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Music On Hold Noticed On Capital Hill

2009-09-02T10:21:00.003-05:00

From FoxNews comes word that the music on hold on Capital Hill has changed once again.

"The music was changed during recess as a pilot program in an attempt to offer offices a choice of hold music," said CAO spokesman Jeff Ventura. "But based on the feedback we received, the old music was preferred and we reactivated it today."

Feeback! Uproar! Another case to be made for the power of the hold button.

Our local representative, Congressman Fred Upton, wrote a blistering letter to Beard on Friday. "We should proudly embrace our nation's patriotic songs, not callously shun them for elevator music," Upton said.

"Believe me, I was not at all happy with how this matter was handled," Upton wrote.

"Certainly we would prefer not to put those who contact our offices on hold; however with the high volume of calls we receive it is sometimes necessary," he added.

What callers hear on hold does make a difference, so choose wisely!

Music On Hold Creates Tensions On Capital Hill

2009-09-01T09:54:00.003-05:00

It's no secret that a phone call to the government results in some "on hold" time, but where do they get that music? Until recently, the telephone system at the Capital played patriotic melodies for patient callers. According to facts reported this week by Brad Jackson at The New Leger, the patriotic music is "out" and smooth jazz is "in".

Our congressman, Michigan Republican Fred Upton, has sent a protest letter to House Chief Administrative Officer Daniel Beard, who reports to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Upton said:

"Upon contacting CAO Telecommunications it has come to my attention that as of Tuesday, August 11th all “holding” music was changed at your request from the traditional patriotic songs to elevator music. CAO Telecommunications affirmed that congressional offices currently have no choice in the genre of music played, but merely are given the option between the elevator music on hold or no music at all, despite the fact that we’ve had the patriotic music for years!"

Music matters! May we recommend the Patriotic Category on our Music On Hold Jukebox.

Music On Hold: Choose Wisely

2009-08-28T08:41:00.000-05:00

From classical to jazz to good ol’ rock n’ roll, there’s a style of music for every listener. So what type of music should you play to callers placed on hold?

First, let’s examine whether it even matters. We know that what people hear on your hold button shapes perceptions about your company, and we know that music can touch the heart and soul. As marketing guru Roy H. Williams says, “Where the heart leads, the mind will follow.” (http://www.wizardofads.com)

I found an amazing post related to music on hold experiences, including one person who claims the choice of hold music caused a significant change of plans!

"My company asked me to move to Texas about 7 years ago. I agreed, reluctantly. A couple of days into the process, I called a realtor to discuss putting my house on the market. She put me on hold, and the muzak that played in the background was very very sad. I started thinking about how I really didn't want to uproot my family and drag them to a different state. By the time the realtor was back on the line, I was so depressed about the whole thing I told her I couldn't talk about it right now and that I would call her back. I never did. I told my boss I no longer wanted to relocate, and I stayed put."

Powerful stuff, that music.

Recently there was a bit of blog chatter about the choice of on hold music for a conference call between the President of the U.S. and about 1,000 Rabbis. Washington Jewish Week reports, “Eyebrows were also raised by the choice of hold music that played to rabbis before the call began. "First mistake," [Rabbi Jack] Moline tweeted, as he waited for the call to begin. "Music on hold is 'Deutschland uber Alles,' " a classical German anthem, the lyrics to which in part say, "Preserve and protect our Kaiser, our land." (The music was chosen by the company carrying the conference call, not the White House or the RAC.)

So the wrong music on hold can cause trouble, but the take-away here is that it gets noticed and even causes people to talk (or change their plans).

New Easy On Hold Site Launches

2009-08-27T20:56:00.005-05:00

The new www.easyonhold.com website is up, and offers helpful new features. Here are just a few.

New: Live Chat. More and more, web visitors are interested in "IM" help, and the new Live Help feature at easyonhold.com will provide a quick and easy interface for chatting with Easy On Hold staff.

New: Folder hierarchy. With a growing site with an increasing quantity of helpful pages, we have integrated a new navigation system that takes you into categories, such as products and services, how music on hold works, and samples. within products and services you'll find groups such as music on hold, on hold equipment and voice recordings.

New: Samples by industry. We've added a sample player that lets users browse industry categories, then select actual Easy On Hold productions for auditioning. This will let visitors get a few good ideas on how to make on hold time more valuable.

New: Start A Script form. An easy to fill in form lets both existing clients and new customers request a new Easy On Hold production. Check boxes and drop down lists make the process quick. A confirmation email is sent upon submitting the form.

New: Diagrams and installation help. With each piece of equipment pictured, the new site shows a plug in diagram to help convey how on hold message players plug in to your phone system.

In the new utilities area in the upper right corner of each page, you'll find About, Contact, Support, Start New Script, MY ACCOUNT login. Tip: lots of product manuals, articles and links to helpful websites reside on the support page, along with a form for submitting a trouble ticket, should you ever want technical help with your music on hold system.

That's www.easyonhold.com. It's new, so check it out.

Using Your mp3 Player for Music On Hold Playback? We Don't Recommend It

2009-08-27T20:45:00.006-05:00

Using Your Nano is a no-no, when it comes to music on hold.

I spoke with my friend Doug today. You know Doug, the insurance guy. His office has tried radio on hold, tape players, CD players and iPods. None seemed to work very well, and at the end of the day his office still is without music on hold and wasted time and effort with sub-pro solutions. In this post, I'd like to focus on the pitfalls of using consumer grade mp3 player, such as the iPod Nano, for your hold music source.

Using a consumer-grade mp3 player as a source for your on-hold music may appear to be a cost-effective and simple solution. But here's what you can expect:

Not Enough Audio Oomph for On-Hold Playback
Personal mp3 players were designed with low amplification output (60 milowatts) to conserve battery power. You don't detect the low output, however, because your headphones are high-efficiency and make the audio sound great in your ears.

Your phone hold system, however, may require more amplification than your headphones do. And since the only place to get an audio feed out of your mp3 player is through the headphone jack, the audio signal often doesn't give your hold system what it needs for proper volume in your phones. (Note: we have found some iPod users who disagree, and find just enough volume to pull it off...)

Battery Trouble
Anyone who's owned an iPod Shuffle for a year or so can tell you: those little internal batteries don't last long, and replacing them costs about as much as the player itself.

You can run your personal mp3 player from an AC outlet using a USB converter (which adds cost) but there's no way around battery trouble. And if you ever have a power failure with your mp3 player plugged into an outlet, it won't turn itself back on when the power resumes. Your on-hold could be off for weeks before you notice. Yes, you can get by for a little while, but you'll need to weigh the costs vs. benefits of avoiding a professional solution.

Monitor Speaker
With a commercial grade player, the external speaker and board controls allow you to quickly check your on-hold message to make sure everything's a-okay, and test it easily, too, when you load the message. With an iPod, you have to call your phone system and get placed on hold. That's a hassle.

I recommend...
A professional music on hold player meant for 24/7 on-hold playback. It has the proper amplification, A/C power and controls for ideal operability and excellent audio results.

We are a dealer for both the Nel-Tech and Pro-Digital USB players. Each comes with an excellent warranty of at least 3 years. Each includes memory drive, a built-in external monitor speaker, a built-in amplifier for extra oomph, and the unit runs on standard AC power.

If dependability, quality and your time are important to you, make the smart choice and choose the right player for the right job.

This post contributed by Tim Brown, who has more 30 years experience in radio, recording and live sound. He can be reached at: tim@easyonhold.com.

The Perfect Music On Hold Message

2007-03-14T14:04:00.000-05:00

Music on hold is mostly art and partly formula. Getting the right mix between the two is key to producing a music on hold message you AND your callers will love.

First, write a great script, written for the ear not the eye, that explains what problem you solve, what makes you unique and other pertinent product or service info your callers want to know. Do not blather on about how great you are (see my last post below on this topic). It's self-indulgent and earns you no points with your callers.

Second, hire a voiceover talent(s) who reads conversationally, not mechanically. You can spot an amateur announcer a mile away because they put emphasis on unimportant words and read in a sing-song pattern. Listen for someone who is having a chat with your callers, not talking at them.

Third, use great licensed music. What will make music on hold sound like old-fashioned Muzak is synthesized music (where instruments are "faked" by electronic keyboards) to a beat that tries to sound funky and hip but comes across as, um, dorky. A quality music on hold provider will have a modern, fully licensed music library for you to peruse at your leisure via a music on hold jukebox.

Take those three elements and carefully balance them out between talking and music. For a four-minute production, keep your script to under 400 words. We prefer about 360-375, with a combination of 'meaty' content and 'thank you for holding' caller-retention phrases, with about 15 seconds of music between each section.

This careful blends gives your caller time to listen to your content, have a music break to digest it mentally, and then be ready to learn more about how you can help THEM.

And there you have it--the formula for a perfect music on hold message.

Don't Break Your Arm Patting Yourself on the Back

2007-03-05T21:05:00.000-05:00

It's one thing to want to give your captive audience--your callers--helpful information with on hold messaging. It's quite another to abuse them with corporate platitudes only you care about. 'We are the only firm to... 'Our staff has 125 years of combined expertise...' 'Our mission is to provide the best...' Blah, blah, blah thinks your caller.

Why are these kinds of statements ineffective for music on hold (or really any marketing piece)? Two reasons: 1) Every other business makes the same vague claims, so the caller just tunes it out. 2) The caller is begging for you to tell them specifically how you'll solve their problem; they don't want to be forced to hear how great or smart or innovative or old or new or whatever you are.

It's not about you, man. It's about the caller.

When approaching your music on hold messaging script content, use 'you,' not 'we' statements and actions. That simple but distinctive switch in voice will force you to describe your products and services in a caller-focused writing style. 'You'll be on the road in no time with our hassle-free auto repair service. Out the door in one hour--guaranteed." This is different from "Our company is focused on providing excellent customer service." (Sound familiar?)

Many businesses find it hard to embrace this music on hold approach because higher ups love hearing how wonderful their company is. Fight this tendency for self-adulation and your on hold messaging will go from 'I hate being on hold' to 'hey, put me back on hold! I want to hear the rest of that!'

10 Ideas for Music On Hold Content

2007-02-19T08:50:00.000-05:00

Not knowing what to say in your music on hold script can keep you from making the leap into on hold messaging. Chances are, you have a lot of information your callers can use. Here are some ideas:

1. Your hours. Sometimes callers just want to know your store or office hours when they call. Tell them in your music on hold message. They get the information they need and hang up, and you have one less call to manage.

2. Location and directions. If you're in a hard to find location, be sure to state your address and how to get there--but make it easy on the ear, or say, "now grab a pen because you'll want to write this down."

3. A special offer to reward callers for holding. Reward your callers on hold by creating a promotion just for them. "We know you're holding--in fact, we want to thank you for your patience by giving you 10% off your order. Just mention this announcement when we come back on the line."

4. Support your traditional media promotions. You've spent valuable advertising dollars to get callers to call. Take advantage of hold time by talking up your latest promotions that they heard on radio, TV, newspaper inserts and direct mail. Full-circle.

5. A testimonial from a client or two. We've all bought a product because of someone else's endorsement. This one works, and can easily be recorded over the phone.

6. An award or product you've received. Go ahead, toot your horn. You'll build credibility and trust.

7. A change in name, address, etc. Hold time is one more channel for sharing important news your callers need to know.

8. A change in procedures. One of our clients, a national beauty-products supplier, has recently changed their shipping costs. Since this impacts virtually every one of their clients, and their hold times are about 2 minutes, they're mentioning it in every other paragraph. Smart.

9. Share the love at special holidays. Classy companies take the time at major holidays, especially Christmas and New Year's Day, to wish their callers greetings appropriate to the season. If you're a chocolatier, Valentine's Day would make the perfect holiday to talk up. If you're a U.S. military clothing supplier, you might want a special greeting for President's Day, Flag Day, Veteran's Day, Independence Day and Memorial Day.

10. You're hiring. Customers can make the best employees because they're already "sold" on your business. Get the word out to your biggest fans--your customers on hold.

I hope these tips are helpful, dear reader. Still not sure what to say? Our professional scriptwriters are former journalists and advertising writers. Ferreting out what's unique about you and interesting for your callers is what makes their hearts beat wildly. In fact, I can hear the thumping right now. Let us know how we can help. Go online to www.easyonhold.com, or email me at julie@easyonhold.com.

Music > What do Easy On Hold and Martha Stewart have in common?

2007-02-14T13:48:00.000-05:00

We can't stress how important music is to the quality of your music on hold production. Our music tracks, for example, are written by musicians who have penned jingles for clients like Cover Girl and who have collaborated with artists like Willie Nelson, Faith Hill, Queen Latifah and Ziggy Marley.

The other day I was watching Martha Stewart Living and heard one of our tracks. And same thing with the Rachael Ray Show, the Fox Movie Channel and Wife Swap. We're choosy about making sure our tracks are the best music in the industry--and you should be too. When you think about what makes a great on hold production, it's the music that your callers hang on to--or hang up to.

So here's to the best music for your music on hold. As Martha would say, "It's a good thing."

Marketing > Music on hold is legitimate tool, says Guerilla Marketing guru

2007-02-13T16:18:00.000-05:00

If you've been ignoring the possibilities of music on hold at your company, you're missing out on building critical rapport with your callers. But don't take my word for it. One of the biggest fans of music on hold is the marketing guru himself, Jay Conrad Levinson, author of the infamous Guerilla Marketing book.

In a column for Entrepreneur Magazine, Levinson writes, "If you absolutely must put callers on hold, let them benefit from your on-hold marketing by listening to music and fascinating news about your company, particularly about special offers and new products and services. Instead of resenting you, callers will appreciate you.”

Music. Fascinating news. Special offers and new products and services. The stuff of effective music on hold messages. So why is music on hold so...forgotten...by so many marketers? And hated by so many callers?

One reason could be the boring, cheesy, fake productions churned out by so many in our industry, often at the request of the client. It happens to us, too. The other day I wrote a script for a construction company. Now construction is not exactly a life-of-the-party kind of topic, but I made sure this company sounded engaging, interesting, worth doing business with. The company owner, however, wanted to 'reign it in.' So we mined copy from the website that was in that vague, corporatey, passive voice, never meant to be heard by the ear. It was boring, cheesy and fake.

The owner loved it. Sigh.

Is music on hold a legitimate marketing tool? Of course. But only when they are produced with an ear toward the caller, using active, energetic words and phrases that feel like a conversation, not a pitch. That's our goal at Easy On Hold--music on hold your callers will love.

USB on hold player tutorial>Video shows how to install mp3 player, load audio

2007-02-09T10:31:00.000-05:00

Ready to install your new USB on hold player or load your mp3 music on hold file onto the 'thumb' drive? Watch our two-minute USB music on hold player video tutorial and you'll become an expert in mere moments. It is that easy. Still have questions? Call us at 1-888-798-HOLD (4653) or email us at production@easyonhold.com. View the video here.

Music on hold > New mp3 players make on hold audio easier than ever

2007-02-08T11:10:00.000-05:00

If you've been relying on CDs or cassette tapes for music on hold playback, you're working too hard. And if you're considering entering into an expensive monthly contract with an on-hold provider who provides 'internet downloads' on equipment that will have to be installed, you'll be paying too much.

Over the last year, the industry's equipment manufacturers have risen to the occasion with the introduction of mp3 players to the market. Labs like Nel-Tech, Pro-Digital and Premier Technologies make getting on hold marketing messages onto your phones faster and more affordable. It's plug and play technology; no installation required.

The players work using a USB 'thumb' drive--so named because the drive is about the size of an adult thumb--to transfer on-hold production files emailed to you as mp3 files. If you know how to drag folders around on your computer, then you can do this. In fact, my 9-year-old can do it. Watch our short video tutorial to see how easy it really is.

The benefits?

Speed. The delivery is instanteous because it's via email. No more waiting for your CD or tape to arrive in the mail, or an internet download overnight. As soon as you approve it, it's emailed to you.
Reduced costs. No more shipping costs for CDs and tapes. And no expensive installation costs in order to have your messages downloaded over a dedicated fax or phone line. You plug these babies in and walk away.
Permanent storage on your hard drive. If you like to rotate your on-hold CDs or tapes each month or quarter, you know they can be a hassle to store or protect from damage. That problem is eliminated.

The players retail from $300-$400. Learn more about the players and music on hold at www.easyonhold.com/pricing or call 1-888-798-HOLD (4653).