The frustration felt while waiting on hold is universal. Frustration can easily build when the caller is forced to listen to robotic recordings and lame elevator music. Too often hold time is time- consuming and impersonal. The time on hold is inevitable, but eliminating the impersonal quality of the voice scripts and irritating music will counter balance this frustration
Creating Scripts: Something Interesting or Entertaining?
Providing overt sales and advertising to a customer who has called to resolve a problem can increase their level of frustration. Turning a frustrated customer into an aggravated one. If you’re call queue is blended with sales and customer service, don’t risk over selling with your MOH content. A more creative and laid back approach will help clients to relax and set the caller experience apart from others.
Creating a different and engaging Message On Hold program can vary based on industry, caller profile and the culture your customers have come to expect. Matching the style of read to brand can be achieved by having the voice talent deliver a professional, casual, laid back or even emotional read. Using FAQ’s as inspiration is great way to steer clear of salesy content while providing helpful information. Take the context deeper and provide interesting details about the product like where it’s from, how it’s manufactured. Non-GMO? Gluten-Free? Organic? You can inform your callers before a rep even answers the call. When creating your script, tailor it to your customer demographic and company image and keeping the content fresh.
Music
No one likes elevator music. Having music is a way to entertain and create a pleasant and relaxing experience for the customer. It is important to choose music that appeals most to your caller. Too often business owners select music that they enjoy most. Regardless of the type of music chosen, music does have a strong effect on callers. According to Vanesa Dabul ‘s article on Livestrong.com :
“Music stimulates the production of alpha and theta waves in the brain. Similarly, theta brain waves are associated with the process of dreaming, states of enhanced creativity, learning, and relaxation.”
Music is not something that should be optional when callers are on-hold. Music should be used to help create a positive caller experience that is memorable. Some research shows that the genre of music chosen can affect the feelings of the caller. Below is a fifteen-minute video with Cognitive Neuroscientist, Jessica Grahn explaining how music affects our brains.
With the right music and message, your Message On Hold program can work for you! Don’t have callers associate your company with impersonal messages with robotic voices and lame elevator music. The ultimate goal is to entertain and relax the caller. If hold times become a pleasant experience, the customer will feel more relaxed while waiting, therefore less frustrated when a human picks up the call.
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