Call-Hold Marketing! Creative on-hold messages, advertising and image building.
  • Home
  • Audio Samples
  • First Contact
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Blog

Be aware of unaware phone equipment providers!

2/20/2012

1 Comment

 
Have you recently had work performed on your business phone system?  Be sure to check that your messages on-hold (MOH) are still broadcasting!

We recently received another call from from a client who was concerned that their on-hold marketing messages were no longer broadcasting.  After a little bit of troubleshooting and a few questions, it was ascertained that yes, as a matter of fact their equipment provider was out recently and had performed some minor maintenance.  And left them with a non-broadcasting MOH system.

We have seen this exact scenario so many times, it's now one of the first things we ask when someone calls about a MOH broadcasting issue.  And more often than not, they answer in the affirmative.

What to do? 
  1. Call your equipment provider.
  2. Have your ducks in a row.  Be sure to tell them the date/time they came out and who the technician was.
  3. Inform them that yes, they performed the service they came out to perform, but in doing so they inadvertently disconnected your messages on-hold broadcast. 
  4. Stay friendly - you want to keep them on your side. Tell them that you understand it was done in error, but the error was theirs and you appreciate their ability to correct their mistake.
  5. Most importantly - do NOT allow them to charge you a service fee. You may have to get firm here.  Many equipment providers are notorious for nickel & diming (or benjamin-ing) clients every time they make a service call. INSIST that they MUST do this to make your phone system perform in the way it was performing BEFORE they came out.
  6. Stay friendly, but firm. Keep reiterating that you appreciate their professionalism and their willingness to correct their problem. 
  7. If they continue to push the service fee issue, take it up the food chain.  Talk to the manager or owner.  Most folks are reasonable and understanding about good customer service.    
1 Comment

It's National Compliment Day! (seriously)

1/24/2012

1 Comment

 
     Is that a new shirt you're wearing today?  It looks marvelous!!

A couple of things occurred to me when I read that today is National Compliment Day:
  • Anyone can or will make a "holiday" out of anything.
  • It's not that hard to say something nice to someone, even if you're simply making it up.
  • The late/great newsman Eric Sevareid got it right when he stated: “The key to success in life is ‘sincerity.’  Once you learn to fake that, you’ve got it made!”
  • No, really!  That's an exquisite shirt!
1 Comment

The FaceLinkedTwit Conundrum

1/9/2012

0 Comments

 
Looking for assurances that your marketing message is actually being heard?

Sure, you probably have folks who assist you with your social media (or you do it yourself), carefully honing your marketing message to create a clear business presence.  But I mentioned assurances.

Assurances can be as close as the phone on your desk.  And whereas most social media depends on hoping that someone else does something (clicking a link, reading an email, spotting a post),  you literally have the control in your own hand when customers call.

For example (you knew this was coming, right?...) - let's say you're a small pharmacy.  98% of your customers know that you fill prescriptions.  But what extra services do you provide that they may not otherwise know?  Are you a compounding pharmacy? Can you provide medicines prescribed by veterinarians?  Do you provide flu shots or other types of common vaccinations and/or inoculations?   This is the type of information that can (and should) be communicated to customers who call to check on their prescription and then are placed on hold.

There are hundreds, if not thousands of businesses that could benefit from this type of audio cross-marketing tool. Does your business make the best use of hold time with your customers?
0 Comments

Phone calls VS email - do the math!

8/2/2011

1 Comment

 
     Much of doing business these days involves a newly acquired communication skill essential in the 21st century - mind-reading.  That is, does the person you're trying to get in touch with prefer email or is the telephone their preference?  With new clients/prospects, it can often end up being a big guessing game.

     Call me old-school, but I'm still a phone guy.  The primary reason is simple mathematics: if I'm needing an answer to a question, I quickly add up the amount of time and/or complexity that I believe the query will take.  If I can knock it out with a quick email, so be it.  But more often than not, the time it takes for me to compose, proof, re-compose, take out the stupid joke, re-proof, add the appropriate emoticon, etc., is almost ALWAYS longer than it takes to pick up the phone and make the call. 

     Of course, the great unknown variable here is "the party to whom I am speaking."  One never knows if they'll be available to take a call.  And after a day or two of unreturned phone calls, one has to eventually come to the conclusion that they may simply prefer to communicate via email, so then it's time to shift to Plan B (or plan E, if you will).

I've seen this topic discussed across the interwebs over the years and have noticed that those who prefer email often STRONGLY prefer email ("I'd kill before I'd pick up a phone!!!").  If so - why? What's your time worth?


 
1 Comment

First of the month musings

8/1/2011

2 Comments

 
     So, did you know that the month of August is: 
  • National Immunization Month (coincides with National Back-to-School Monthl!) 
  • National Psoriasis Month
  • Cataract Awareness Month
  • Happiness Happens Month 
  • Panini Month (a nice panini WOULD make me happy right now!)
  • ...and Win With Civility Month (are you paying attention, elected representatives?)
Picture
   
It's also Audio Appreciation Month - one of our favorite months of the year!  So go hug a woofer and be nice to your tweeter this month.   

2 Comments

    Call-Hold Marketing!

    We have a wide range of interests and views here at Call-Hold Marketing.  This is the page where you'll find them.  Some serious - some not.  You be the judge.

    Archives

    February 2012
    January 2012
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Communication
    Time Management

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.