keep in mind. The best on hold message in the world will not help you if the

customer doesn’t feel respected.

How many times have you called a busy office only to be immediately

asked “Do you mind holding?” Often times you find yourself on hold before

you can even answer.

Always make sure your employees answer the phone with a courteous

standard greeting. People want to feel appreciated. Give the caller a time

frame when asking to place them on hold. For example, “Is it ok if I place

you on hold for 2-3 minutes while I research this for you?” If it’s going to

take longer, come back on the line and reset the expectation.

Giving callers a time frame reduces anxiety because they know how long to

expect to wait before someone picks up the phone again. Otherwise, the

caller is left hanging only to wonder if they have been forgotten. A happy

caller will feel relaxed and pay more attention to your on hold message

instead of the clock. B9QVMASKDBU4

It almost seems like some businesses are comfortable with spending millions of dollars on marketing, only to throw it all away at the crucial moment of the sale. So when I recently came across some good old-fashioned service, it really blew me away.

The other day I stopped into Trader Joe’s to pick up a few groceries. When I approached the checkout, I noticed a couple of cashiers eagerly trying to flag me down. You would have thought they worked on commission.

While the cashier rang me up, she actually struck up a conversation and went out of her way to make me feel welcome. As I was leaving, I noticed the other customers were having a similar experience. Needless to say, I have found my new place to buy groceries.

Help me find more experiences like this. What other businesses out there are doing things right?