On hold messaging
{{short description|Telephone marketing technique}}
{{Marketing}}
On-hold messaging is a service used by businesses and organizations of all sizes to deliver information to their callers waiting on hold or while they are being transferred.{{cite web |url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-on-hold-messaging.htm |title=What Is On Hold Messaging? |author= |date= |publisher=wiseGEEK |accessdate=14 February 2013}} Also called audio marketing, on-hold messaging is a specialist area of marketing and branding. It seeks to represent the personality of a business in the medium of audio.
The commercial use of on-hold messaging began in the early 1980s. Businesses quickly saw value in utilizing hold time as an opportunity to market services or provide customer support information.
One of the earliest and most recognized companies in this space was Premier Technologies, which developed dedicated on-hold audio devices such as the ADL 3106E and USB 1200. These devices allowed companies to load and play customized messages or music. Premier Technologies operated for several decades before permanently closing around 2020.
Technology
On-hold messaging systems initially relied on analog hardware that connected to phone systems. Today, with the rise of Voice over IP (VoIP) technologies, many systems use digital file uploads or streaming solutions to deliver audio content.
Current Use
On-hold messaging is widely used in customer service across industries, often including company updates, FAQs, seasonal promotions, or music designed to reduce perceived wait times.
Background
An AT&T study found that more than 70% of business phone calls in the United States are placed on hold for an average of 45 to 60 seconds each. Meanwhile, a USA Today study found executives spend 15 minutes a day or 68 hours a year on hold.{{cite web |url=http://www.ohma.org/home.php |title=On Hold Messaging statistics |publisher=On Hold Messaging Association |accessdate=25 February 2013}}
A CNN survey found that 70% of callers in the United States who are holding the line in silence hang up within 60 seconds.{{cite web |url=http://work.chron.com/importance-onhold-messages-4665.html |title=The Importance of On-Hold Messages |author=Anna Assad |date= |publisher=Houston Chronicle |accessdate=14 February 2013}} A study by North American Telecom found that callers hearing music on hold will stay on the line 30 seconds longer than callers experiencing silence, and callers hearing commercials on hold will stay on the line for up to 3 minutes longer.
In November 2011 an omnibus survey of more than 2,000 UK consumers highlighted several key figures related to modern business
communications and specifically to on hold messaging.Article{{cite web|url=http://www.freshbusinessthinking.com/news.php?NID=14476&Title=Seventy+per+cent+of+consumers+put+on+hold+for+longer+than+a+minute |title=Seventy per cent of consumers put on hold for longer than a minute |publisher=freshbusinessthinking.com |date=2012-06-30 |accessdate=2012-07-03}}Article{{cite web|url=http://www.smallbusiness.co.uk/channels/sales-and-marketing/news/2110543/customers-perennially-on-hold.thtml |title=Customers perennially on hold |publisher=smallbusiness.co.uk |date=2012-06-29 |accessdate=2012-07-03}} Conducted by ICM on behalf of audio branding specialist PHMG (company), the survey found:
70% of consumers are put on hold for more than 50% of their calls; 68% of consumers are put on hold for longer than one minute; 73% of consumers want to hear something other than beeps or silence while on hold; 72% of personal calls to businesses are made at home on a landline; 60% of consumers are in front of a computer while on hold.
Recent trends
Particularly in the United Kingdom, there has been an increasing move among businesses towards the use of regional accents and dialect in their on-hold marketing. Research conducted by audio branding specialist PHMG (company) among UK businesses discovered a 27% rise in the use of accents between January 2012 and January 2013.Article{{cite news|url=http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/diary-and-review/business-diary-january-29-1-5362401 |title=Business Diary: January 29 |newspaper=Yorkshire Post |date=2013-01-29}}
Rather than selecting a generic or neutral voice style, companies may instead choose to deploy the regional accent which best represents their brand. This may be an accent specific to their location or simply one which best reflects their perceived values. In particular, research found the Scottish accent is perceived as trustworthy and reassuring while the Yorkshire accent, used by brands such as O2 (United Kingdom) in television and radio advertising, is seen as wise and honest.Article{{cite web|url=http://www.prolificnorth.co.uk/2013/02/by-eck-accents-are-back-in-fashion-tha-nos/ |title=By ‘eck accents are back in fashion tha nos |publisher=Prolific North |date=2013-02-08}}
A 2014 study among 1,000 UK consumers, conducted by PHMG (company), aimed to determine perceptions of business call handling standards. It found just 23% of British people are happy with the way their calls to business are handled, with satisfaction levels being particularly low among the older generations - just 12% of 55- to 64-year-olds claimed to be satisfied.{{cite web |url=http://www.mycustomer.com/news/consumers-want-businesses-improve-their-phone-manner |title=Consumers want businesses to improve their phone manner |publisher=My Customer}} Despite this, it also found 45% of UK consumers are happy to hold longer than a minute during calls to businesses and only 6% are not willing to wait at all.{{cite web |url=https://bdaily.co.uk/articles/2015/02/05/is-time-on-hold-really-that-annoying |title=Is time on hold really that annoying? |publisher=Bdaily}}
Identical research conducted in the USA among 2,234 consumers also found less than a third of Americans are satisfied with the way businesses handle their calls. Similar to the UK, older generations are less satisfied, with only 28% of 45- to 64-year-olds claiming to be happy with how their calls are handled, compared to 37% of 18- to 34-year-olds. There is little variation between regions, although people in the South and the Northeast were found to be most satisfied (33%), followed by the Midwest (32%) and the West (31%).{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/morning_roundup/2015/04/most-americans-dissatisfied-when-calling.html |title=Most Americans dissatisfied when calling businesses |publisher=Business First}}
See also
References
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- http://ohma.org On Hold Marketing Association
- http://www.amaeurope.org/index.php Audio Marketing Association (Europe)