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How to write the perfect script
A short guide to help you create the perfect audio and music on hold scripts for your business.
Enhance your customers experience
Music-on-Hold scripts, also known as MOH scripts, have quickly become a standard communication solution for small to medium-sized businesses that need to keep customers engaged while on hold.
During peak call times throughout the year, you may find that opportunities are lost because your customer cannot wait for the conversation to begin. When using an MOH script, the conversation begins as soon as your customer picks up the phone and dials, helping to keep them engaged, even if no one is directly available to answer the call.
Customers understand the importance of their call, but how can you make it a memorable experience for them – especially when they have to wait for their called to be answered? We know that your customer is more likely to stay on the line and wait for an agent if you provide them with unique, personalised, and relevant information.
Below, we’ve added some top tips to help you create a positive caller experience; with a unique and personal touch; that can make a real difference to your customers and business.
Determine what information your customers require.
This is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the process – write down as many ideas as possible. This is where brainstorming techniques come in, now keep them safe and update and refresh them on a regular basis.
One script is never enough…
Because businesses and information can change in an instant, why shouldn’t your MOH messages? Find a calendar and go through each month to ensure you haven’t missed any important opportunities, such as a new product launch, special offers, or holiday hours. Then go over it again, cross-referencing with your brainstorming ideas, to develop a strategy for determining what messages you want and when.
Once they’re all written, you can mix and match them with little effort or waste time redrafting.
Keep it simple!
Remember that your customers aren’t reading the message and can’t go back in time. Create short sentences with simple language – it needs to go in one ear and stick! Long words and complicated grammar could alienate your customers, so keep the tone light and your message simple.
Keep everyone in the loop.
Are your team following up on the information that you customers hear while on hold? Do they have any idea how those recordings sound? Maintaining training and encouraging employees to listen to your messages keeps the company focused on current needs, looking professional, and driving results.
Stay upbeat’
Have you got news you’d like to share or reached a significant milestone? Allowing your customers to know about the company’s achievements can help them form an image of professionalism and success before they even speak with you. If you need to make a point with a negative connotation, try to flip the perception. For example, “all of our agents are currently busy…” could be “we’re getting an agent ready for you…” The message is the same, but much more upbeat and personal.
Give information that can be difficult to find.
Is there any information that you don’t have on your website that you think is interesting? For example, an anecdote about how the company got started or an interesting fact that helps contextualise your company’s USP. If you can educate your customers and provide them with a factoid or two that they didn’t know before, their perception of your company will improve, allowing you to maintain a personal connection with them.
Know your competition.
Knowing your competition can help you find new solutions and ideas that you may not have considered previously. How do your competitors’ messages sound? Do you like how they sound, or note anything you’d want to adapt? Listening to other companies messages can be a great source of inspiration; however, always remember to keep your business tone of voice.
Say it once, say it twice…
Is there a specific time of year when you need to get a specific message across? This could be a deadline for a delivery service during a holiday, or a temporary change in business operating hours. By repeating something at the beginning and end of your message, it increases the chances of your caller remembering the information. But remember, having multiple messages comes in handy; to avoid message fatigue and caller frustration from listening to the same message again and again.
Inform your clients about the call.
Depending on your business, letting customers know where they stand in your queue may or may not be a good idea. Typically, the deciding factor is based on your call volume/length and any customer feedback figures you have. If you notice that customers are becoming frustrated due to being on hold for too long, this may help alleviate their frustrations by keeping them informed and allowing them to make their own decision as to whether or not to hang on the line. If you’ve only ever had one or two people on hold and your call lengths are typically long, this may be more detrimental because a caller may expect a quick response. Consider it from your customer’s perspective and ask yourself what you’d prefer.
Make it unforgettable.
We all let out a little sigh when we hear an automated message. So why not try to a little bit of fun or an interesting fact can all be used to ‘flip the script’ on an otherwise negative experience.
