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Engineers risk losing custom by playing generic hold music

Home > Around the Industry > Engineers risk losing custom by playing generic hold music
Source: PHMG Engineering firms’ call handling standards have come into question as the result of a major study into telephone practice. The research conducted by audio branding specialist PHMG, which audited 543 firms in the engineering trade, discovered the large majority risk losing custom by subjecting customers to generic music and audio while on hold.

Typically, waiting on hold is seen as a major bugbear but 64% of engineering firms still leave customers listening to nothing but generic music. A further 14% leave them in silence, while 13% subject callers to beeps and 7% force them to listen to ringing.

Only one percent employ brand-consistent voice and music messaging - viewed as the best practice approach to handling calls – less than the national average of two percent. 

The research also found 95% of engineering firms do not even use auto attendant messaging to greet customers who call up outside of normal working hours.

It also seems call handling standards have not significantly improved when comparing the results to a similar study conducted in 2013. The number of companies playing repetitive music has increased by 45% during that period while there hasn’t been any improvement in the number using brand-consistent voice and music.

“The trends over the past three years suggest engineers believe generic music is enough to keep callers entertained but this can actually have the opposite effect,” added Williamson.




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