Hold Music May Not Always Be Music To Your Ears

Do you ever wonder why your business might not be getting as many leads as you were hoping? Well, the culprit might be your company’s choice of on-hold music. Whether you have elected for silence or an old 80’s rock tune, your choice of music, or lack thereof, is affecting how long a caller stays on the line to connect with you.

According to a study by James Kellaris, a professor at the University of Cincinnati, 90% of callers with silence on the other end hung up within 40 seconds, while callers that heard information or a musical interlude stayed on the phone 3 times longer. It is key to answer the phone as soon as possible as most people overestimate the amount of time spent on-hold and will hang up if they lose interest.

Recorded information or on-hold music can serve 2 purposes: (1) keeping customers engaged to lower the hang-up rate and (2) it can act as a sales tool to inform callers about your products and services. Approximately 20% of callers have made a purchasing decision based on information they heard when on-hold, while 60% of callers that heard silence hung up and did not call back.

Not only does having on-hold music increase a person’s wait tolerance, but it also lets them know the call is still in progress so it is important to choose music that is appropriate to your audience. Is it men? Women? A particular age group? Kellaris also found that men perceived the wait time to be shortest when classical music was played, while women preferred light jazz.

Overall, your choice of hold music can determine how your business is perceived and make or break a lead coming into the office. If you do your research, your business could see better results and your customers will be singing a happy tune!

For more information, please contact your Internet Marketing Consultant at Page 1 Solutions today!

~Kami York-Feirn