How On-Hold/Pre-pickup/On-hold Messaging Music Enhances Your Brand

On-hold/pre-pickup music or audio, which plays when customers are placed on hold during phone contact with a business, serves several important purposes during these critical moments when customers await a representative..Your customer service line represents a rare opportunity for live interaction with your audience. It’s a moment where they choose to actively engage with you. This could be one of the few times you get to directly connect and communicate with them.

On-hold/pre-pickup music has evolved from the days of hearing simple beeps or silence while waiting on hold. Today, businesses realize the value of using on-hold audio strategically to shape the customer experience. The right on-hold music can improve customer perceptions of the brand, reduce hang-ups, and set the desired mood during the waiting moments.

When crafted effectively as part of a larger audio branding strategy, on-hold audio creates an opportunity to further connect the customer with the brand. It also promotes consistency across different touchpoints. With mindful audio choices, businesses can optimize the on-hold experience for their brand.

Setting the Mood

The right pre-pickup or on-hold music can put customers in the ideal mindset before interacting with an agent. Upbeat, energetic music tends to encourage sales calls and improve purchase intent. Meanwhile, calming, relaxing music is better suited for complaint calls to soothe unhappy customers. 

The tempo, genre, and feel of the music sets the mood. Fast, lively music promotes urgency and excitement. Slow, gentle music reduces anxiety. Choosing music that matches the intent of the call and desired customer mindset is crucial. Sales calls warrant stimulating tunes to get customers eager to buy. But complaint calls demand soothing songs to ease tensions. 

Beyond mood, pre-pickup music also focuses the customer's mindset. If purchasing is the goal, music with driving rhythms and an upbeat tempo get customers ready to spend. The energy transfers into a readiness to take action. But if complaints are common, peaceful music with slower tempos shifts energy away from frustration. Customers become more receptive to resolving issues.

So setting the right pre-pickup mood using tempo, genre, and feel of music can optimize the customer's mindset before ever speaking to an agent. Choosing music that aligns with the desired emotional state you want customers to experience can make the wait time more pleasant. If customers start off feeling relaxed and content while waiting, they will be more patient on the line and have a better opinion of your brand. The music primes them emotionally for the upcoming interaction.

"Don’t repeat the same music mindlessly. Adapt it to the context. Telephone on-hold music should have lots of variety and surprises to keep the caller interested and reduce hang-ups"

Dr Philip Kotler

Reducing perceived wait times

Having music play while a customer is on hold can make the wait time feel shorter compared to silence. Studies have shown that customers perceive time as passing faster when listening to music versus sitting in silence. 

The reason for this is that music serves as a distraction from the boredom of waiting on hold. When customers have something interesting to listen to, it captures their attention and makes the time seem to go by quicker. Additionally, when customers are greeted with music that is not only pleasant but also carefully chosen to match the nature of their call, their likelihood of staying on the line increases significantly. This effective use of music not only minimizes frustration during the wait but also fosters a sense of goodwill towards the brand, indirectly contributing to a more positive overall customer service experience.

Brands should take these factors into account when selecting their on-hold or pre-pickup music. The goal is to make customers feel like the wait is speeding by rather than dragging on endlessly.

Connecting with the Brand

A company's on-hold music is a powerful way to reinforce brand identity and build customer loyalty. The style and genre of music should align with the brand's image and values. For example, a hip clothing retailer may use upbeat indie music, while a luxury hotel would select tranquil classical or spa music. 

The melodies and instruments used in on-hold music also influence brand perception. Unique, memorable melodies will stand out from competitors and remind customers of positive brand associations. Repeated exposure to original compositions can increase familiarity and preference for a brand.

In contrast, canned or generic on-hold music fails to connect emotionally with customers or differentiate the brand. By investing in custom music that reflects the brand's personality, companies can turn on-hold time into an opportunity to resonate with customers and build lasting affinity. The right music strategically connects the brand to customers' emotions and memories.

Consistency Across Touch-points

Using consistent audio branding is especially important for omnichannel brands that interact with customers across physical and digital environments. Whether a customer visits a store, calls support, browses the website, or sees an online ad, the consistent audio branding theme and sonic identity helps tie everything together into a seamless experience, reinforces brand identity and recognition. This strengthens brand recall and retention in the customer's mind.

Smart companies realize the power of music consistency to strengthen brand recognition. They invest in custom composed music that reflects their brand promise and use it across every consumer touchpoint. While it requires more upfront work, having cohesive audio branding pays off through higher brand loyalty and repeat business. The familiar tunes act like an audio logo ingrained in customers' minds.

Voiceover Considerations

Whether or not to include a voiceover with on-hold music is an important consideration. Voiceovers can provide helpful information and instructions to callers, enhancing the customer experience. However, they also introduce another audio element that needs to blend well with the on-hold/pre-pickup music.

In general, a voiceover in on-hold messaging makes the most sense for service-oriented businesses where providing directions or updates is useful for callers on hold. For example, a doctor's office may want to include periodic reminders about their online patient portal or appointment cancellation policy. Or a retail store could let customers know about an upcoming sale. 

The music itself should be taken into account as well. If a voiceover conflicts tonally with the onhold music, the blending of audio elements will not be cohesive. Upbeat music with a serious voiceover or calm music with a cheerful voiceover can come across as disjointed. Professional audio branding experts can provide recommendations to ensure the voiceover complements the musical selection.

Ultimately, the business context and onhold music should dictate whether a voiceover makes sense or if simple onhold music is preferable. Both options can contribute to a positive customer experience when thoughtfully implemented. The key is choosing the right audio approach for the brand.

On-hold/pre-pickup music is an important part of the customer experience and brand identity. Call your service line, if you don’t like what you hear contact us.