Hold Messages: What Callers Should Hear While Waiting

A good on-hold message is short and useful: a thank you, one or two helpful facts like your hours or your website, and a reminder that someone will be with them soon. Mix it with music, keep the whole loop under a minute or so, and update it whenever your hours or offers change.

December is a good month to think about this. Phones are busier, more callers wait, and holiday hours change from week to week. Here is how to make the wait feel shorter.

Music or Messages: Which Is Better?

Both, in the right mix. Silence is the worst choice, because callers think the call dropped and hang up. Music alone tells them they are still connected. Short spoken messages between the music give them something useful while they wait.

With Telonium, you choose your own hold music. You can upload a recording that mixes music and a few short messages. Choose something calm at a moderate volume. Loud or fast music gets tiring after the first minute.

What Should a Hold Message Say?

Pick a few short messages that answer questions callers often ask. Here are examples you can adapt.

A thank you:

"Thanks for holding. Someone will be with you as soon as possible."

Your hours:

"Our office is open Monday through Friday, 8 to 5. Over the holidays, we close at noon on December 24 and 31."

A helpful tip:

"Did you know you can book appointments any time on our website?"

Something seasonal:

"Planning a project for the new year? Ask about scheduling in January while dates are still open."

What to have ready:

"To help us serve you faster, please have your account number or invoice ready."

Keep each message to one or two sentences. Read your web address only if it is short and easy to spell. And avoid "Your call is very important to us." Callers have heard it so often that it now sounds like the opposite.

How Long Is Too Long to Wait?

There is no single number, but a minute or two feels reasonable to most callers, and the wait starts to feel long after that. If people often wait longer, the fix is not a better message. It is more people answering, or a way to leave a message.

If your calls often arrive several at a time, a call queue helps. It holds callers in line with your hold music and hands each one to the next person who is free, in the order they called. A live board shows who is waiting and which team members are ready or on a call, so you can see when to pull someone onto the phones. Our post on ringing everyone or letting callers wait in line walks through when a queue makes sense.

Should You Offer a Voicemail Option?

Yes. Some callers would rather leave a message than wait, especially on a busy day. Tell them how:

"If you'd rather not wait, press 1 to leave a message and we'll call you back today."

Then keep the promise. With voicemail to email, each message arrives in an inbox with the recording attached, so the team can call back between other calls. A voicemail option that leads to a message nobody returns is worse than no option at all.

How Often Should You Update It?

At least every season, and any time something in the message changes. Old hold messages are easy to forget, because the people who work there never hear them. A message about a summer special still playing in December tells callers nobody is paying attention.

A simple rhythm:

• Every season: refresh the seasonal message.
• Before holidays: add your holiday hours, then take them out in January.
• When hours or services change: update it the same week.
• Twice a year: call your own number, ask to be put on hold, and listen to the whole loop.

Holiday hours on the phone itself are easier now, too. You can set your holiday hours ahead of time on each number, and on those dates calls follow the holiday rule, such as a closed greeting and voicemail, then go back to normal on their own. Our holiday call routing checklist covers that side.

How Do You Record One That Sounds Good?

• Write the script first and read it out loud a few times.
• Record in a quiet room with soft furnishings, not a bare office.
• Speak a little slower than normal, and smile.
• Record on your phone's voice memo app or a computer with a headset.
• Save it as an audio file (MP3) and upload it.

Custom hold music, call queues and voicemail to email are part of every Telonium plan. You can see them all on our features page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Long Should Each Hold Message Be?

One or two sentences, about 10 to 15 seconds each, with music in between. The whole loop can stay under a minute or two.

Can I Use Popular Songs as Hold Music?

Be careful. Popular songs usually need a license for business use. Royalty-free music made for this is the safer choice.

Can I Change My Hold Message for the Holidays?

Yes. Upload a new recording with your holiday hours, and set a reminder to switch back in January.