Your company’s average hold times may be pretty short.
But what about those instances when you keep callers on hold longer?
I called a national office supply chain store earlier today, and was put on hold for six minutes.
It wasn’t the length of the hold that bothered me. It was how this huge company had clearly not thought about their callers who hold for longer than 30 seconds.
Here’s what I heard: “Thank you for your patience. We apologize for the delay. Your call will be answered momentarily.” A slow, schmaltzy piano tune played for half a minute. Then, the same message and the same 30 seconds of music repeated. ELEVEN TIMES!
Not only was the repetitious audio irritating, it was a waste of my time, and a wasted opportunity for the company. Their single message delivered no useful information. It didn’t provide insight about products or services. There were no helpful tips. No advice on how I could save money with them. Nothing about any added value they offer.
And the company threw away a six-minute connection with a customer. Not only did they miss the chance to build stronger ties with me, they forced me into an annoying, negative environment.
No matter how short you think your hold times are (and they’re probably longer than you’d like to think), why risk wasting that kind of opportunity? Even if your hold times actually are short, your frequent callers are sure to be alienated by On Hold Marketing that isn’t designed with their experience in mind.
Every touchpoint is a chance to build love and loyalty for your brand. Take full advantage of it. We can help.