Custom On Hold Messages For Small Business

Top 5 Benefits of Custom On Hold Messages for Small Businesses

In today’s competitive market, small businesses need every advantage they can get—especially when it comes to customer service. While many companies focus on websites, signage, and social media, they often overlook one of the most frequent points of contact: the phone system. What small businesses don’t realize is that by using your phone system, you can improve your bottom line and help keep callers happy and engaged.

Here’s a question for you. What do your callers hear when they are on hold?

For many small businesses, the answer is silence, static-filled music, or a robotic voice that doesn’t reflect their brand at all. That’s where custom on hold messages come in. And believe it or not, custom on hold messages are very affordable and a very effective marketing tool for businesses on a budget.

These messages are far more than just filler. They are a simple, affordable tool that can enhance your image, retain callers, and increase engagement—all without lifting a finger once they’re in place.

Here are the top 5 reasons small businesses should invest in professional, customized on hold messaging:

1. You Make a Strong First Impression with Custom On Hold Messages

When a customer calls, your phone system is often their first direct interaction with your business. You’ve likely worked hard to design a professional website, maintain strong branding, and train staff—so why let the phone line drop the ball? Make the caller feel valued every step of the way!

A professionally recorded on hold message with a warm, natural voice and well-written script shows that you care about the little details. It reassures callers that they’ve reached a real, established business and gives you the chance to shape their experience from the very first moment.

First impressions matter—and with custom on hold messaging, you’re in full control.

2. You Turn Hold Time into Marketing Time

It’s inevitable: sometimes callers have to wait. Whether you’re transferring them to another department, looking up an answer, or managing a high call volume, hold time is part of doing business. Enhancing the caller's experience is essential. Hold time doesn’t have to be wasted time.

Custom on hold messages give you the opportunity to:

• Share your latest online or in-store promotions.
• Introduce new services you are providing. Create awareness.
• Explain what sets your business apart. Highlight what differentiates your business to inform potential customers.
• Highlight seasonal events or changes. Customers might be unaware of all your offerings.
• Answer common questions so your staff don't have to. They might be calling about a basic question like your hours of operation or location. Include that in your on hold message.
• Instead of hearing dead air or generic music, your callers hear relevant, helpful information about your business—messaging that you’ve handpicked to match your goals. You can even time updates to align with your sales calendar. Its totally up to you and fully customized!
• For example, a dental office might use on hold time to talk about their new whitening services. A retail shop could mention extended holiday hours. A vet clinic could explain pet dental health month in February. The possibilities are endless.

3. You Keep Callers on the Line Longer

Silence on hold is a customer service killer. It makes the wait feel longer than it really is, leaves callers wondering if they’ve been disconnected, and often results in hang-ups. Silence or irrelevant messages can frustrate callers.

Even worse is a generic or irritating message that feels impersonal or poorly made.

A well-crafted on hold message reduces frustration and gives callers a sense of engagement while they wait. They know they haven’t been forgotten—and if the content is engaging, they’ll likely stay on the line longer.

Studies have shown that professionally produced messages can significantly reduce hang-ups and increase customer satisfaction. And for a small business, every saved call could be a saved sale.

4. You Reinforce Your Brand Voice

Every part of your business should feel consistent—from your website and signage to how your team answers the phone. That includes what callers hear while waiting on hold.

With a custom message, you get to choose:

• The tone and style (professional, friendly, fun, etc.)
• The voice talent (male, female, accented, local)
• The background music (if any)

This allows you to tailor your audio branding to match your business identity. For example:

• A boutique spa may want a soft, calming voice with gentle music.
• A local mechanic might opt for a confident, upbeat tone with no music at all.
• A children’s dental office may want a friendly, cheerful voice that puts parents at ease.

When your messaging sounds like your brand, it builds trust. And trust builds customer loyalty.

You Can Update Messages Easily and Affordably

One of the biggest advantages of custom on hold messages is flexibility, and how cheap it can be (depending on the company you hire).

When you work with a professional service like COHM, it’s easy to update your messaging as your business evolves. Want to mention a new location? Done. Promoting a seasonal event? No problem. Changing your hours or policies? We’ve got you. No hidden fees, just your flat rate.

Unlike traditional advertising, there’s no need to design a new campaign from scratch. You can keep your callers informed and engaged year-round with quick, simple updates to your message.

This is especially useful for:

• Seasonal businesses
• Clinics with rotating campaigns (e.g., flu shot reminders, back-to-school checkups)
• Retailers with regular promotions
• Businesses that need bilingual messaging

COHM even offers plans with unlimited seasonal updates, so you never have to worry about your messaging going stale.

You Can Improve Your Business

Custom on hold messaging is one of the easiest, most cost-effective ways for small businesses to improve caller experience, boost engagement, and build brand trust.

Instead of letting hold time become dead time, you can:

• Welcome your customers warmly
• Educate them about your services
• Reduce frustration and hang-ups
• Reinforce your brand identity
• Keep messaging fresh throughout the year

At COHM, we make the process seamless. We write the script, record the message with a voice that matches your brand, and deliver the files in your required format—ready to go into your phone system.

Because when someone calls your business, what they hear should sound as professional as you are.

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