Hold On! You Can Make This a Positive Customer Experience

(May 31, 2011)

May 31, 2011:

May 31:

05/31/11

Way to Wow

Being put on hold is the #1 pet peeve of consumers everywhere. There are almost a dozen Facebook groups called "I hate being put on hold", dedicated to sharing horror stories and complaints about this typically poor experience.
It's not hard to understand why. Being placed on hold without being asked or knowing what the service representative is doing can make you feel like you've been abandoned. Think about when you have been put in this situation. Were you asking yourself, "What happened? How long will this take? Are they ever coming back? Do they even care?"
If done abruptly, expressed in a curt tone or without explanation, customers perceive being put on hold as a message that we don't value them or their time. They lose confidence in our ability and expertise.

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Saying it Right: Minimizing the Aggravation of "Hold On"

It's okay to ask a customer to hold when it's necessary as long as you convey your eagerness to help and demonstrate urgency. By doing this, you can still ensure a positive customer experience. When you let a customer know that you will need them to hold, first tell them why. Explain up front what you are going to do to help them, and then ask their permission. You should also manage expectations by letting the customer know how long they can anticipate waiting.

Here are some suggested phrases for creating a successful framework to let the customer know you need some time, but that you are committed to resolving things quickly and accurately.

"It will just take a few moments while I…"
"Let me take care of this right away for you. May I ask you to hold for a few minutes while I…"
"May I ask you to hold so that I can take care of that for you right away?"
"In order to get this resolved, I'm going to..." (explain the action you will take) "May I ask you to hold for a few minutes while I do this?"
"Let me take a look at that--it will just take a moment…"
"So that I can research your account, may I ask you to hold?"
Can you see how these phases would make customers feel more confident in you and your ability to help them? Do these approaches show customers that you value their time? How much better do these phrases sound than "Please hold" or "I'll need to put you on hold to look into this"?

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Be Prepared to Manage a Successful Hold

Of course you shouldn't ask a customer to hold just to look through their account. If the customer is "with you" while you are working, you have the chance to convey what you're doing on his or her behalf - what you are checking, summarizing the steps you are taking, asking questions to help you find the right solution. Customers may share additional information that could help you more quickly resolve the issue. All of these things give the customer confidence that you are helping and give you a chance to show your skill and professionalism - hold music can't do that!
If you have to place a customer on hold, you can minimize the time they may hold by starting your day well prepared.  

• Are you aware of all current bulletins so you can answer questions without needing to put the customer on hold?
• Have you updated your "Favorites" and "My Links" to ensure your resources are only one click away?
• Have you removed all the distractions in your area to allow a complete focus on your customer? Resist the urge to multi-task (check email or flip through reading material) or chat with your neighbor while assisting a customer.
• Are you taking advantage of team meetings to find answers to questions rather than always placing customers on hold?
• Are you asking customers relevant and clarifying open-ended questions to better understand their issue before taking the time to conduct research?
• Do you have the appropriate systems/tools up and running to help you best assist customers?
  • First Assist
  • Microsoft Office Communicator
  • Competitive Edge
  • Premium Tool
  • ESP
  • Reporting Solutions
  • Outlook
  • GoTo
  • Phone lists (most commonly used numbers)
  • Internet Explorer (update Favorites for easy access to frequently visited pages)

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"Do's and Don'ts" to follow when you absolutely need to place a customer on hold:

Do:

• Be aware of your tone: do you sound friendly and eager to help when asking your customer to hold?
• Ask permission before putting a customer on hold and wait for a reply. Always respect the answer!
• Manage expectations by telling the customer how long they can anticipate being on hold.
• Use the timer on your phone to keep track of how long a customer has been holding.
• Check back in with the customer if they are on hold for more than two minutes (i.e. "I apologize this is taking me longer than I thought. May I ask you to hold for another minute?").
• Include the customer in the resolution when you come back to the call, i.e."Let's review this together…"
• If the issue takes more than two minutes to resolve, go back to the customer after the initial timeframe has passed, set a new expectation and ask again for permission to have the customer hold while you continue to complete the request.

Don't:

• Tell the customer to hold, even if you say "please" (i.e. "Please hold").
• Leave a customer on hold for more than two minutes total.