How Music On Hold Helps Improve Customer Experience?

What is music on hold?

Whenever a customer reaches out to a company or its personnel, he/she had to go through voice prompts so that the call gets routed to its correct destination. There are times when the customer is put on hold for some time.

While being on hold, the caller gets to hear a musical tone instead of silence. This musical tone is known as music on hold. The sole purpose of music on hold is to engage the customers and keep them on the line while the call is routed or the agent is busy in getting the off-call work done.

Why music?

Initially, the concept for music on hold came into existence when the companies realized that customers were holding up the calls just because they got bored of the dead silence while waiting for the agent to return.

On other occasions, some callers were confused if the line was dead. The fact that customers tend to stay calm and willing to wait when a melodious musical tone is played cannot be taken for granted.

While some call centers use a musical tone, some companies keep it promotional and play an automated voice note updating the customers about an upcoming product or service. Musical tones are comparatively entertaining and engaging than a mechanical sound or a dead silence.

On the other hand, informational messages that play on hold contribute as a promotional strategy for companies. Such messages keep the customer informed and updated about the insurance policies or beneficiary services.

The companies make choices depending on their need for inviting the customers or enhancing call center experience for them.

How it helps in improving customer experience?

Playing music while your customers wait for the agent can distract them from getting bored and irritated. A call center handles diverse types of customers. Choosing the right kind of music becomes very important that should be subtle and soothing.

The best suited musical tone will successfully keep aside boredom.  The choice of perfect music on hold reduces complaints related to waiting time and time wastage.

Some business owners deploy music on hold method for representing their brands. One can strengthen brand image and reinforce promotional messages by playing the company’s advertising music. The main objective of introducing the company’s promotional music on hold is to let the callers grasp the company’s message for generated leads. 

Through customer-centric music on hold, businesses can show care and attentiveness to customers that would eventually lead to satisfied customers. Firms nowadays are planning to represent their brand through on-hold music.

A customer makes initial contact with the company through a call. So, to leave a great impression of the company on a customer, businesses must use on-hold music as a tool for creating reliability for the brand. This can be done by drifting potential customer’s attention towards the company’s upcoming offers via on hold tune.

What to look for while choosing on-hold music?

Even though the music on hold feature helps call centers keep callers stay on the call, businesses try to get as much attention possible from the customers. Apart from introducing a musical tone into the VoIP system, what matters the most is the type of music it is playing.

While some customers like to hear a piece of pleasant music being played as a hold tune, some customers refer to it as quick insight into the company’s treatment towards its customers.

So to make on-hold music likable, business owners consider a lot of factors before making a music play on the VoIP. Some of these factors are explained here.

• Sound Levels– A caller easily gets put off by a loud sound hitting their ears. Music with soft tones and familiar notes will prevent the callers from canceling the calls- reduced abandon rate.
  
• Ensure a Properly Recorded Music– No caller will be pleased to listen to a musical tone with background noise and damped voice. So, while setting up one, get a tune recorded professionally.
  
• Let the Listener Know– It is advisable that before the on-hold music plays, the caller must be informed being put on hold. A voice message with “your call has been put on hold” speech helps explain the callers about what is happening.
  
• Make the Voice Message/ Music Long Enough– A call center does not wish its customers to listen to the same piece of information again. Playing the same message or tone all over again has a high probability of making the customers feel bored.
  
• It Should Sound Fresh and New– Some customers are frequent callers and might appreciate a change in the on-hold music. By replacing music or the automated voice message after a specific time, you can keep the regular callers entertained.  

Does it also have some adverse effects on customers?

There can be a lot of reasons behind putting off the customers due to music on hold. One of them is a long waiting time; customers do not want to waste their valuable time in waiting for an agent and listening to the same music over and over again.

Also, some callers don’t want music at all, so for such callers, call centers must think of introducing short voice messages. Some callers might get irritated because of the slow and tedious tunes that could be calming for the angry customers but can frustrate impatient ones.

The technique of playing music while a customer is on hold has helped prevent call-canceling. The key objectives behind the music on hold is to calm callers and keep them entertained and interested in your business, although the strategy of choosing the right music is complicated and requires a thorough understanding of customer psychology.