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received about On-Hold Marketing Systems® and the answers we've provided:Index
How can we tell if our phones have music on hold capability?
We don't have a business telephone system. Can we still use your service?
How often should we update our on hold messages?
How many different messages are on each recording you produce?
What's the best ratio of music to messages? How much talk is too much?
What's your usual turnaround time?
Do we have to write our own scripts?
We use a Centrex system with our local phone company. Can we still use your service?
What is the best type of playback equipment for on hold use?
How do we select the background music we want for our on hold messages?
Can you use a local radio station for your hold music? If so, are there licensing fees involved?
What is the output level from your playback equipment? Is it adjustable?
Click here to submit your own question to company president Jeff McNeal
Q: How can we tell if our phones have music on hold capability?
A: First, locate your business telephone's Key Service Unit (KSU). You may be able to identify the music on hold (MOH) port by carefully checking the KSU for input jacks or screw terminals marked "music" or "MOH". Depending on the telephone manufacturer, this input may or may not be easily identified. You may also call your local interconnect or telephone service rep and ask them if your system is already equipped for MOH. They should be able to give you an answer right over the phone. Chances are, your business phone already has this capability built-in, or it can be added for a nominal charge. If you have a "keyless" or non-standard business telephone, please read the next question below.
Q: We don't have a business telephone system. All we have is a two-line telephone that plugs right into the wall. Can we still use your service?
A: Yes. We offer an inexpensive, third-party adapter that will provide superior music on hold (MOH) capabilites to any consumer-grade telephone, using your switchhook or "flash" button. One MOH adapter will work with all telephones connected the same line or phone number. Your two-line phone would require two MOH adapters if you want to provide MOH on both lines. NOTE: This adapter may not work with Centrex systems.
Q: How often should we update our on hold messages?
A: It's hard to give you a fair estimate without knowing the business you're in, but generally speaking, your script changes should follow the same pattern as your other promotional campaigns or announcements. If your needs fluctuate, our Flex Option plan might be the best choice -- you only have us produce new recordings on an as-needed basis.
Q: How many different messages are on each recording you produce?
A: Our standard recording is six minutes in length. In that time, we can comfortably fit from 4 to 8 separate messages, with music background throughout.
Q: What's the best ratio of music to messages? How much talk is too much?
A: Our research indicates that each message should be buffered with at least 15 seconds of music only. In our recordings, the music is played throughout, and fades under as the announcer speaks. If there isn't enough music between the messages, the caller won't have time to digest what they've just heard, resulting in overload and fatigue. They'll hear the words, but they won't effectively hear the message you're trying to convey. Incidentally, the message content should always be informative, useful and when possible, unique to your company or organization.
Q: What's your usual turnaround time?
A: Our standard turnaround is three business days, but we can provide your new recordings overnight if you need them in a hurry.
Q: Do we have to write our own scripts?
A: No. Just provide us the basic information you're trying to get across and we'll produce a full script within 24 hours and fax you a draft for approval before we record anything. Of course, if you wish to write your own scripts, you may. We'll provide as much (or as little) assistance you need.
Q: We use a Centrex system with our local phone company. Can we still use your service?
A: Yes, but be prepared to pay a hefty premium. Since the local phone company maintains the equipment at their site (not yours), a special line will have to be run from your office (and our equipment) to the telephone company (and their equipment) so you can retain what we consider to be a very basic feature -- music on hold. Most phone companies charge an excessive fee for this MOH line. Some of our clients have been able to absorb this additional expense (which typically exceeds the cost of our service). There may be a light at the end of the tunnel, however. One of our vendors claim that their MOH adapter product will work with Centrex systems, although we haven't been able to independently verify this assertion.
Q: I've heard of systems that use looping cassette tapes, audio compact discs and proprietary digital cartridges. What playback equipment do you include with your packages? Does the equipment have to be manually reset after a power failure? Are there compact disc players on the market that are specifically designed for on-hold use?
A: We provide fully automatic digital playback equipment that are loaded with high quality analog cassettes. Our customers then simply place the cassette in the built-in cassette transport of our digital player, close the lid and walk away. The cassette is played one time only. During this automatic process, the audio is loaded, stored and then played back from digital memory, eliminating all moving parts after the initial dowload is complete. If there's a power outage, the unit will automatically re-load when the power is restored.
Here are the advantages: Since there are no moving parts after the initial download, there are no parts to wear out, like playback heads (endless loop), or motors (CD players, endless loop). These players offer the greatest performance/value ratio and come standard with our service and are provided at no additional charge. Click here to view our standard analog-to-digital unit.
There is also a new player available (as of 11/1/97) to those who don't mind paying a little extra for the very best. The OHMS Digital Remote Download System, or DRDX, employs the same high quality playback components used in our analog-to-digital download units. However, these fully digital recorder/players take separate voice and music .WAV files provided by your producer and automatically "mix" them. The entire digitized sound file is then instantly transmitted over phone lines via modem from the studio, directly into the unit, completely eliminating the need for shipping, cassettes, CD's, EPROM cartriges or anything else that must be handled by the user. It's a completely seamless, transparent operation that is available to our new customers for a small initial surcharge or upgrade path for our current clients.
Proprietary digital cartridges, by their nature, can be a disavantage since you are usually required to purchase expensive equipment that in nearly all cases, only the original vendor can create new messages for. This is fine of course, so long as: You're pleased with the quality of the recordings; you can be assured that your vendor will be in business next year; you receive a guarantee that new message production costs will not increase dramatically, etc. Proprietary means restrictive. We feel that competition is a healthy thing in any business -- and best for the consumer. We would advise against any kind of a proprietary setup, as it will limit your choices in either voice, music background, or both. Of course, that's the main idea behind these digital cartridge, or EPROM systems from a vendor's standpoint. Just be careful you don't end up with a proprietary paperweight. At least one new EPROM system hitting the market allow the user to record his or her own messages, but restrict your choice of background music to a few selections of marginal quality. Savvy business owners recognize the value of having a professional handle the writing and production of their messages for the best results.
If you wish to use a compact disk for on hold messaging, we suggest you purchase the least expensive player you can find. Generally speaking, most CD players are constructed from the same components and since they are mechanical devices, prone to wear, you should budget the expense of a new player every year or two, I'd imagine. Those little motors that keep the disks spinning will eventually fail if played 24 hours a day, seven days a week. To my knowledge, there are no special CD players being manufactured for the on hold message market. To protect yourself from copyright infringments (and the steep fines that can accompany them), don't use commercially available CD's without proper music licensing. Unfortunately, CD on hold messages are expensive to produce; and are usually only available as generic "thank you for calling" messages that don't mention your business specifically, or the information that can help you increase your profits as a custom on hold message will.
Q: We'd like to have a say in the kind of music we play behind our messages. How do we select the music we want?
A: We can either narrow down a choice for you based on the information you provide us, or you can choose exactly the music you want from our Internet database, using descriptive terms to identify the type of music you want. By the way, On-Hold Marketing Systems® is the first (and so far only) on hold vendor in the world to offer this kind of power, convenience and control in the music selection process. You may audition as many selections as you wish using RealAudio 2.0. You'll be happy to note that our production library contains thousands of full-length, fully orchestrated themes in every format imaginable -- and we add new selections every month.
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