Most advertising still invites potential customers to call, yet the phone remains one of the worst parts of the customer experience, creating a kind of income bottleneck.

About 75% of callers will hang up within a minute of on-hold silence, and 34% won’t call back.

Nobody likes being put on hold. Unfortunately it’s unavoidable in business. When you do put people on hold, what do callers hear? Most business owners have a hard time answering this question. After all, how often do you call your own business?

The following dos and don’ts will make this necessary evil as painless as possible.

DON’T

• Tell callers to go to your website. If they’re calling, they’ve probably already been there.

• Make the content about you. No one cares about your awards and certifications. Present callers with useful knowledge or unique offers.

• Say, “Your call is important to us.” If it was, they wouldn’t be on hold.

DO

• Respect their time. If possible, give them a call-back option.

• Let callers know how long they might be waiting. They’re more likely to stay if there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.

• Use music that suits your brand. If you sell farm equipment, you probably don’t want hip-hop.

BONUS

• Leverage branded assets. If you have brand music and/or a brand voice, both can be used to give callers a greater sense of connection and immersion.

Need more help preventing dropped calls? Give us a shout.