Managing Corporate Image From the Perspective of Callers

What image does your company project over the phone? Most companies go to great lengths to control their public image. Tremendous sums are spent in the development of corporate logos and associated collateral; however, image goes deeper than a clever logo. For brick and mortar stores, image is all about the storefront and signage; and for Internet stores, the website is the face of the company. For many businesses, it's both. But what does your company look like from the perspective of a caller? The way a company treats an incoming phone call is as important to the image of the company as its storefront, signage, or website. It is the image of a company on the phone.

The way an operator or receptionist answers an incoming phone call, the tone of voice and the script used to answer calls, may be the first impression an in-bound caller has of your company. If an automated attendant answers the call, the ease of navigation of the system is added to the mix. However, a significant factor of how a company is perceived on the phone is the time callers spend waiting on hold.

Notwithstanding a company's "policy" not to place calls on hold, it is unavoidable that a business will place callers on hold; and most companies significantly underestimate the amount of time their callers spend on hold. Whether it is the time it takes to transfer a caller to the appropriate person within your organization, or the time a caller spends in queue, nearly every business places callers on hold. What image does your company project to callers placed on hold?

The on hold environment is a virtual waiting room for callers. Like a waiting room, it should be made as comfortable and inviting as possible; but what that means may not be obvious. The answer lies in queue psychology and the behavior of callers that are placed on hold. So just what happens in the mind of a caller when they are placed on hold? Generally, there is an increasing tendency over time for the caller to hang up. Overcoming, or at least managing, the tendency of a caller to hang up is one of the primary goals of on hold messaging.

If there is nothing but silence on the line when a caller is placed on hold, then expect callers to start hanging up almost immediately. If there is appropriate music on the line, callers will hold longer. However, a well-crafted and properly structured program of music and messages increases the likelihood that callers will hold significantly longer.

A structured format of discrete informational messages separated by a variety of positive, upbeat music pieces is ideal. Messages should conclude within the average attention span of callers (a maximum of about 25 seconds). The individual music selections should be about 30 seconds in length and should fully resolve (the musical equivalent of a "period" in a sentence) before the next message begins. Music selections should not contain lyrics or invoke lyrics in the mind of a caller; and, unless your company targets a very narrow demographic, the ideal music should have the broadest possible appeal.

Besides its ability to keep a caller's attention, on hold messaging is an opportunity to communicate with the caller and reinforce the company's image with the caller. How one should communicate with callers depends on who is calling.

If a caller is calling to get more information about a company, its products, or services; then the time that caller spends on hold is the perfect time to shape their perception of the company, answer frequently asked questions, up-sell or cross-sell, or tell the caller about current specials. Moreover, if that caller was responding to the company's advertising, then the same message content that got the caller to call is likely to keep them on the line. On hold messaging that reinforces the current marketing campaign can be very effective at keeping callers interested until the call can be handled by a live person. However, as discussed above, on hold messaging is a unique medium that requires specialized program formatting. Voice over music, corporate jingles, or other "irritation advertising" techniques that work well in radio or other broadcast media are ineffective in the on hold environment and may increase the incidence of hang-ups.

If the caller is calling for customer service or to complain, the goal of on hold messaging is quite different. On hold programming for customer service and complaint hotlines should be designed to occupy the mind of the caller, to calm and soothe the caller, and to reassure them that someone is about to resolve whatever issue they may be experiencing. Idle time on hold gives an irate caller time to rehearse their complaint, which further convinces a complaining caller of the validity of their position and increases their level of anger or frustration (a psychological phenomenon known as the "grievance rehearsal anger spiral"). If left unchecked, the grievance rehearsal anger spiral leads to unnecessarily confrontational customer complaint calls from angry customers, which in turn leads to unnecessary stress on a company's customer service representatives. Effective management of caller attitudes can pay multiple dividends in the form of a positive public image, higher customer satisfaction, happier employees, and an environment in which customer service calls and complaints can be more easily and effectively handled.

A comprehensive corporate image management strategy must include a plan for dealing with phone calls. A caller's perception of the company over the phone is as important to the company's image as its store front, signage, or website. As with other aspects of a company's public image, there are experts in the medium that can help develop a strategy that addresses the unique requirements of your business.