We increasingly see more customers coming to us with VOIP technology running their phone systems. The VOIP application uses a remotely hosted phone server, with service delivered via the customers internet connection. While our experience has been that this technology is still maturing and not as reliable as a traditional business-class phone system, the music on hold technology that runs it is very stable and straightforward. However, the music on hold marketing technique in VOIP is different in one big way: It does not loop.

When a customer is put on hold in a VOIP/ hosted system the music on hold feed starts at 00:00seconds, and plays until whenever the call is picked up on other end.

[start] Paragraph #1 / music / Paragraph#2 / music / Paragraph #3 / … etc.

In a traditional phone system, the music on hold plays through an external player (usually) that loops about endlessly in a four to six minute track. You never know what paragraphs that are full of information and style about your company are going to be playing. It’s like a home system CD track on “repeat”.

[start?] Paragraph #1 / [start?] music / [start?] Paragraph #2 / [start?] ….

For VOIP/ hosted systems, having the messaging on hold track start at Paragraph #1 every time they call is a mixed blessing.

1. GOOD – Your business can get it’s top priority marketing paragraphs out first to every caller. Lesser priority paragraphs can be placed later in the 4 to six minute production.

2. BAD – If a prospect or customer calls in more than once, they’ll get tired of hearing the same Paragraph #1 all the time.

At www.holdtimestudios.com, we recommend having smaller productions for VOIP / hosted systems, and changing them more often. This makes the music on hold marketing channel much more relevant and dynamic, and doesn’t significantly increase the cost because the overall production and studio is shorter for each paragraph. To us, (4) six-minute productions is the same amount of studio time as (6) three-minute productions.

If you’ve spent thousands on your phone system, you can be sure that callers are going to spend some time on-hold or transferred as they do business with you. Creating an efficient and professional experience is often more important than how your front lobby looks – 80% of business callers will be put on-hold in a given day! Roll out the red carpet for your callers by enhancing these three zones.

1. Zone 1 – Who (or what) is answering the phone? Receptionists and Auto Attendants. See our blog here.
2. Zone 2 – Dynamic marketing: music on hold, or messaging on hold. See our blog here.
3. Zone 3 – Directory and Voice Mail recordings
   1. Directory. Again, it’s important that the voiceover that’s on the Auto-attendant (Zone 1) and onhold messaging (Zone 2) is the same as the Directory recording. It’s sounds professional… a smooth transition to get the caller to their final extension. It doesn’t have to be dry. People appreciate a bit of warmth in the voice prompts, like this: “Here’s a list of extensions for everyone at www.elcon.com. This is a long list, so you may dial the extension as soon as you hear it!….. For John Smith, dial 111, etc….”
      
      

Voice Mail recordings. Most companies want the person that owns the voice mail to do their own recording. It’s personable, and it will be the last prompt your callers here.

Most effective are voice mail messages that are updated frequently with timely information. “You’ve reached the phone of Patrick Bolan with www.holdtimestudios.com. We’re in the studio right now working on Holiday productions… and so our ringing phones are turned off. We are very good at returning phone calls, however, so please leave a message and I’ll return your call promptly.” See? Isn’t that better than “I’m not available right now, so leave a message.” ?

If your phone system was purchased at an office supply store, it’s not going to have a music on hold port to plug a player into. In fact, it may not even have a way to put people on hold. But there are third party adapters that can add this capability to your phone system. Installed correctly, it can be as smooth as a commercial grade phone system.

For commercial grade systems, check out this page  http://www.holdtimestudios.com/phone-system.php.  For office-depot type systems, call us at 800-521-5570 and we’ll point you in the right direction.  Really, searching about the internet is going to be harder than just calling us…

Type #2 – The keystroke

These third-party units manually activate the on-hold music with a keystroke, like #, or by physically pressing a button on the unit itself. It works like an on-off switch.

Good:

- Inexpensive and simple.

Bad:

- Require a manual keystroke everytime a caller is put on hold.

- Only works with the phone it is attached to.

Type #3

Intellitouch makes a product that emits a signal tone from a dongle attached to each phone reciever. When the phone is put on hold and the hand held phone receiver is no longer electrically connected to the base unit… the signal disappears and the player begins to play the on hold messaging feed.

It sounds innovative, but in our experience… it doesn’t always work. Hold Time Studios does not sell or support this unit anymore.

Good:

- The player and the adapter are one unit.

Bad:

- At least 30% of our installations with the OHP 6500 failed, and we ordered a Skutch adapter.

If your phone system

- was purchased at an office supply store

- has four lines or less

- is plug n’ play right into the phone jack

- OR, has no brain on the back wall…

..then there is probably no “port” provided for Music on Hold. I’ve seen a lot of GE, RCA Executone, Panasonic KX series, and AT&T phone systems in this category. Installation is doable, but not as easy as with commercial grade phone systems.  We’ve got experience with this at www.holdtimestudios.com, and it’ll be easier to call us then guess at it by searching on the internet.

You’ll need an adapter that “senses” when a phone line has been put-on hold, and plays the music in to the phone line from an external player. The adapter and the onhold messaging player are different units.

Type #1 – The voltage shifter.

When the hold key is pressed on the analog phone system, the tiny electrical current within the line shifts its voltage. MOH adapters will detect the shift, and play music into the line until it’s picked up again. Hold Time Studios recommends adapters that are customized for your phone model (see www.skutchelectronics.com).

Good:

- By far the most reliable and automatic.

Bad:

- A little more expensive.

- All phones have to be the same make and model.

I’ll write about two more types of analog adapters made by Intellitouch and “keystroke” types in my next blog posting.

Almost everyone realizes the value of on-hold messaging after that first production is installed on their phone system – and they’ll need to replace it from time to time with relevant information. Most on-hold companies will anticipate this need by installing a player that is easy to update over the internet, through the mail, or directly through the phone system.

1. Locally loaded: The USB thumbdrive
   1. The least expensive option, the studio will email a completed .mp3 to the customer. Drag n’ drop the completed production to the removed thumbdrive from the on-hold player, then re-insert it in the player.
   2. In another variation, like the one offered by Hold Time Studios, the .mp3 is copied to the thumbdrive in the studio, mailed directly to the client, who inserts it into the USB port on the player.
   3. Older legacy players might use SM Cards, Tapes, or CDs. These types of players are not the best technology available.
   4. Example: http://www.neltechlabs.com/messager_usb.html
   5. Good: Inexpensive, simple technology.
   6. Bad: Forget it if you don’t know what a USB is.
2. Remote Controlled players: The vendor takes care of it.
   1. The on-hold player is connected to an accessory fax line or the internet and downloads new productions as they become ready. The customer usually receives a copy of the production by email.
   2. Example:

i. http://www.premtech.com/ruf2700.html

ii. http://www.premtech.com/net7000.html

i. Requires no customer interface.

ii. Updates are very timely.

iii. Excellent for telephone systems will multiple locations.

Bad: Expensive equipment. Harder installation.

For a two minute video that shows an installation of a remote player, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykiv0_7zwnY

how do you install music on hold on your phone system: check it out http://holdtimestudios.com/phone-system.php

Many people believe that on-hold messaging is only for big, expensive telephone systems like Vodavi, Toshiba, and NEC. Not true! A phone system purchased at an office supply store will not have native Music-on-hold capability, but there are third party adapters available to turn a small phone system into a marketing machine!

Here’s how they work:

1. The adapter is installed before the phone reaches the central phone unit.
2. Sensing a “hold” signal or a voltage shift within the phone line, the music stored on the player will automatically begin to play when the caller is put on hold.
3. In my own experience, adapters that sense the voltage shift, like those at www.skutchelectronics.com, are far more reliable than the tone-emitting adapters shown at www.intellitouch.com. They’re also custom made and cost more.

Hold Time Studios has successfully installed third party on-hold adapters for small offices, like www.lathroportho.com – they thought they were stuck with the weird background music played on their KX series Panasonic 3 line phone. “Not so!” I told them. Now they’re fitted with a Skutch CK1p and a RUF 2700 player from which Hold Time Music loads new productions several times a year.

Wiring a third party analog adapter to your phone system may take some time. If you can afford it, we recommend using a telephone tech.

Commercial grade systems are much easier, because their engineered to recieve MOH, like your computer is designed for a USB plugin.  learn more at http://holdtimestudios.com/phone-system.php