Music to Your Ears
After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible, is music.
—Aldous Huxley
Are you a Kenny G fan? Tribal drumming? Or do you run and hide as soon as you hear muzak when placed on hold? Nearly all of us can recall all the times we have listened to music while on hold; call any 1-800 number and you’ll be placed on hold after pressing 1 while waiting for an operator. Depending on the music, you may wait a bit or you may immediately hang up. It’s amazing how the type and rhythm of certain music can trigger a response in terms of staying on the line or not – all of which might depend on your gender and what type of music is playing.
When considering what type of music to use for your customers while they are on hold, t is important to know who your target market is. When putting together your overall marketing plan take the time to determine who will be the primary caller to your business. Is it a woman? Man? Age group? Baby boomer or Gen-X,Y,Z? This might seem trivial to focus on but research shows that men report a wait time as seeming the shortest when classical music was played; whereas women believed the wait seemed longest when classical music was played.
What about jazz as hold music? Time spent on hold seemed slightly shorter when light jazz is played based on 71 respondents. Rock was the least preferred across both gender groups and produced the longest waiting time estimates. It’s important to not leave your customers waiting in silence. Using a calming combination of light jazz music and acoustic/adult alternative might ensure that they will remain on the line while you are assisting other customers.
What about local talent? Comprise a list of songs by an array of local/state talent from different genre’s to showcase the talent and diversity of your community. Make sure that all songs have appropriate lyrical and musical content for a phone system (no loud, raucous music and no suggestive or graphic lyrics). Or be like our nation’s capital and have your on-hold telephone music be patriotic tunes.
Whatever genre of music you choose for on hold please keep in mind who are your callers. The influence of atmospherics in marketing is crucial – this is based on the premise of type of music and sound/volume level which can stimulate a response in your target market and their behavior.
Category: Blog
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