Putting customers on hold is sometimes unavoidable. Your team may be helping another caller, transferring a call or looking up information. But what customers hear while they wait can influence how they feel about your business.
A thoughtful on-hold experience helps keep callers informed, reinforces your brand and makes waiting feel less frustrating. Here are five common on-hold options and what to consider when choosing the right one for your business.
1. Silence
Silence might seem like the easiest option, but it can leave callers wondering whether their call has been disconnected.
Without an audible indication that they’re still connected, customers may hang up and call again, creating extra work for your team and frustration for the caller.
If you need to place customers on hold, provide some reassurance that the call is still active. Even a simple recorded message can let callers know they’re in the right place and someone will be with them as soon as possible.
2. Generic Hold Music
Many business phone systems include default hold music. While music can be preferable to silence, generic tracks may not reflect your brand or the experience you want customers to have.
Repetitive music can also become irritating during a longer wait, particularly when the same short segment plays repeatedly.
Instead of relying on default settings, consider what your customers would appreciate hearing. The right music, paired with clear and friendly messaging, can make your business sound more welcoming and professional.
3. Radio
Playing a radio station over your hold system might seem like an easy way to provide entertainment, but it comes with drawbacks.
Radio programming is unpredictable. Callers may hear advertisements, news or content that has little to do with your business. Worse, a competitor’s advertisement could play while your customer is waiting to speak with you.
Radio also gives you little control over the listening experience. Your on-hold audio should reflect your business, not whatever happens to be playing on a station.
4. Music Without the Appropriate Licensing
If you want to use commercial music on your hold line, make sure you have the appropriate rights and licenses.
A personal music streaming subscription doesn’t automatically give a business permission to use that music for customers on hold. In Canada, the use of music over telephone hold systems may require licensing through organizations that represent music creators and sound recording rights holders.
Requirements depend on how the music is used and the applicable licenses. Check with the relevant licensing organizations or your music provider to confirm that your intended use is covered.
5. Custom On-Hold Messages
Custom on-hold messaging gives you an opportunity to do more than fill the silence. It lets you communicate with customers while they wait, using messaging that reflects your brand and their needs.
Professionally recorded messages can help you:
- Share useful information. Tell callers about your services, business hours, locations or upcoming promotions.
- Set expectations. Let customers know their call is important and that someone will be with them as soon as possible.
- Reinforce your brand. Use a consistent voice and tone that reflects your business.
- Make waiting more worthwhile. Give callers relevant information instead of leaving them with silence or repetitive music.
The key is to keep your messages concise, helpful and conversational. Avoid cramming too much information into a single recording or repeating the same message so often that it becomes distracting.
Choose topics that matter to your callers, and update your recordings when your services, hours or promotions change.
Give Your Callers a Better On-Hold Experience
Your customers may not always be able to speak with someone immediately, but that doesn’t mean their experience has to suffer.
Thoughtful on-hold messaging can help your business communicate clearly, make better use of waiting time and create a more consistent impression of your brand.
At On Air Audio Services, we create professional message-on-hold recordings tailored to your business, combining clear scripts, professional voice talent and music where appropriate.
Want to improve what your customers hear while they wait? Contact On Air Audio Services to discuss your on-hold messaging.
