1. Begin with customer experience in mind
Steve Jobs said, “You have got to start with the customer experience and work back towards the technology- not the other way around.”
Your customers are your most valuable assets. It is important to consider what you would like your customers to get out of a call to your business. Do they wish to be entertained? Engaged? Educated? This depends entirely on your business goals and brand identity.
2. Know your audience
Who are your customers? It is helpful to narrow your target audience. For example, for a company selling reusable & washable diapers, their target audience is likely to be new mothers, generally concerned about the environmental impact of disposable options. The customer is likely to be a woman aged 25-35, with a mid to high budget. This knowledge dictates how you construct your marketing strategy and sales process.
By clearly defining your target market, identifying their needs and wants, you can create a targeted on hold messaging service. For example before brand promotions or between music, play an environmental tip, or advice for new mums! Your customer will feel valued as an individual whilst being on hold- removing the negative connotations that usually come from the wait.
3. Think outside the box!
An environmental tip? Advice for new mums? Traditionally the preconceived idea of being on hold is the same dull 30 seconds of music followed by a ‘we will be with you shortly’. But messages on hold can be so much more. The days of boring, repetitive music is over. Rather than play your customer’s generic music, delight and engage them with relevant content. Play them the days news headlines, weather, and fresh or commercial music- the option is yours!
4. Change it up
In a service or support based business, it is likely that your customer will call more than once. Even the most exciting tunes can feel stale after continual repetition! Cloud-based technology has made it possible to keep your on hold messages fresh each day. Automatically updating at 12am your time daily, content such as news and weather will be relevant each day, without the need for human interaction!
5. Seek feedback at every touchpoint
Feedback and data is king. Without reports on current processes, how can a company improve? Gather feedback from your customers by giving them a survey whilst they wait, or track how long your most patient caller waited on hold to improve call wait times, and improve customer experience.
Captivate Connect can help you construct creative and engaging on hold messages that exceed every expectation. Contact 08 9368 7500 for an obligation free discussion on how you can optimise your business!
