Tired and brain-numbing muzak or an unforgiving voice saying “Your call is important to us”—some of the familiar sounds of waiting on hold with a business. Consider filling in this time that you have your callers’ attention with messages that inform, notify, and provide help. Read our suggestions on what you should include in your hold message scripts:
It’s always best practice to mention your company’s name and express a brief note of gratitude. After all, the person is taking time out of his day to wait on hold and speak with your business representative, so a simple “thanks for calling” starts the interaction off on the right foot.
“You’ve reached Anytown Tax Authority. Thanks for calling. We’re happy to put our tax professionals to work for you!”
“Thank you for calling ABC Plumbing, we appreciate the chance to win your business!”
Some phone systems allow you to play a message to the waiting caller that states her current position in the queue or her estimated wait time before reaching a call agent. This message may be repeated to the caller throughout her time on hold. It’s a good idea to utilize this—callers will be relieved to know that they are moving down the queue and not stuck in an endless hold black hole.
“You are currently number 6 in the queue. Please continue to hold and a representative will speak with you soon.”
“Your estimated wait time is 12 minutes. We apologize for the hold times, but a representative will be happy to assist you.”
If your business has just released new products or recently won an award, fill the wait time by briefing your callers on the news. Include a short announcement about the product/feature (as well as how customers can get it) or the newly won award.
“We’re excited to announce that our desktop app is now available! Find it in the Apple Store or Google Play store by searching “OnSIP.” Once downloaded to your desktop computer or laptop, you can use it to make phone calls, start video conferences with your coworkers, review voicemail messages, set call preferences, and much more.”
“Our company just won the Best Customer Service Award from Major VoIP Magazine! An independent panel of judges reviewed 20 VoIP providers and considered criteria such as online review scores and customer testimonials. Read more about this exciting win on our blog!”
Another great part of on hold messages for business, especially when played for callers waiting in your support queue, is mentioning self-service resources like an FAQ page or a Knowledgebase. Callers may find the answers to their questions there and not have to wait at all. In addition to providing answers to your customers as quickly as possible, you’ll also be reducing call hold times for other callers who need to speak with an agent for more complex issues.
“Did you know that our FAQ page provides information on our company such as address, hours of operation, and refund policy? Check out www.mycompany.com/faq—you might quickly find the answer to your question there!"
“Our company has a Knowledgebase at www.mycompany.com/knowledgebase where you can find step-by-step instructions on how to add features, download invoices, and change your contact information in your admin portal. We invite you to search our Knowledgebase to find the answers to your questions.”
Similarly, if the hold message is playing for callers waiting in your sales queue, mention any current sales or promotions that you are running. You’ll ensure that all leads who are calling have these promotions top-of-mind—and right before they get on the phone with sales reps.
“For all new customers who sign up with our service: We’re offering free desk phones for each user on your account! Ask your sales rep for more details.”
“It’s our annual New Year’s sale! Get 25% off everything in your cart by using the code NY2022. But hurry—this sale ends on January 15.”
Finally, if your company offers a variety of support channels, say that in your hold message. People have different communication preferences, and meeting customers where and how they like to communicate goes a long way in improving your company’s customer experience.
“In addition to calling, try contacting us through a few other support channels! Click on the chat button at the bottom right corner of our website to start a live chat session with an agent. You can also create a support ticket by logging into your admin portal and clicking on ‘Open a ticket’ in the left-hand menu. Or, you can even text us at 555-212-0005 to text with an agent.”
We hope these hold message scripts and tips have given you ideas of how to fill dead air with meaningful messages. If you’d rather have music play to your waiting callers, consult our blog post that examines music on hold. Hold music has a distinct effect on people, so make sure you’re choosing a stream that positively influences your callers’ moods and is in line with your business’s brand.