Despite a myriad of new communication options, nothing quite beats the value of a live conversation. Sure, consumers can email, text, tweet or use any number of social applications to contact the companies they do business with, but having that human interaction is what sets that experience apart from any other method.
When a customer and a company representative can speak with one another, the customer receives a number of benefits they normally wouldn’t by using digital technology. For example, if an email leads to a follow-up question, there is no guarantee that it will be answered right away. If a caller can ask that same question over the phone, they can be helped instantly.
The same advantages can be obtained on the business side. Suppose a salesperson and a prospect are sharing emails or social media messages. There is only so much information that can be gleaned from this sort of communication. Speaking with each other breaks down barriers and helps both ends of the conversation.
The issue, of course, is actually getting the customer on the phone. During busy periods, callers may have to wait on hold before they can speak with a business rep, which makes digital communication all the more enticing.
Sarrah Le Marquand, a contributor to The Daily Telegraph, wrote a recent piece detailing the loss of her phone and the subsequent actions she took to maintain her communication with the outside world. Le Marquand explained that once she could no longer make calls, she said good riddance to long wait times and took the digital route instead.
“Like many of my generation I live by the philosophy ‘Why ring when you can text/tweet/email instead?'” Le Marquand wrote.
The trouble is this sort of communication isn’t nearly as effective. However, companies that offer callers no incentive to stay on the line while they wait for a live rep cannot blame them for hanging up and using their computers or the SMS application on their cell phones.
To ensure that callers do stay on the line long enough to speak with business reps, companies must implement hold messaging designed to engage customers and improve the waiting experience. People lead busy lives and want value added to their time. On hold solutions can do exactly that.