6 Ways to Better Serve Callers on Hold

 

1. Keep Your Caller Informed

First and foremost, your caller will be much more comfortable on hold when they know exactly what to expect. As soon as the call connects, customers should be greeted with a clear, appropriate, and friendly voice, reassuring them that you are taking their call seriously. If possible, it’s also a plus to give them an estimated or average wait time until someone is going to pick up. Even if the waiting time you provide is off, it’s still way better than sitting there with phone in hand and no end in sight.

 

2. Use Quality Voiceovers for Your Hold Menus

Concerning the voice a customer hears when they call your business, putting some extra effort into your voice recordings can go a long way to improve the caller’s experience. Ever seen Wargames? That movie from the 80s where Matthew Broderick’s computer talks back to him in a strange, electronic sounding voice? Your voiceovers should not sound like a 1980s computer. It’s important that the recorded voice speaking to your holding customer is natural and pleasing to the ear, and it’s not a bad idea to have it done by experts.

 

 

3. VoiceBunny

For a great, affordable resource to help you get started with a custom voiceover, visit VoiceBunny.com. A valued partner of Talkroute, VoiceBunny produces high-quality voiceovers for any purpose from professional voice actors, in more than 50 languages. Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed.

 

4. About the Music

First of all, remember that even if you think the music you play for customers is great, everyone else may not like it, especially if they have to hear it for an extended period of time. It is for this reason that many businesses choose Top 40 songs or easy-listening jazz-type stuff because chances are, a vast majority of people will at least be OK with it. Even this kind of music can be irritating for some callers, though, which is why the safe route is good—something neutral, but not boring, like ambient music or soundscapes.

 

5. Talkroute’s Music on Hold

When your business is setting up its phone system, you’ll want a variety of music options for holding customers, and this is specifically the reason that Talkroute provides subscribers with a library of music to choose from. If nothing from the library is to your liking, you can always upload your own music.

 

6. Sound Check

After you’ve created your call menus and selected some music, there’s one more thing—check the levels. Music on hold that is even slightly too loud can be one of the most abrasive and off-putting things for your callers. Make sure it sounds just right, and get a second and third opinion because it may be all your customer needs to decide to hang up.

 
Why do we hate being put on hold? This exploratory article delves into the psychology of waiting:
On Hold Music and the Psychology of Waiting