Best On-Hold Music for Your Business
In the high-demanding world of customer support, silence is the sound of a missed opportunity.
However, there will be times when your clients will have to wait.
Whether they need to hold while they are transferred, wait for the agent to retrieve more information, or simply stand in line or in an elevator, your customers will encounter moments of inactivity.
Explore our subscription packages designed to help you transform your on hold messages into a valuable marketing tool for your business.
Luckily, on-hold music can help your business keep your customers' attention and lead to an improved perception of the elapsed time.
In fact, studies show that more than 80% of callers who listened to on-hold music estimated their waiting time as shorter than in reality.
Music doesn’t have to be the only thing your customer listens to on hold however, and a nice voicemail greeting can be the perfect way to deliver valuable information before your caller reaches a representative.
Check out our blog about top professional voicemail greetings to discover how you can make the most of your customer’s hold time with a professional voicemail.
In this article, we're going to help you discover how to select the best on-hold music for your business.
But first, we'll walk you through why on-hold music is such a good idea.
Benefits of using on-hold music
We live in the decade of instant gratification, which means we all expect to receive everything without delay.
When waiting is part of the process, on-hold music can rescue the silent void and improve your satisfaction rates.
Here's how:
Influence your callers' mood
The right on-hold music will help your customers step into a more relaxed mood and become more open to conversation.
By positively influencing your callers' mood, you'll ease the frustration that would have mounted if they had been thrown in complete silence.
The right melody can break the tension and create a more pleasant experience, simplifying your agent's job.
Studies show that cheerful, upbeat tunes help our brains to release dopamine and serotonin, improving our happiness levels.
At the same time, calming music has been proven to have a relaxing effect.
Give your callers the option to switch between different types of on-hold music, and make sure to choose only high-quality melodies.
Reduce abandoned call rates
According to an AT&T study, more than 60% of callers hang up if they are put on hold in silence.
And, since no one calls customer support because they want to share positive feedback, hanging up will only contribute to their frustration.
On-hold music lets your callers know that the call wasn't cut and gives them a pleasant experience while waiting.
It can also act as an assurance that they're in the queue and that you'll soon be with them.
This way, callers will perceive time differently and have more patience to hold the line.
Boost sales
On-hold music can prepare the terrain for a better sales pitch by:
- 1. Easing up the tension with calm tunes
- 2. Building up curiosity to introduce a promo message
Don't limit your perspective about on-hold music as simply a placeholder.
In fact, it can be an intelligent strategy to smoothly introduce updates and information related to your products and services.
You can use it to build cross-promotions without being intrusive and freely advertise to your target audience.
Alternatively, you can offer bonuses or discounts to your callers as a way to win their loyalty.
How to use on-hold music for your business
Selecting the best on-hold music is part strategy, part art.
When making the selection for your business, keep in mind the following top three aspects:
1. Select a genre that fits your brand
Narrow your search by selecting one or two genres that you believe embody the mood you want your callers to experience.
At the same time, consider your brand's personality and the industry in which you operate.
If you're running a state-of-the-art technology firm, country music might not be the best choice for you.
Rock wouldn't be the perfect fit for a massage saloon, but it could work exceptionally well for a tattoo parlor.
Of course, the genre is not the only aspect influencing a song's sentiments and messages.
We don’t recommend using songs with lyrics, because these can distract your callers’ attention.
For example, if you want to mix on hold music with promotional messages, lyrics will only provide a contradictory train of thought, and confuse your customers.
2. Mix it with useful promotional messages
Combining on hold music with marketing messages is the perfect way to transform waiting times into marketing opportunities.
On hold music can work as a message divider, separating different information about your latest offers, specials, or new products or services.
However, remember that your messages and the on hold music you select must balance each other well, both in rhythm and mood.
To ensure this fine balance, reach out to professionals such as the experts from Amazing Voice to help you select and create a seamless mix.
3.Include interactive voice response (IVR) menus
On hold music will help callers’ pass the time easier, but that’s not all it can do.
In fact, on hold music can provide much more value than just filling up silent moments.
For example, it can create the perfect setting for you to introduce an interactive voice response menu that guides your callers with the help of a recorded voice over.
By using their keyboards or through vocal commands, your callers will then be able to navigate your customer service to get the answers or solutions they need.
On hold music can be used as a background for IVRs and emphasize key options from the menu or specific actions.
Where to get the best on-hold music?
There are various royalty-free libraries online where you can browse and choose on-hold music for your business.
However, you must have already learned by now that nothing is really for free.
Websites such as Free Stock Music and Easy on Hold have various tunes you can select, but keep in mind that these require a subscription or a download fee.
Consider reaching out to Amazing Voice for expert advice and take advantage of our one-time licensing fee library, with no-ongoing royalty payments.
Our specialists can assist you in exploring your needs and coming up with a song that fits your audience like a glove.
At the very least, reach out to us with any question related to on-hold music and to gain access to our library of royalty free music.
We'll figure out the rest together.
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