If a business’s hotline keeps callers waiting for long periods, many callers may feel frustrated and just hang up. This results in an unpleasant customer experience that turns off current and potential customers. To keep callers on the line, use these Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) features.

Silence during a phone call is often taken as a sign that the call was dropped. There’s no use staying on the line, so people hang up. It’s therefore no wonder that a CNN survey found that among Americans who are put on hold in silence, 70% of them hang up within 60 seconds.

When transitioning from traditional phone systems to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions, people often overlook the way calls are put on hold. However, doing so means losing opportunities since how customers are put on hold influences whether they wait patiently on the line or hang up.

Bad customer service is one of the reasons why customers switch to competitors. It often begins the moment they pick up the phone to report a service issue, only to end up getting frustrated with your phone system. Your on-hold message may seem inconsequential, but it can play a big role in your customer’s dissatisfaction.

A lot goes into upgrading your phone system, and in cases where a traditional PBX system is being replaced by an off-site VoIP solution, there are many details to consider. One aspect often overlooked is the way hold music and messaging are set up; but this is something that needs to be taken quite seriously.