Your business changes throughout the year. Services change. Promotions come and go. Hours change for holidays. New employees join the team. New locations open. Seasonal services become more important.
But there’s one part of the customer experience businesses often forget to update: what callers hear while they’re on hold.
So, how often should a business update its on-hold messages?
Businesses should review their on-hold messages at least several times a year and update them whenever important information changes. Seasonal promotions, new products or services, staffing changes, holiday hours, special events, and outdated offers are all good reasons to refresh an on-hold program. Even when nothing major has changed, periodically updating the content can keep the caller experience fresh and relevant.
Your on-hold program shouldn’t be something you record once and forget. It’s an ongoing communication and marketing opportunity.
Why Should Businesses Update Their On-Hold Messages?
Think about everything that has changed in your business during the past year.
Maybe you’ve introduced a new service.
Perhaps your website has changed, you’ve added a location, expanded your service area, or changed your business hours.
Your on-hold messages should reflect the business you are today, not the business you were two or three years ago.
Regular updates also give you an opportunity to tell callers about services they may not know you offer.
A customer may be calling about one thing while your on-hold program introduces them to something else they need.
That’s what makes on-hold messaging different from simply playing music.
How Often Should On-Hold Messages Be Reviewed?
There’s no universal schedule that works for every business.
However, reviewing your on-hold content at least quarterly is a good practice for many businesses.
That doesn’t necessarily mean you need an entirely new program every three months.
Instead, listen to your current messages and ask:
- Is everything still accurate?
- Are we promoting the right services?
- Are any offers outdated?
- Have our hours changed?
- Have we added or discontinued services?
- Does the program still sound current?
- Are there more important things we could be telling callers?
Businesses that frequently run promotions or offer seasonal services may need updates more often.
Companies with relatively stable services may not need frequent changes, but they should still periodically review what’s playing.
Should Seasonal Changes Trigger an On-Hold Update?
Absolutely.
Seasonal messaging is one of the easiest ways to keep an on-hold program relevant.
The appropriate message depends on the business.
An HVAC company might promote:
Air-conditioning service in the spring and summer.
Heating inspections and furnace service in the fall and winter.
A tax professional might focus on tax preparation early in the year and tax planning later.
A veterinary practice might discuss flea and tick prevention during warmer months.
A retailer could promote holiday shopping, seasonal products, or special events.
When the customer’s needs change with the season, your on-hold messaging should change with them.
Should Holiday Hours Be Included in On-Hold Messages?
Yes, particularly when your schedule differs from normal business hours.
Callers appreciate knowing about:
- Holiday closings
- Extended holiday hours
- Early closings
- Special schedules
- Emergency service availability
- Changes to appointment availability
The important part is remembering to remove the holiday message when the holiday is over.
Hearing a Thanksgiving message in January immediately tells the caller that nobody has been paying attention to the on-hold program.
When Should Promotions Be Updated?
Promotions should be updated whenever an offer begins, changes, or ends.
This sounds obvious, but outdated promotions are one of the clearest signs that an on-hold program has become stale.
If callers hear:
“Ask about our special offer available through September 30.”
and it’s November, you’ve created confusion instead of providing useful information.
Time-sensitive offers should have a clear plan for when they will be removed or replaced.
What Business Changes Should Trigger a New On-Hold Message?
You don’t need to wait for your scheduled review if something important changes.
Update your program when you:
- Introduce a new product or service
- Discontinue a service
- Change business hours
- Open a new location
- Move to a new address
- Expand your service area
- Launch a promotion
- Change appointment procedures
- Add an important customer resource
- Introduce online scheduling or ordering
- Change your website
- Announce an event
- Receive an important certification or recognition
A simple rule is:
If it’s important enough to tell customers about, consider whether callers should hear about it while they’re on hold.
Should Staffing Changes Be Included in On-Hold Messaging?
Sometimes.
Not every new employee needs an on-hold announcement, but certain staffing changes can be useful information for callers.
For example, a medical practice might introduce a new provider.
A law firm might announce an attorney joining a particular practice area.
A financial services firm could introduce a new advisor.
A home-service company might announce a new department or expanded service team.
Staff changes make particularly good on-hold content when they directly affect the services available to customers.
How Can On-Hold Messages Promote Services?
One of the biggest advantages of professional on-hold messaging is the opportunity to cross-promote services to people who already have a reason to contact your business.
Suppose a customer calls an HVAC company about an air-conditioning repair.
While waiting, the caller learns the company also offers:
- Maintenance agreements
- Indoor air quality services
- Heating service
- Ductwork
- Commercial HVAC service
The caller may not have known those services were available.
The same principle applies to dentists, attorneys, financial companies, veterinarians, contractors, medical practices, retailers, and many other businesses.
Your callers already know who you are.
On-hold messaging gives you an opportunity to help them understand everything else you can do for them.
What Signs Suggest Your On-Hold Content Has Become Stale?
Sometimes you don’t need a calendar to tell you it’s time for an update.
The program tells you.
Warning signs include:
- Expired promotions
- Old holiday messages
- Services you no longer provide
- Missing newer services
- Incorrect business hours
- Outdated website information
- Former employees being mentioned
- Old locations or addresses
- Repetitive messages
- Content that hasn’t changed in years
- Messages that no longer reflect your brand
There’s another simple test.
When was the last time you actually listened to your own on-hold program from beginning to end?
If you can’t remember, it’s probably time.
Can Callers Notice Outdated On-Hold Messages?
Yes.
Customers may not know when your program was recorded, but they can recognize outdated information.
An expired promotion or incorrect information can make the business appear less attentive.
The opposite is also true.
Current messaging tells callers that the business is actively communicating with its customers.
The content doesn’t need to sound like breaking news every week. It simply needs to be accurate, useful, and relevant.
Is Playing Music Alone Enough?
Music can make hold time more pleasant, but it doesn’t tell callers anything about your business.
Professional on-hold messaging can combine appropriate music with useful information about:
- Products
- Services
- Promotions
- Business hours
- Website resources
- Frequently asked questions
- Seasonal services
- Upcoming events
- Other ways the company can help
Instead of treating hold time as dead air, you’re turning it into an opportunity to communicate.
How Long Should an On-Hold Message Be?
Individual messages generally work better when they’re concise and focused on one idea.
Rather than trying to explain five services in one long announcement, several shorter messages can introduce individual services throughout the program.
For example:
Message 1: Introduce a service.
Message 2: Explain a customer benefit.
Message 3: Mention another service callers may not know about.
Message 4: Direct callers to the website.
This approach makes the program easier to follow and gives callers useful information without overwhelming them.
Should Every Update Require Starting Over?
No.
One advantage of a professionally managed on-hold program is that you don’t necessarily have to reinvent everything whenever something changes.
Some messages may remain relevant for a long time.
You might keep evergreen messages about your primary services while replacing:
- Seasonal information
- Promotions
- Holiday schedules
- New services
- Special announcements
This allows the program to stay fresh without unnecessarily replacing good content.
What Makes an Effective On-Hold Message?
An effective message should answer a simple question:
Why should the caller care?
Instead of:
“We offer annual maintenance agreements.”
consider a message that explains why the service is useful:
“Ask about our maintenance program designed to help keep your system operating efficiently and identify potential problems before they turn into unexpected repairs.”
The second version gives the caller a reason to ask about the service.
Effective on-hold messaging isn’t simply a list of things your company sells.
It’s an opportunity to explain how those products and services help your customers.
How Can You Tell if Your On-Hold Messages Are Still Helping Callers?
Listen to the program from the caller’s perspective.
Ask:
Is the information useful?
Is it accurate?
Does it answer common customer questions?
Does it introduce important services?
Does it sound like our company?
Is there anything callers are hearing that we wouldn’t say to them today?
You can also ask employees what customers commonly ask about.
If your staff answers the same question dozens of times every week, that question might make excellent on-hold content.
Frequently Asked Questions About Updating On-Hold Messages
How often should businesses change their on-hold messages?
Businesses should review their on-hold content several times throughout the year. Quarterly reviews can be a practical schedule, with additional updates whenever promotions, services, hours, staffing, or other important information changes.
Should I change my on-hold messages every season?
If your products or services are seasonal, yes. Seasonal updates can keep the information callers hear timely and relevant.
Should on-hold messages include promotions?
Yes. On-hold messaging can be an effective way to tell existing callers about current promotions. Make sure expired offers are removed promptly.
Can I use on-hold messages to promote other services?
Yes. Cross-promotion is one of the most valuable uses of on-hold messaging because callers may contact you for one service without realizing you provide several others.
Should I announce new employees?
When a new employee or provider introduces a service or expertise that’s relevant to customers, an on-hold announcement may be appropriate.
How do I know if my on-hold program is outdated?
Listen for old promotions, incorrect hours, discontinued services, former employees, outdated locations, missing new services, or content that hasn’t been refreshed in a long time.
Don’t Set Your On-Hold Messages and Forget Them
Your website gets updated. Your social media changes. Your advertising changes. Your products and services evolve.
Your on-hold program should evolve too.
Review your messages periodically and update them whenever there’s something new, different, seasonal, or more useful to tell your customers.
A current on-hold program can answer common questions, introduce additional services, promote timely offers, and make better use of the time callers already spend waiting for someone to help them.
Keep Your On-Hold Messaging Fresh With AD-Hold
AD-Hold creates professionally written and produced on-hold messaging programs designed around your business, brand, products, and services.
Whether you need to update seasonal information, introduce a new service, promote a special offer, or simply replace a program that’s been playing for too long, AD-Hold can help keep your callers informed and engaged.
Instead of letting callers hear the same outdated information month after month, put your hold time to work for your business.