Since IVR systems are utilized as a means of employing fewer operators in a call center, customers will inevitably spend some amount of time on-hold while waiting to speak to a service representative. In a world of increasingly available information, even the shortest wait can not only feel like an eternity, but it can actually frustrate and alienate the customer. Most IVR systems that put a customer on-hold employ neutral or pleasing music to ease the frustration of the wait time. Some companies add periodic messages to the on-hold music that can work to further ease or exacerbate the situation.
A series of studies has shed some light on how customers respond to on-hold music and messages. In one experiment, researchers found that messages announcing the customer's place in the queue lead to more positive on-hold experiences. Even without knowing how long the wait would be, customers responded positively if they knew how many or how few people were ahead of them in line. However, periodic recorded apologies about the wait time with no other valuable information resulted in more negative customer experiences. The messages only served to remind the customers that they were waiting on-hold. This study suggests that customers on-hold would rather be told that they are making progress towards an operator than get a recorded apology every thirty seconds.
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I have recently experienced being put into a queue while waiting for assistance in three different situations. The first was when I called the local cable company to report an outage. This particular system did not report how long the wait would be, and while I was on hold, I was forced to listen to a series of advertisements about upcoming entertainment and sports events, which I found very annoying. The other two calls involved waiting to speak to an airline ticket agent when I needed assistance with a reservation, and in this case I was informed that I would be on hold for less than a minute - this was okay. The third call was to get technical support for my lap top and I was put on hold for so long that I just hung up. And in this last example, the only information provided was an occasional message that my call was important and the next agent would be available as soon as possible. So I think the research study you mentioned probably reached a valid conclusion.
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