When using Microsoft Teams Phone you can better engage your callers and further brand your identity by customising on-hold messages and music. Whether you want to deliver key information, promote a service, or just keep callers interested with some targeted on hold music playlists, Microsoft Teams has a number of options to help you do this.
AI-powered Script Generation
AI helps to personalise messages using natural language processing algorithms. It can generate scripts that are conversational and human-like. These AI tools will can analyse your brand’s tone, the preferences of your customers, and best practices specific to your industry to generate informative and engaging scripts. It’s never going to be as personable and well written as a real human with deep empathy and understanding of your business, but surprisingly this technology is creating some amazing scripts nevertheless. At a minimum, a real professional script writer or marketing professional should always perform a final proof and edit against the scripts that such tools output.
Such tools can save you a lot of time and costs. You can also customise these generated scripts for a few campaigns or updates with other new information so that, in the end, your customers receive the most relevant and up-to-date information while on hold.
AI-Powered Voice Generation
Phone messaging can be further enhanced with AI-driven voice generation based on advanced text-to-speech algorithms for MS Teams phone on-hold messages. Through this technology, any business can create personalised messages in professional tones that accompany the brand’s voice. Yes it can sound a bit robotic and off the mark in part, but many companies can by with these tools for basic voicemails or welcome greetings.
This method of voice recording can provide consistency and flexibility since changes can be easily made by simply editing the text within the AI voice tool and exporting the new recording out again. In addition, many voices generated through AI support many different languages and accents that will help serve varied customer bases, regions and market places. By incorporating this technology, businesses can provide often provide a more polished, dynamic on-hold experience for customers, which reduces perceived wait times and improves their overall satisfaction. Such results are often better than trying to record these yourself of by that willing staff member that *thinks* they are have a fantastic voice!
Disadvantages of Using the default / generic MS Teams on Hold Music
Here are some key problems you might encounter if your brand keeps using the default Microsoft Teams on hold music.
Lack of Brand Identity
For businesses, every interaction between themselves and their customer or client is an opportunity to enforce the brand image. You are never going to truly resonate with your company’s particular voice or values by simply playing the standard Microsoft Teams on-hold music to your valued callers.
What’s more, it offers just a one-size-fits-all solution that will do little to differentiate your business. You miss out on the chance for a memorable aural experience in an age where branding and marketplace differentiation really matter.
Customer Experience
The default out of box on-hold music offered by Microsoft Teams has mostly been viewed as mundane and less captivating. Customers are more likely to get irritable when they are put on hold. This can make them even more irate if they have to listen to bland or annoying music, thus creating a lousy customer experience. The impression is easily transferred to your brand, influencing customer satisfaction and possibly resulting in lost business.
Limited Flexibility and Customisation
The default Microsoft Teams phone on-hold music has little flexibility or room for personalisation. This limits the ability of any business to take control over what their callers are experiencing while they wait, based on their business model or even the type of clientele they serve.
Brand Dilution End
Using the same canned music as thousands of other companies will only dilute a brand. When literally thousands of businesses use that same Microsoft hold music, customers can easily get mixed up and not know which company they’re calling.
This lack of differentiation weakens your brand in the minds of customers. On the other hand, custom Microsoft Teams phone on hold music or personalised Microsoft Teams phone on hold messages can help create an auditory identity that will make a brand more memorable and unique.
Professionalism is the key to gaining client trust for others, especially businesses dealing with sensitive matters like finance, law, or healthcare. The generic on-hold music of Microsoft Teams might not convey a very professional message in such sectors.
Lack of Professionalism
Custom Microsoft Teams on hold messages, which are very carefully written and modulated to match clients’ tone and values with those of the company, can easily reinforce the vision of a professional image and instill greater confidence among clients.
Advantages of Using a Professional Company to Create Your Custom MS Teams On Hold Content
Investing in a professional company to create your MS Teams on hold content is worth it. Here are the benefits:
Brand Image and Professionalism
A key first impression your clients and customers have with your business — which will linger in their minds — is based on how they feel once put on hold. Professionally developed on-hold content guarantees this first impression is positive, portraying the image of your company as well polished, articulate and highly professional.
A professional company will have the skills to develop consistent content in voice, tone, and messaging with your brand. That means it would be possible to adjust music, voiceovers and scripts to reflect your business’s values, mission, and culture. That kind of personalisation boosts brand recall and guarantees consistency across all avenues of communication.
Better Customer Experience
Professionals up the game, literally, by taking the customer experience to a different paradigm — information, engagement, and entertaining expressions while waiting on hold. They know how to strike a balance: engaging the caller with the content but not becoming intrusive or annoying.
Carefully inserted on hold messages about new products, services, promotions, and even tips make hold time a very valuable marketing opportunity. Keeping your customers informed and entertained reduces perceived wait times and increases overall satisfaction.
Compliance with Legal and Industry Standards
Several laws and regulations govern the content that placed on hold, especially in music and messaging. Violation of compliance attracts fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage.
Professional companies are well aware of these regulations and will ensure that your on-hold content complies with the proper standards and protocols, particularly if you want to play commercially released on hold music to your MS Teams callers. They will also take care of the music licensing, ensure that the messaging is correct and in no way misleading, and avoid anything that could possibly put your business reputation in a bad light.
Cost-Effective and Time-Saving Solution
As strange as it sounds, it can provide an exceptional ROI to engage a professional company to produce MS Teams on-hold content. Professional companies have the experience, well tested backend integration capabilities. Typically they have also heavily invested in the proper tools and resources needed to develop quality compelling on hold content quickly and efficiently. They can turn around first-class content in less time than it would take you to get your Teams Phone on hold messaging up and running; therefore, this in itself can translate to cost savings for the long term as well as a better ROI.
Integration with Your Communication Strategy
Last but not least, a professional company can integrate your Microsoft Teams on hold recording content into your communication strategy. They can also work with you to ensure that messaging blends cohesively with other marketing and communication efforts to deliver a consistent brand experience.
Whether you’re launching a new campaign, product or just seeking to enhance customer engagement, your on-hold content can align with those goals. A professional MS Teams on hold company will understand how to tailor that for you and see that it fits your overall business strategy.
Consider incorporating Microsoft Teams on-hold messages and Microsoft Teams on hold music to add a professional touch to your organisation. Ultimately, it means investing time in the details, which can pay back in a much more polished and efficient way to communicate. This in turn reflects well on your business’s commitment to customer service, and ensures operational efficiency.
