No one likes being put on hold. And listening to bad music while waiting for customer service is truly like adding insult to injury. A few minutes of being assaulted with elevator-music versions of easy-listening hits from a bygone era can get on the nerves of even your best customers.
Your choice of On Hold Music should communicate the values of your business and let callers know that their business is important to you. Just as important is adding custom messages to your call holding system, as they allow you to speak directly to your callers and promote the products and services you offer. Messages also provide an opportunity to inform callers of upcoming sales or company news and present a professional image that’s in line with your customers’ tastes and preferences.
Of course, there are a few songs that, under any circumstance, you wouldn’t want your customers to hear while they’re holding. Here’s a list of eight songs that you don’t want on your on-hold playlist. Are there other songs you’d add to this list? Share them with fellow RingCentral customers on our Facebook page.
1. The Waiting – Tom Petty
“The waiting is the hardest part” is not what you want your customers to be thinking!
2. Shop Around – The Miracles
This classic was named one of Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. However, you don’t need your customers taking Smokey Robinson’s advice, so this one is better left for after-hours listening.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=_YPdVqwk978
3. Don’t Call Us, We’ll Call You – Sugarloaf
This upbeat hit from the 1970s actually contained the unlisted telephone number of CBS Records, which denied the band a recording contract. Although it’s undeniably catchy, it’s probably not the most customer-friendly song.
4. Money, That’s All I Want
Written by Motown founder Berry Gordy, this song has been covered by many of the top artists. While it’s a great song, it’s not the best idea to be demanding money from your customers.
5. Communication Breakdown – Led Zeppelin
This homage to misunderstanding was one of the first hits for Led Zeppelin, but the message of the lyrics might leave your customers wondering if they can communicate with you.
6. Hold On – Wilson Phillips
Asking your customers to “hold on for just one more day” is never a good idea.
7. Telephone – Lady Gaga and Beyonce Knowles
With lyrics that continuously ask the listener to “stop calling,” this recent hit is probably a better bet for the dance floor.
8. Flight of the Bumblebee – Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Perhaps, the most manic song of all time, this classic, from the opera “The Tale of Tsar Saltan,” can work even a relaxed customer into frezy. Unless you’re a beekeeper, there are better song choices than this one.
Originally published May 03, 2010, updated Jun 20, 2024
