Why NOT to Use Billboard Charts Music While Customers Wait On-Hold

Countless businesses come to us in search of improving their customer service experience through on-hold music. While we will almost always recommend using on-hold messaging along with background music, there are people who think playing pop music from the Billboard Top 40 is the answer. We challenge this notion with the following reasons why playing popular music is a bad idea.

The first reason is pretty straightforward, and that is– not everyone enjoys pop music. In fact, even people who love pop music will flip the radio station faster than the blink of an eye if it’s a particular song they don’t like. While the type of music you play can certainly depend on the type of business you run and who you are trying to appeal to, recognizable music should be avoided as it could cast a negative image on your business.

Billboard Charts pop music is distracting to the message you are trying to relay. We focus on helping businesses communicate with customers effectively, whether they are on the line or put on-hold. Imagine a song comes on that everybody knows; it’s only natural to want to sing along… I even catch myself singing along even when I dislike a song. Businesses will be disappointed with their on-hold marketing efforts if pop music is played behind their message to customers. While customers and prospects are busy humming with the hold music, your message is not being heard. This is a counterproductive and inefficient use of resources. In other words – a complete waste of your time, their time, and your money!

Deciding what music to play on-hold is important. You don’t want to bore or even anger your customers with so-called “elevator music.” On the other hand, you don’t want to distract them either, and you certainly don’t want them to hang up. Customer service is a delicate balance. Knowing your audience is key to a successful relationship with them and winning client loyalty.