On-Hold Marketing: The Most Underrated Tool in Your Customer Experience Strategy
When a customer picks up the phone to call your business, every second of that interaction matters, even the ones where you’re not actually speaking to them. A 2023 report on UK call-centre performance found that the average caller can wait around 12 minutes in queue or on hold before reaching a customer-service agent. That’s a significant chunk of time that’s often filled with generic music, silence or outdated messages.
For most organisations, this “dead air” is an overlooked gap in the customer experience. But for companies who understand its potential, on-hold time becomes one of the most powerful and cost-effective marketing tools available.
This blog explores why on-hold marketing matters more than ever, and how tools like Britannic Studio IVR help businesses turn ordinary hold time into a strategic customer experience advantage.
The Real Impact of On-Hold Time
Hold time isn’t a minor inconvenience. It’s a measurable moment in the customer journey - and one that influences behaviour, loyalty and perception.
Here are some compelling statistics:
- 70% of business callers are placed on hold during a call. (Source: Martin Whiskin Voiceover)
- Without engaging audio, up to 60% of callers hang up - and many never call back. (Source: AyerPlay On-Hold Statistics)
- When businesses introduce proper on-hold messaging, 15% of callers go on to make enquiries about the services they heard mentioned. (Source: OnHold On.ca)
- Existing customers have a 60–70% chance of making a repeat purchase, compared to a 5–20% conversion rate for new prospects. (Source: Snap Recordings CX Report)
Put simply: your customers are listening. The only question is whether what they hear is helping your business, or silently harming it.
Why On-Hold Marketing Works
Most marketing channels fight for attention. But on-hold marketing is different, the listener is already engaged and waiting. That makes this one of the rare marketing moments where you have:
✔️ A captive audience
✔️ High attention levels
✔️ Zero media spend
✔️ Guaranteed exposure
And when done well, on-hold messages can:
- Reinforce your brand identity
- Reduce caller frustration and hang-ups
- Promote offers, services or FAQs
- Increase upsells and cross-sells
- Improve perception of professionalism and care
It’s not just an audio filler. It’s a strategic branding, sales and service tool.
How to Use On-Hold Marketing Effectively
If you want on-hold audio to genuinely improve your customer experience, it needs to do more than just “fill the silence.” The most effective on-hold strategies are intentional, well-designed and aligned with your brand. Here’s how to create an on-hold experience that actually delivers value.
1. Review What You Currently Have
Before creating anything new, assess your existing setup:
- Does the voice sound like your brand? Warm and friendly? Professional? Modern? Or outdated and robotic?
- Is the language consistent with your website and customer communications? Callers should immediately recognise your tone and personality.
- Does the messaging reflect who you are today as a business? Many companies update their branding, but forget to update their phone audio.
Brand consistency builds trust. If your online presence is polished and modern but your telephone audio feels decades old, callers notice the disconnect.
2. Define Your Objectives Clearly
On-hold messaging becomes far more powerful when you know exactly what you want it to do. Ask yourself:
- Do we want to promote new offers or services?
- Are we trying to reduce repetitive questions our team keeps answering?
- Do we want to drive more traffic to our website or digital tools?
- Should the messaging reassure, inform or upsell?
- Are we aiming to strengthen brand perception?
Once your goals are clear, your on-hold audio becomes a strategic tool - not background noise.
3. Create a Message Journey, Not Just a Script
Most phone systems play messages in a sequence. This gives you the opportunity to guide callers through a curated journey:
- Start strong: Lead with your most important offer or message while attention is highest.
- Add value: Share helpful insights, FAQs or quick tips that reduce future call volumes.
- Reassure: Remind callers that their place in the queue is valued and their call will be answered shortly.
Keep messages short, clear and conversational. Too pushy creates resistance; too bland gets ignored. This is where professional scripting and voiceovers, like those crafted in Britannic Studio, make a world of difference.
4. Experience It the Way a Caller Would
A simple but powerful test: Call your own business. Listen from the customer's perspective:
- Is the audio pleasant to hear?
- Are the messages informative or repetitive?
- Does it feel like a polished brand experience?
- Would you stay on the line?
This exercise often reveals the quickest wins and most obvious improvement areas.
5. Keep It Fresh and Relevant
Your on-hold audio should evolve with your business:
- Update seasonal content
- Promote new products or campaigns
- Remove outdated messages
- Refresh voiceovers and music periodically
Most companies update their website every few months, your phone system deserves the same attention. With tools like Britannic Studio, updating your audio is quick, simple and completely within your control.
Why Britannic Studio Is Your Secret Weapon
Most businesses understand the value of a great website, sharp branding or engaging social content, but very few take full control of what customers hear when they call. That’s where Britannic Studio changes everything.
Britannic Studio gives businesses the ability to design, manage and update their on-hold and in-queue experience with ease - all through a clean and intuitive web portal. No telecoms knowledge required. No waiting on support teams. No complexity.
With Britannic Studio, you can:
✔ Build tailored music and message playlists
Craft the exact caller journey you want, from warm welcomes to strategic promotions.
✔ Create or upload professional voice recordings
Choose voices that match your brand personality and speak directly to your audience.
✔ Update audio instantly
Seasonal campaigns, new offers, urgent announcements or compliance messages - change them in seconds, not weeks.
✔ Ensure brand consistency across every phone touchpoint
Your callers should receive the same polished, modern experience they get from your website or marketing.
✔ Manage IVR and menu prompts from the same platform
A unified sound across your entire telephony ecosystem builds trust, reduces confusion and boosts professionalism.
Britannic Studio empowers businesses to turn on-hold audio into a strategic customer experience tool - not an afterthought, not a frustration point and definitely not wasted time.
This is where customer engagement begins, long before a human picks up the phone.
Your Next Step in CX Excellence
Companies pour time, energy and budget into attracting customers, but often overlook the moment a customer is actively waiting to talk to them. This moment is powerful. It’s emotional. It shapes perception. And it’s one of the easiest touchpoints to transform.
On-hold marketing is no longer optional. It’s a differentiator. By using a platform like Britannic Studio, businesses can:
- Reduce hang-ups by giving callers something worth staying for
- Improve customer satisfaction with clarity, reassurance and professionalism
- Boost sales and upsells through subtle, brand-aligned messaging
- Strengthen brand recognition with consistent tone, voice and personality
- Deliver a premium caller experience that sets them apart from competitors
Your customers are already listening. Britannic Studio ensures what they hear works for your business, not against it.
If you’re ready to transform caller wait-time into meaningful customer engagement, we’re here to help you get started.
