Auto Attendant Featured Article

The On-Hold Aspect of Auto Attendants

By Tammy Wolf
TMCnet Web Editor

We come across the saying “Mind the gap” when boarding planes and trains, but there’s another type of gap that most individuals come across on a frequent basis.

This “gap” we speak of is the time between when one dials an organization via telephone and finally gets in contact with their desired third-party on the other end of the line. Whether it’s a doctor’s office, retail company or insurance provider, most of us are put on hold before we reach a person or automated service that can help us with our inquiry.

At one time, a specialty provider of on hold music and messaging services decided to get creative with the saying “Mind the gap” and leverage it as its company name. For 20 years now, Mind The Gap has been in operation as a leading on-hold provider, delivering professional auto attendants, in-store and on-hold music and messaging programs for companies in a wide variety of industries. Its services range from script-writing, voice talent, music and audio production to licensing and digital players.

Most recently, Mind the Gap was tapped by a Pennsylvania-based healthcare provider to dramatically improve that gap of time in which patients are waiting to be tended to by a healthcare professional. The formula? An engaging, resourceful on-hold script that would provide the healthcare provider’s services, website addresses and various medical centers to patients, medical groups and affiliates as they waited.

As companies brainstorm new ways that they can improve the experience of their customers, enhancing their on-hold messaging and music strategy may be a good start. As Marc A. Gallo, president of Mind the Gap, stated, "Any healthcare network has an enormous amount of telephony traffic. If there’s a golden opportunity to maximize their marketing dollars, it’s with a professional on hold music and messaging program."

It’s important, of course, to align messaging and music played to callers with the company’s brand image and current promotional messages. For example, a more upscale furniture store could perhaps use classical or instrumental music to go along with advertising spots, whereas a doctor’s office should implement calmer, low-key music.

One auto attendant provider in particular, Parlance Corp., offers a fully managed auto attendant service, nameConnector, that employs advanced speech recognition software to power its “self-service” capabilities. Not only does this speech-enabled auto attendant enable fast and accurate call routing, it also helps businesses save money by reducing staffing requirements and eliminating the need to print directories.

Pairing an auto attendant like Parlance’s with on-hold music and appropriate messaging will guarantee customers won’t fall through the cracks.

Tammy Wolf is a TMCnet web editor. She covers a wide range of topics, including IP communications and information technology. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Carrie Schmelkin