Your 'On Hold' Strategy
There are 10 critical factors to consider...
It is 2011 and much has changed in the last 25 years since Telemallaudio founded the Message On Hold industry
On Hold is a communication opportunity which must be treated with the respect and aligned with an organisation's overall, Brand, Marketing and Customer Communications Strategy.
It is still commonly treated as a stand alone channel, this is no longer acceptable. Hold is a doorway to your business, a part of your customer relationship management and an opportunity to provide continuity in corporate appearance and communications.
The following definition is a way of thinking about the continuity of customer communications:
Customer contact strategy is a holistic articulation of the rules of customer information access, transaction structure and sales persuasions – it is sensitive to the customer experience, aligns with corporate standards, is benchmarked against industry competitors, defines how each customer access channel (Online / On-phone / In-Store) will retain consistency with brand and image, optimising expenditure in promotions, campaigns, advertising and other media exposure – all in the interests of maximum customer retention.
The 10 critical On Hold factors affecting, and interdependent with, your Customer Contact Strategies:
1. It is a vital part of customer information access
Do not put barriers in the way of customers getting access to information – customers ring to buy, transact, get information – On Hold provides reinforcement.
Opportunity - If your On Hold is not designed to meet the reasons why people ring you, then it becomes a painful experience and a barrier to information access.
2. What is the On Hold Experience
There are 4 circumstances of Hold in any one phone call – this is mostly misunderstood – more people wait On Hold being transferred, than in queues for instance – Each of these points of "Hold” below create an impression, influence customer perceptions and subsequent service expectations.
3. The telephone is a first point of contact
You have no control of who will call (it could be your most important customer); it is another reception area for customers to enter the world you create for them.
4. Call Flow is critical
The anatomy of a telephone call includes a series of interconnected factors:
5. Customer retention is optimal loyalty
The Hold experience has a direct influence on the callers intentions to remain loyal to your business – never forget that whilst you are focused on all areas of delivery, for optimal $$ growth and productivity, you cannot afford to undermine your own mandate with inadequate On Hold management of the very persons who keep you in business.
6. What do your telephone customers' experience?
Customer Experience is the one factor over which you have total governance and control - On Hold is a point of contact with enormous influence –
7. Recorded voice is a science
So commit to the only solution- professional advice into the science of recorded voice communications.
8. Customers are opportunities
Reaching and influencing these persons in every moment they are in your world is essential – too often what you don’t see gets neglected and this is very much the case with On Hold.
9. Your Hold is Media
There is no other media which belongs to you, guarantees an exact number of target audience, known demographic, of known needs, which occurs at a time which is under your control and at a time which offers the opportunity to immediately influence for a known customer response – it is most likely the least cost route to reach every single person who does business with you each year.
10. First Mover Advantage
Rarely these days does an opportunity arise which gives you competitive edge. Your On Hold can be different, distinctive, modern, highly communicative, achieve satisfaction and generate revenue. It can do this in such a natural and normal way which is distinctive and stands out within your industry. On Hold communications is an art these days – don’t settle for second best- be a first with 2010 On Hold products.
* Note:
Circadian rhythm ref point 7 in the context of On Hold refers to the science of compressing and expanding time.
This is done in the interests of managing caller perceptions about the length of wait.
It is 2011 and much has changed in the last 25 years since Telemallaudio founded the Message On Hold industry
On Hold is a communication opportunity which must be treated with the respect and aligned with an organisation's overall, Brand, Marketing and Customer Communications Strategy.
It is still commonly treated as a stand alone channel, this is no longer acceptable. Hold is a doorway to your business, a part of your customer relationship management and an opportunity to provide continuity in corporate appearance and communications.
What is Your Customer Communications Strategy?
Does it include a defined On Hold Communications Plan
Does it align with your Customer Contact Management Plan?
Does it include a defined On Hold Communications Plan
Does it align with your Customer Contact Management Plan?
The following definition is a way of thinking about the continuity of customer communications:
Customer contact strategy is a holistic articulation of the rules of customer information access, transaction structure and sales persuasions – it is sensitive to the customer experience, aligns with corporate standards, is benchmarked against industry competitors, defines how each customer access channel (Online / On-phone / In-Store) will retain consistency with brand and image, optimising expenditure in promotions, campaigns, advertising and other media exposure – all in the interests of maximum customer retention.
The 10 critical On Hold factors affecting, and interdependent with, your Customer Contact Strategies:
1. It is a vital part of customer information access
Do not put barriers in the way of customers getting access to information – customers ring to buy, transact, get information – On Hold provides reinforcement.
Opportunity - If your On Hold is not designed to meet the reasons why people ring you, then it becomes a painful experience and a barrier to information access.
2. What is the On Hold Experience
There are 4 circumstances of Hold in any one phone call – this is mostly misunderstood – more people wait On Hold being transferred, than in queues for instance – Each of these points of "Hold” below create an impression, influence customer perceptions and subsequent service expectations.
1. Transfer from a voice announcement e.g. IVR
2. Transfer from a service representative or one operator to another
3. Waiting in a queue - traditional call centre technique
4. Physical act of selecting Hold at an extension where a caller waits for you to get back to them
2. Transfer from a service representative or one operator to another
3. Waiting in a queue - traditional call centre technique
4. Physical act of selecting Hold at an extension where a caller waits for you to get back to them
3. The telephone is a first point of contact
You have no control of who will call (it could be your most important customer); it is another reception area for customers to enter the world you create for them.
4. Call Flow is critical
The anatomy of a telephone call includes a series of interconnected factors:
- pre contact customer expectations
- ring time: recorded voice welcome – IVR or voicemail
- queue announcement: wait for reception
- answer by person: transfer
- answer by second person
- wait for information – put to Hold
- termination
- post contact expectations – each of these points has different persons and different recordings – all need to be aligned and designed to deliver optimally to caller requirements.
5. Customer retention is optimal loyalty
The Hold experience has a direct influence on the callers intentions to remain loyal to your business – never forget that whilst you are focused on all areas of delivery, for optimal $$ growth and productivity, you cannot afford to undermine your own mandate with inadequate On Hold management of the very persons who keep you in business.
6. What do your telephone customers' experience?
Customer Experience is the one factor over which you have total governance and control - On Hold is a point of contact with enormous influence –
- minimise your Hold
- maximize the time your On Hold callers do spend waiting for your people.
7. Recorded voice is a science
- it affects our Circadian rhythm
- it influences our actions
- it acts on our memory
- it stimulates our subconscious
- it creates emotion
- it is personal, a cocoon environment in a private world of influences
- it is the only time customers are in contact when you can’t read their signals – these are ‘human factors’
So commit to the only solution- professional advice into the science of recorded voice communications.
8. Customers are opportunities
Reaching and influencing these persons in every moment they are in your world is essential – too often what you don’t see gets neglected and this is very much the case with On Hold.
9. Your Hold is Media
There is no other media which belongs to you, guarantees an exact number of target audience, known demographic, of known needs, which occurs at a time which is under your control and at a time which offers the opportunity to immediately influence for a known customer response – it is most likely the least cost route to reach every single person who does business with you each year.
10. First Mover Advantage
Rarely these days does an opportunity arise which gives you competitive edge. Your On Hold can be different, distinctive, modern, highly communicative, achieve satisfaction and generate revenue. It can do this in such a natural and normal way which is distinctive and stands out within your industry. On Hold communications is an art these days – don’t settle for second best- be a first with 2010 On Hold products.
* Note:
Circadian rhythm ref point 7 in the context of On Hold refers to the science of compressing and expanding time.
This is done in the interests of managing caller perceptions about the length of wait.
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