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Q: What is on-hold messaging equipment?
A: Although there are a few different versions, on-hold messaging equipment operates on a standard premise: it hooks into a business' existing phone system and occupies the hold space. Now, occupying hold space is not some sort of paramilitary exercise. What the equipment does is allow a company to provide callers, placed on-hold, with a customized message/music mix instead of silence or elevator music.
The majority of on-hold devices available today are either continuous loop cassette players or digital playback systems. Continuous loop units simply play a cassette, which contains the on-hold program, over and over without interruption. Digital units perform the same task, with the difference being the program is downloaded onto a solid-state memory chip, by way of either a standard cassette or via the phone line to which the unit is connected. The information then plays continually from digital memory.
The customized programs these units recite ideally should come from an on-hold provider with an in-house copywriting department, recording facilities and voice talents. When a program is created and completed by professionals who are experienced in producing on-hold messaging, a company is ensured of quality work that will purvey a better image.
Q: What will an on-hold message system do for me?
A: A message-on-hold (MOH) system will perform a variety of tasks, all serving one purpose--keeping folks happy on hold, thus reducing caller abandonment rates. A fact of life for a successful company is that people are put on telephone hold. When your staff is busy and productive, it is impossible to handle every call the moment it comes in. MOH allows a company to give callers individual attention, while effectively handling phone overflow. Calls are answered by a receptionist, who ascertains where each needs to be directed, and then callers are placed with MOH until their party is available.
Whereas silence gives callers no information, and the use of a radio station prevents a company from regulating what callers hear on-hold, MOH enables a company to effectively communicate with individuals who are hanging on. While callers wait for the individual with whom they need to speak, they learn about a company's philosophy and history, as well as...