Tips for creating engaging messages on hold
While no one likes waiting on hold, sometimes it’s inevitable. You can make the wait more interesting for your callers, promote your business, and provide a better caller experience with quality messages on hold.
We’ve all heard some pretty boring messages on hold. Elevator music, endless sales pitches, or the same message repeated a dozen times – these tactics give messages on hold a bad rep! Here are some tips for creating engaging messages on hold:
Understand how long your average on hold time is
What is the average length of time a caller waits on hold? Is it 10 seconds or five minutes? If they must wait longer, try to write a variety of prompts that cover different topics. Then, put some musical breaks in-between your messaging. For example, your prompts could tell your brand’s story, share information about a special event, point callers to your website, tell a joke, or offer interesting industry facts.
If the wait time is shorter, ensure your prompts are quick and only share a single idea. Rotate those prompts so the callers don’t hear the same 10 seconds of your message on hold every time they call.
Be clear and to-the-point
Your message on hold scripts needs to be clear, concise, and get right to the point. Try to explain things in fewer, more straightforward words. Remember that, like other audio advertising scripts, a message on hold script is written for the ear, not to be read. So, keep your sentences and prompts short, punchy, and engaging.
Keep things up-to-date
You don’t want your callers to receive your holiday messaging in February. Or, hear information about a promotion that ended last month. Ensure your messaging is current and updated regularly. Updating your messages gives callers more variety. In addition, it’s a fantastic medium for sharing recent promotions, events, and other topical information your customers will be interested in.
Make things fun!
Dull messages on hold will not keep a caller’s attention. Worse, it could frustrate them and diminish their experience with your business. How do you make a message on hold fun? Our professional scriptwriters can come up with creative ideas to pique interest. For example, you can share cool facts and trivia, tell a joke, and provide seasonal information callers would find interesting. You can also mix things up with different voice over artists, music, and sound effects.
Include a call to action
What would you like the caller to do after hearing your message on hold (besides not hanging up)? A clear call to action might help convert that call into a sale. For example, you can ask callers to book a service appointment when you return to the line. Or, they can visit your website to download a coupon or come into the store to enter a contest. Whatever your call to action is, make it clear!
Not sure where to start? That’s where we can help. On Air works with a team of professional scriptwriters that can help your messages on hold come to life!