JANUARY:

Batteries Plus #195 (Wichita, KS)
Kroll On Track Call Center (Eden Prairie, MN)
Pacific Coast Produce (Oxnard, CA)

FEBRUARY:

Batteries Plus #164 (Cincinnati, OH)
Batteries Plus #498 (Mount Laurel, NJ)
Costco #01105 (Ancaster, ON- Canada)
Express Lab Lens (Fountain Valley, CA)
Eyemart Express #186 (Grand Forks, ND)
Gallelli & Gallelli Law Firm (Beverly Hills, CA)
Hyatt Market Street (The Woodlands, TX)
Hyatt the Pike (Long Beach, CA)
Pleasant Holidays- AAA Vacations (Westlake Village, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #35 (Santa Monica, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #39 (Los Angeles, CA)

MARCH:

Batteries Plus #411 (Whippany, NJ)
Costco #01108 (Farr, TX)
Dr. Douglas Osborne’s Office (Carlsbad, CA)
Eat’n Park #67 (Irwin, PA)

Anyone can put up a canned message on a purchased distribution device, but does it reflect the quality, branding, and professionalism desired? Such “template” kinds of telephone programs are often relatively inexpensive, but businesses give up a great deal in terms of flexibility, content delivery, image, caller engagement, and time that must be spent managing and updating the marketing messaging.

These significant drawbacks and limitations are particularly evident for companies with multiple locations. Each market and each store may have very specific differences in how and what they promote in their geographic area. To be truly effective and to keep costs down in terms of man hours and dollars, the phone on-hold provider must have the experience, equipment and talent to do the job properly.

At Phone On-Hold Marketing Systems, we suggest that businesses should never buy their messaging equipment, which can be costly to purchase, maintain, and upgrade as new technology emerges. Be equally cautious if leasing the equipment. Many of the cut-rate providers lease the equipment through third parties. If your primary provider goes out of business and you need service, you are on your own, and you are still responsible for the lease payments. A bona fide phone on-hold company will provide their proprietary equipment as part of your fee. They will also service and fix it, as needed.

On the creative side, the “cookie cutter” templates are not in the best interests of businesses and can adversely affect the quality and type of messaging produced. The unsophisticated, static “Thank you for your call,” “Your business is important to us,” “Thank you for holding,” and similar, useless platitudes will do little to express who you are and set your business apart from the others out there. It also cheapens this important marketing tool.

As to costs, the decision on what phone on-hold provider to choose should not be based solely on the lowest price. Companies need to do some due diligence and know with whom they are dealing. At a minimum, get answers to the following questions:
• How many years of experience do they have in the phone on-hold industry?
• Are there customer references you can review?
• Is their production facility operating out of their house or in a substantive, brick and mortar office with talented marketing professionals?
• What is the range and cost of services?
• Are there any capital outlays for equipment?
• Are marketing programs versatile and allow for customization, regardless of the number of store locations?
• Is creative and equipment service readily available and included in the price?
• Can changes in messaging be done within a few days?

Businesses need to go with someone who has a strong track record of providing convenient, reliable, efficient, effective, and full-time support. Consider this: your company’s brand and reputation are literally on the line. The telephone may be your company’s first contact with a customer or prospect and the experience had better be a good one. It should reflect your overall image, quality, and professionalism, which templates and “off-the-shelf” programs just cannot project.
For any questions or help with a phone on-hold marketing campaign, contact Phone On-Hold® Marketing Systems at 800-465-3102 or e-mail info@phoneonhold.com. We produce communication networks for businesses that want to improve customer retention, increase sales, and reinforce the strength of their unique brands.

Batteries Plus #890 (Niles, IL)
Eyemart Express #178 (Greenville, NC)
Eyemart Express #180 (Wilmington, NC)
Eyemart Express # 183 (Anchorage, AK)
Hollywood Entertainment Center (Branson, MO)
Hollywood Wax Entertainment Center (Pigeon Forge, TN)
Hollywood Wax Museum (Los Angeles, CA)
Hyatt Grand Washington (Washington DC)
Mahelona Medical Center (Kapaa, HI)
Perfect Line (Camarillo, CA)
West Kauai Clinic – Kalaheo (Kalaheo, HI)
West Kauai Clinic – Port Allen (Eleele, HI)

Even when someone calls your business, if you have to put them on hold, make certain your on-hold messages are in line with the other media you may be using. For example, if you’re advertising a two-for-one offer of your product in the local newspaper, you should have the same special featured in your on-hold message. This extends your marketing efforts and verifies the offer that may have attracted the caller in the first place.

This kind of consistency is particularly important if you have more than one store location. To maximize your impact and reinforce your current marketing strategies, your on-hold messages need to be of the current and captivating in all stores.

Now, with that said, many multi-store companies may find it necessary to have local specials that are unique to their service areas. Your phone on-hold marketing should also be able to accommodate any variations seamlessly and keep the burden off the shoulders of the individual store managers.

A good phone on-hold marketing company should provide the following benefits for multi-store location businesses:
• Minimize corporate staff and store managers’ time, including creative, production, fulfillment/download
• Customize content by location, regardless of number of stores
• Control messages, including approach, style, tone, and content that is pre-approved
• Control timing of release and change of information on sales offers, expiration dates, etc.
• Change content as often as needed and within 1-3 days
• Coordinate messaging with overall company strategy and other marketing efforts
• Provide remote downloading of all content to any or all locations in minutes
• Provide content and branding consistency and professionalism
• Provide licensed, residual-free music
• Provide pre-approve/preview of all content remotely for each store
• Offer seasonal campaign support
• Allow password-protected auditions online for multi-level/location approvals
• Require no capital outlay for equipment
• Provide technical support should the equipment fail

If we can answer any questions or help you plan your next campaign, contact Phone On-Hold® Marketing Systems at 800-465-3102 or e-mail info@phoneonhold.com. We produce communication networks for businesses that want to improve customer retention, increase sales, and reinforce the strength of their unique brands.

In his new book, “Holding Power: Building Long Lasting Relationships with the Push of a Button,” Pete Turpel, owner of Phone On-Hold Marketing Systems, says “On-hold messages should be professionally produced and must provide information of value to the person calling. Callers want to know what a company does and how it benefits them.”

There are many on-hold messages that could be used to enhance a company’s brand, build customer loyalty, and improve sales. Here are 10 good ones for your consideration:
1. Let the caller know how your company is different from your competition and why that’s good for the customer.
2. Tell callers about any new products or services and how they are beneficial.
3. Answer recently asked customer questions.
4. Discuss how your company can solve specific customer concerns or meet needs they have expressed.
5. Describe any community support activities, as people like doing business with someone connected to their area.
6. Mention any recent awards that help set you apart from competitors and demonstrate your professionalism.
7. Share customer testimonials relating to your product quality and/or services.
8. Reference hours of operation, including holiday hours.
9. Tell callers how they may be able to reach you online or after hours, as appropriate.
10. Promote any limited time offers.

The telephone is a powerful marketing tool that we often take for granted. It’s an all-important first contact with a prospective customer, so it’s essential that the on-hold messaging is crisp, informative, and communicates the most important information about a company. This helps draw people in and encourages their return in the future.

Phone On-Hold Marketing Systems can be reached at 800-465-3102 or through e-mail at info@phoneonhold.com.

Atascadero Hay & Feed (Atascadero, CA)
Batteries Plus #487 (Glen Ellyn, IL)
Batteries Plus #490 (Schaumburg, IL)
Brendan Vacations #3- Anaheim (Anaheim, CA)
Costco #01097 (Frisco, TX)
Eat’n Park #84 (Austintown, OH)
Eat’n Park #51 (Erie, PA)
Eat’n Park #63 (Warren, OH)
Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbytrn- Radiology (Newport Beach, CA)
Hyatt on Main- Sierra Green Bay (Green Bay, WI)
Roti8 Restaurant (Danville, CA)
Sit’n Sleep- Sleep Well Inc. PILOT (Gardena, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #11 (Culver City,CA)
Sit’n Sleep #13 (Tarzana, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #14 (Montebello, CA)
Sit ‘n Sleep #15 (Laguna Hills, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #16 (Upland, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #17 (Santa Ana, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #18 (Santa Clarita, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #19 (Torrance, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #30 (Puente Hills, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #21 (Oxnard, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #22 (Westminster, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #23 Glendale- CORP (Glendale, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #24 (Norco, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #25 (Palmdale, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #26 (Murrieta, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #27 (Rancho Mirage, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #28 (Cerritos, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #29 (Brea, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #30 (Fullerton, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #31 (West Covina, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #32 (Pasadena, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #33 (Redlands, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #34 (Anaheim, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #35 (Santa Monica, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #36 (Costa Mesa, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #37 (Agoura, CA)
Sit’n Sleep #38 (Studio City) CA

Welcome to Phone On-Hold® Marketing Systems!

Batteries Plus #431 (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Batteries Plus #858 (Roseburg, OR)
Batteries Plus #870 (Midwest City, OK)
Costco #1101 (Pewaukee, WI)
Costco #1102 (Augusta. GA)
Costco #1103 (Warminster, PA)
Eat’n Park #65 (Grove City, PA)
Los Robles Imaging Center (Moorpark, CA)
Tel-Us Call Center (Beverly Hills, CA)

Welcome to Phone On-Hold® Marketing Systems!

In his new book, “Holding Power: Building Long Lasting Relationships with the Push of a Button,” Pete Turpel, owner of Phone On-Hold Marketing Systems, says many companies actually turn off the callers with the content and/or style of on-hold messages. He notes, “In the 1980s, when the phone-on industry was in its infancy, it was common for unknowing companies to use platitudes and apologetics such as ‘thanks for holding,’ ‘we’re sorry you have to wait,’ and ‘we value your business.’”

These insincere phrases have been shown to actually irritate callers. Yet, today, when 70 percent of all callers in the United States will be put on hold when calling companies, Turpel sees many businesses still using the antiquated words and sales tactics that will more than likely drive business away, rather than attract it.

So, if you want to really annoy your customers and prospects, here’s what you can do:
1. Ignore the callers without presenting a clue about who you are and what you do.
2. Remind them that they are on hold.
3. Tell them you appreciate their business even though you may never have dealt with them.
4. Play irritating commercial jingles that can grind on callers.
5. Play recognizable music that takes away from information about your business that may be of importance to the callers.
6. Pack a ton of information into the content so the voice-over announcer has to speed through the company’s messages.
7. Use grating, dragging, inappropriate or unintelligible music to entertain on-hold guests.
8. Greet callers with nothing but “dead air” instead of with information on your business that benefits and informs callers.
9. Shout your slogans and sales pitches rather than create an even, positive pace.
10. Use unprofessional or quirky spokespeople to deliver your messages.

Turpel notes, “Phone on-hold marketing is a very personal, powerful tool that has a 30-year history of creating additional sales and enhancing a company’s brand. The telephone is the first point of contact and it needs to properly represent a business and engage and draw in prospective customers. Phone on-hold marketing works when sharing information of value to callers, not attacking or annoying them.”

Turpel’s book delves into many of the myths associated with phone on-hold content and explores ways to improve the customer experience, even when they are waiting to talk with a “live” person. Phone On-Hold Marketing Systems can be reached at 800-465-3102 or through e-mail at info@phoneonhold.com.

Batteries Plus #62 (Fort Myers, FL)
Batteries Plus #77 (Cape Coral, FL)
Batteries Plus #452 (Naples, FL)
Batteries Plus #453 (Bonita Springs, FL)
Batteries Plus #478 (Austin, TX)
Batteries Plus #479 (Westlake Hills, TX)
Bay Vision Eyecare Optometry #2 (Hayward, CA)
Eyemart Express #163 (Greensboro, NC)
Eyemart Express #173 (Pueblo, CO)
Eyemart Express #179 (Fayetteville, NC)
Quesa-D-yas (Dallas, TX)

Welcome to Phone On-Hold® Marketing Systems!