which they are received”, prompting me to shout into the phone, “If you’re going to interrupt that stupid music at least use good grammar!”  But I digress.

Because most businesses need to keep their callers “on hold” for so much of the time, strategies have been developed to minimize the negativity.  Simple, often cheesy “hold music” such as what we might think of as “Muzak” ™ has been widely used, while targeted, custom written and produced messages combined with better quality “hold music” have grown in popularity in recent years.  Fortunately, it’s becoming less common to encounter a business or organization that doesn’t have at least some kind of “hold music” instead of empty silence.  At least you know your call is still connected.

The telephone has played a major role in the world of business almost ever since Alexander Graham Bell’s famous, “Mr. Watson–come here—I want to see you” back in 1876.  Today, evolving technology has dramatically modified the way companies use telephone technology, but its importance remains undiminished.  If anything, telephone communications management may be more critical than ever.

“Face-to-face contact between consumers and businesses has decreased in direct relation to the advancement in communication technology.  Establishing and maintaining consumer-business relationships is now heavily dependent on great service, including fast turnaround times and quality phone contact.”  (Wikipedia)

While most sales managers would cut off their right arm if it meant “getting the phone to ring”, simply getting customers to call is not enough.  What happens next is just as important.

“…85% of consumers would stop doing business with a company based entirely on poor experience with their call management… [2] …Using Messages On Hold has been proven to reduce caller hang ups by 79%.” (ibid)

If your “hold music” project is “on hold”, perhaps it’s time you “take it off the back burner” and learn how to leverage this invaluable tool.

Hold time Studios provides custom, regularly updated music on hold and onhold messaging for a range of business types from financial services to manufacturing to healthcare – and just about everyone in-between. From the professional quality of the finished production to the flexibility to work with most phone systems (including Avaya, Cisco, Panasonic, Mitel, and NEC) to the low cost onhold messaging from Holdtime makes good sense. Why should you consider the benefits of onhold messaging for your company? Let’s use a nautical metaphor to paint the picture…

Sailing the seas of today’s business climate is not for the faint of heart! You need savvy and grit to stay the course. Jumping through all of the legal hoops and clearing the hurdles of red tape and paperwork just to be able to get your “ship” out of the harbor, is only the beginning. Endless challenges await on the open sea. Pirates (commonly referred to as “excessive taxes”) seem to be constantly on the increase plundering and extorting (and beware running aground on “hidden” taxes!) Rival merchants vie for precious customers at every port. Then there’s the cost of equipping and maintaining your ship and crew. If you’re determined to stay the course and not abandon ship, you have to find a way to lighten the load as you leverage the “wind” that drives your ship forward.

Cash flow is the wind in your sails, and the key to cash flow is customers. “Top of mind awareness” could be the “sails” in our analogy. Yes, you may need to cut back on marketing ideas that are not cost effective, but eliminate marketing entirely and you’ll likely find yourself dead in the water. For many reasons, customer retention is often as or more important to cash flow as customer acquisition. Whether for taking care of existing customers or “reeling in” the ones “on the line”, few marketing strategies match the efficiency, flexibility, and cost benefits of onhold messaging. Strategic use of your phone system through onhold messaging could be just what you need to give you the edge to “bring your ship to port”. You can listen to samples of Holdtime’s custom onhold messaging right now at Hold Time Studios.