Before you put a customer on hold...

Before you put a customer on hold...


I found this interesting quote and I wanted to share:

"Place Customers on hold, in silence, for one minute and 52% will hang up. If music is played, only 13% will hang up. If a message is played, only 2% will hang up. When callers hang up, 34% will never call you again." - Sold on Hold ^TM

We have had a ridiculously hot summer and I'm sure on more than one occasion, as you were talking to one customer, another one called in. Ideally, you never want to place a customer on hold, but sometimes it just happens. The only question is, "What does the customer experience?"

Silence? The Radio? Music? A brief message on the benefits of a service agreement or the current seasonal special? For most companies this is a lost opportunity in more ways than one. Not only are you are not taking advantage of this opportunity to market your company, a product or service, but you are also increasing the chances that the customer never does business with you again.

It's like being in the red zone and throwing an interception that is returned for touchdown. Not only did your team not score, but you also gave away points to your opponent. Like the research revealed, once the customer hangs up, there is a good chance they are not calling again. If they need service, that means they are calling your competition (points for your opponent).

There are 2 good reasons never to play the radio. One, you risk being sued if you don't have a proper license to rebroadcast. Two, we all know that there are several air conditioning companies that advertise on the radio. You wouldn't want your customer hearing an advertisement for your competition, right?

This month we are going to focus on the little details that often go overlooked, but can have a great impact on your business. Our goal is to work smarter, not harder. I hope this tip helped.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Sincerely,

Brian Starzec