Comments on: Tips for putting customers on hold http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/ FOCUSING ON CUSTOMERS, THEIR EXPERIENCES, AND HOW BUSINESSES CAN MAKE SURE THEIR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES ROCK! Thu, 10 May 2012 05:32:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Clients Use Hold-Time to Consider Your Competitors « Fresh Ideas http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-4488 Clients Use Hold-Time to Consider Your Competitors « Fresh Ideas Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:56:57 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-4488 [...] Carroll writes on the blog Customers Rock, “The best wait experience is no wait experience at all.” Stay on the phone with your clients [...] [...] Carroll writes on the blog Customers Rock, “The best wait experience is no wait experience at all.” Stay on the phone with your clients [...]

]]> By: Becky Carroll http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-1333 Becky Carroll Tue, 17 Apr 2007 03:22:03 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-1333 Ron, thanks for weighing in on this one! There seem to be a few organizations that don't leave customers on hold for any length of time (Southwest and Lands' End come to mind immediately), and I am not sure how they do it. Great resource planning is difficult for contact centers, but it can obviously be done. What gets old is when it is an "unusually high number of calls" every time you call! Thank you also for your thoughts on giving out estimates. If the estimate can be fairly accurate, then I think it is a good idea to set expectations. You definitely don't want to miss on that one! Ron, thanks for weighing in on this one! There seem to be a few organizations that don’t leave customers on hold for any length of time (Southwest and Lands’ End come to mind immediately), and I am not sure how they do it. Great resource planning is difficult for contact centers, but it can obviously be done. What gets old is when it is an “unusually high number of calls” every time you call!

Thank you also for your thoughts on giving out estimates. If the estimate can be fairly accurate, then I think it is a good idea to set expectations. You definitely don’t want to miss on that one!

]]> By: Ron E. http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-1334 Ron E. Mon, 16 Apr 2007 01:23:42 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-1334 You are so right.. from the customers side being put in hold is a very nasty and every now and then a horrible experience. However as bad as it really is, it is true from a business side that it isn't possible to have people to attend to each and every single call at every given moment. Like you mention, I agree with your recommendations; except with one: I personally don't like giving out an estimate amount. It is far too trivial and usually not true. It just pushes the customer's -negative- button and can get her pretty angry and prep'd up for a nice old-fashioned telephone fight. Good post, Ron E. http://brandcurve.com You are so right.. from the customers side being put in hold is a very nasty and every now and then a horrible experience. However as bad as it really is, it is true from a business side that it isn’t possible to have people to attend to each and every single call at every given moment.

Like you mention, I agree with your recommendations; except with one: I personally don’t like giving out an estimate amount. It is far too trivial and usually not true. It just pushes the customer’s -negative- button and can get her pretty angry and prep’d up for a nice old-fashioned telephone fight.

Good post,
Ron E.
http://brandcurve.com

]]> By: Becky Carroll http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-1335 Becky Carroll Fri, 13 Apr 2007 22:17:09 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-1335 Lewis, you are right about how customers feel when they are put on hold. Messaging is better than dead space but not as nice as music! Ryan, thanks for the clever comment! I appreciate your honest spirit. Lewis, you are right about how customers feel when they are put on hold. Messaging is better than dead space but not as nice as music!

Ryan, thanks for the clever comment! I appreciate your honest spirit.

]]> By: Ryan Karpeles http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-1337 Ryan Karpeles Fri, 13 Apr 2007 17:24:40 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-1337 This is what I would prefer to hear (in a calm, non-sappy, honest voice): "Sorry we have to put you on hold. We realize everyone in the world hates being on hold, so once again--we apologize. Right now we estimate your wait time to be about 10 minutes (always overestimate here). You can either listen to some mildly entertaining music while you wait, or simply press 2 and we'll call you back as soon as humanly possible. Seriously. Thanks for your patience." This is what I would prefer to hear (in a calm, non-sappy, honest voice):

“Sorry we have to put you on hold. We realize everyone in the world hates being on hold, so once again–we apologize. Right now we estimate your wait time to be about 10 minutes (always overestimate here). You can either listen to some mildly entertaining music while you wait, or simply press 2 and we’ll call you back as soon as humanly possible. Seriously. Thanks for your patience.”

]]> By: Lewis Green http://customersrock.net/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/comment-page-1/#comment-1336 Lewis Green Fri, 13 Apr 2007 14:51:56 +0000 http://customersrock.wordpress.com/2007/04/12/tips-for-putting-customers-on-hold/#comment-1336 Becky, I hate waiting onhold, which is bad news for the support person who gets me, as by the time they answer the phone, I am in an angry mood. But, if I have to sit onhold, give me music, preferably jazz or blues. Don't tell me how important I am with messaging because by placing me onhold, I already know I am the least important part of your day. Becky,

I hate waiting onhold, which is bad news for the support person who gets me, as by the time they answer the phone, I am in an angry mood.

But, if I have to sit onhold, give me music, preferably jazz or blues. Don’t tell me how important I am with messaging because by placing me onhold, I already know I am the least important part of your day.

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