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How to create a good telephone on-hold message?
For a company, putting callers on hold is much more than a technical constraint : it is a fully-fledged communication space. A high-quality on-hold message transforms a potentially frustrating moment into a positive experience for your callers. To succeed at this, you need to shift from a logic of "making people wait" to a logic of "making the most of a captive audience".
The aim of an effective on-hold message
The primary function of your on-hold message is to keep callers waiting without frustrating them. In sound marketing, it is known that waiting time is perceived on average 2.5 times longer than it actually is. A well-constructed on-hold message, combined with suitable music, reduces this perception and maintains your caller's engagement until the call is answered.
Optimising your telephone on-hold message, means meeting three imperatives:
Reinsurance : Your telephone on-hold message must confirm to the caller that the call has been answered.
Information : Use the waiting time to distribute useful information, current promotions or company news.
Sound identity : A telephone on-hold message reflects your brand image through the choice of voice and music.
By mastering these codes, you're not just broadcasting a sound; you're transforming a sudden moment of expectation into a controlled brand experience. This is where the quality of your telephone on-hold message is becoming a real lever for differentiation.
100% of your customers hear your
telephone hold
Turn every minute you wait into a communication opportunity.
30
seconds
That's how long you'll need to create your telephone greeting and then upload it using the Voconix generation and mixing tool.
25+
Voices
Our professional voice cast has been working with Voconix for many years, and our AI voices are based on the latest generative technologies.
10 000+
Music
Thousands of licensed commercial tracks updated weekly, plus a growing library of royalty-free music created by our AI, so you always find the right sound for your business.
5
Languages
Voconix covers the 5 major European languages: English, Spanish, German, French and Italian.
6 golden rules for'telephone hold
A telephone on-hold message is not something you can improvise. To turn this waiting time into a real communication tool, here are the basics to follow:
Immediate reassurance :
From the very first seconds, your telephone on-hold message should confirm to the caller that their call is being answered. A simple phrase such as «Your call is important to us, an advisor will answer you in a moment» immediately reduces the stress associated with waiting. Callers who know they are in the queue wait twice as long as callers who are left in limbo.
The strategic choice of music :
Music is the central element of your call waiting. It occupies 100% of the sound space between each announcement and directly conditions the caller's mood. According to studies, 8 out of 10 customers prefer a musical on-hold to silence and 70% believe that music improves brand image. A medical practice will opt for a soothing melody, a car dealership for a dynamic tune. This choice is not insignificant: it embodies your positioning without you having to say a single word.
Event communication :
Waiting time is free airtime that most companies waste. Take advantage of this captive attention to communicate: announce a current promotion, announce your presence at a trade fair, present a new service or remind people about your website. A company that updates its on-hold message quarterly sends out a strong signal of dynamism and organisation. It's marketing communication without an extra budget.
The right ad length :
Unlike answering machines, telephone on-hold messages are played in a loop. Its ideal duration is between 20 and 40 seconds per advert, interspersed with musical tracks. Too short, it comes back too often and annoys. Too long and the caller picks up before hearing it in full. This constraint imposes editorial discipline: each word must provide real value to the caller who is waiting.
Impeccable audio quality:
The sound quality of your telephone on-hold message is even more critical than for an answering machine, because it is played continuously and in a loop. Saturation, background noise or inappropriate sound levels can be heard immediately and damage your company's credibility with every second spent on hold. MP3 and compressed WAV formats are the standards compatible with all IPBX and PABX systems on the market.
Regular updates :
A dated on-hold message is worse than a generic one. Announcing a trade fair that took place six months ago or summer opening times in the middle of winter sends out a signal of disorganisation. Ideally, update your message every quarter: summer, back-to-school, end-of-year festivities, commercial events. With Voconix, this update takes less than 30 seconds from your online space.
How to create your telephone on-hold message?
Voconix makes it easy
Voconix has been designed to offer complete autonomy to create your telephone on-hold message.
You go from a blank page to a professional audio file in any format, ready to be broadcast on your phone system. That is the promise of a solution that is agile, flexible and uncompromising on quality.
Choice of voice
(5 languages, 25 voices, human and AI)
Copywriting
(+100 models)
Choice of music
(+10,000 tracks: automatically mixed)
Immediate download
(In the format of your choice, with SACEM certificate)
8 examples of telephone on-hold messages
Looking for inspiration? Discover 8 examples of telephone on-hold messages designed to meet the real needs of businesses. These models illustrate how to turn every minute of waiting time into a communication opportunity. Listen, adapt the text to your image and generate your own advert in a matter of seconds.
Message waiting for Town Hall
«Hello, and thank you for calling the [Name of local authority] Town Hall. Your request is important to our services. Our staff will take your call in a few moments. To save time, did you know that many procedures are available on [Website]? Thank you for your patience.»
Message waiting for Craftsmen
«Thank you for contacting [Name of craftsman]. We are currently working. Your call is important to us: stay on the line, we'll be with you in a moment. You can also find our work and prices on our website [Website].»
Message waiting for Beauty Salon
«Welcome to [Salon name]. Our entire team is currently looking after our customers. Stay tuned, we'll be with you in a few moments. In the meantime, did you know that we now offer [New service / Special offer]? Find out what's new on [Website].»
Message waiting for Restaurant
«Welcome to [Name]. We are currently in the middle of a shift and will be back to you in a moment. Take advantage of this brief moment to discover our daily menu and special offers on our [Website] site. Thank you for your patience.»
Message waiting for Healthcare practices
«Doctor [Name]»s surgery. Your call is important to our team. A member of our secretariat will take your request in a few moments. For a quick appointment, you can also check our availability online at Doctolib.fr."
Message waiting for Law firms
«You are in contact with [Name]. Our staff are currently in consultation. Your call will be answered as soon as possible. You can also send us your request by email to [Email] for priority handling.»
Message waiting for Car dealership
«Welcome to [Name/Brand]. Your call is important to our teams. While you wait, check out our latest offers and promotions on our [Website]. An advisor will take care of your request in a few moments.»
Message waiting for Hotel
«Welcome to the [Name of the hotel]. Our entire team is at your service. While we are preparing to put you in touch with us, find out about our holiday offers and availability in real time on our [Website]. Your call will be answered in a few moments. Your call will be answered in a few moments.»
16 standard sentences from telephone hold
A telephone on-hold message An effective on-hold message is built using phrases that reassure, inform and keep the caller engaged. Here are 16 key phrases adapted to different on-hold situations.
Announce hold
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«All our lines are currently busy, please stay on the line, we'll get back to you in a moment.»
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«Your call is important to us. An advisor will be taking your request very shortly.»
Reassurance about care
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«Thank you for your patience. A representative will be with you shortly.»
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«Your request is in safe hands. Please wait a few more moments.»
Communicating practical information
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«Take advantage of this time to consult our FAQ on [Website] - many answers are available 24 hours a day».»
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«Our services are available Monday to Friday from [Time] to [Time], and on Saturday from [Time] to [Time].»
Promoting while you wait
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«While you wait, discover our current offer: [Offer description]. More information on [Website]. »
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«Did you know that [Company name] will be exhibiting at the [Exhibition name] on [Date]? Come and visit us at stand number [X].»
Announce a call transfer
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«Your call will be transferred to [Name of department]. Please wait a few moments.»
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«We'll put you in touch with the right person. Your request will be dealt with as quickly as possible.»
Managing a long wait
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«We apologise for the longer than usual wait. Your patience is invaluable and we will do our best to respond promptly.»
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«Due to an exceptional influx of calls, your waiting time is slightly longer than normal. Please stay on the line.»
Propose an alternative
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«If you want to avoid the wait, you can contact us by email at [Email]. We will process your request within 24 hours.»
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«For all non-urgent requests, please use our contact form at [Website]. »
Going digital
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«To track the progress of your order or file, log on to your customer area at [Website]. »
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«A wealth of useful information is freely available on our website [Website], accessible 24 hours a day.»
Exceptional situations
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«Due to an exceptional closure, our teams are not available today. We will resume on [Date].»
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«Our premises are currently closed for [Reason]. You can reach us by email at [Email], we will get back to you as soon as we return.»
Conclude the hold
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« [Company name] Thank you for your patience. An advisor will take your call.»
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«Thank you for your patience. We are now available to process your request.»
Legal guide Music and SACEM
Adding music to your telephone on-hold message is a powerful lever: 8 out of 10 customers prefer a musical expectation to silence, and 70% believe that music improves a company's image. But playing music on a switchboard is legally considered as «communication to the public», which makes the company liable. Voconix offers you two options:
Royalty-free titles:
This is the cheapest and simplest solution. By choosing music in this category, you pay only no royalties to SACEM. Your telephone on-hold message with no recurring broadcasting costs.
Hot tracks and commercial music
You want a strong sound identity with a current title or a well-known song? Voconix gives you access to a huge library of commercial music.
Administrative support : If you opt for a title subject to copyright, we can provide you with a ready-to-use form for SACEM. All you have to do is send it to us to finalise your declaration.
Top quality : All our tracks, whether royalty-free or commercial, are processed in the studio to guarantee crystal-clear sound on all telephone systems.
How to choose your soundtrack telephone hold ?
Your choice of music on hold owes nothing to chance. It is a powerful psychological lever that influences the perception of time and the image of your customer service. Here are the three essential criteria for making the right choice:
1. Align your style with your brand identity
Your audio reception is your company's auditory «visiting card».
For an image of trust and expertise (Banking, Lawyers, Insurance): Choose sober textures such as piano or clean acoustic layers.
For an image of innovation and modernity (Tech, Agencies, Startups): Turn to electro-chill rhythms or minimalist synthetic sounds.
2. Adapt the tempo to the caller's state of mind
The psychology of’telephone hold is all about managing impatience.
Technical support / after-sales service : Choose calm, soothing music (Ambient, Zen) to reduce tension.
Sales Department: Opt for medium tempos (Pop, Jazz-Funk) that exude energy and responsiveness.
3. Focus on structure to reduce perceived expectations
Studies show that music with an evolving structure (that does not loop too repetitively) reduces the perception of waiting time. A music on hold rich in nuance keeps the caller's mind occupied, making the patient much less frustrating.
The expertise of a professional studio for your telephone hold
L’telephone hold should no longer be a mere technical silence, but a controlled communication channel. At Voconix, we've integrated the engineering of a traditional production studio into an agile SaaS interface to ensure that your telephone hold is always technically impeccable.
Technical expertise for perfect distribution on your systems:
- Dynamic mixing (ducking) : Our algorithm ensures the perfect balance between your message and the music. The music on hold automatically attenuates under the voice to ensure absolute clarity and intelligibility.
- Controlled gain and standardisation: To avoid problems of saturation or too low a volume on your lines, each production run is standard. You benefit from a constant output level for optimum listening comfort on all terminals.
- Total compatibility with your standards (professional codecs) : Upload your files in the exact format required by your installation. We support native export in MP3, WAV, G.711a, G.711u, G.722, G.723 and Opus, This guarantees error-free integration with all your telephone systems, 3CX, Ringover, PABX, IPBX...
A SaaS ecosystem to manage your audio assets :
Full message history : Stop wasting time recreating your ads from scratch. Access your history to find, modify and relaunch an ad. promotional campaign or your New Year's greetings in a matter of seconds.
Memorising pronunciation : Because your brand is unique, Voconix safeguards the exact diction of your name and your business terms. This guarantees perfect consistency and impeccable pronunciation across all your messages.
Organisation by Tags and Services : Pilot the’telephone hold from several departments (Sales, After Sales, HR). Our tagging system enables centralised and structured management of your sound identity multi-site.
Different uses of'telephone hold
Your telephone on-hold message is just one element of a coherent audio greeting strategy. Voconix lets you create and manage all your voice messages from a single platform.
Pre-hook
Let your callers know straight away that they have reached the right number on your main line.
Urgent message update
Exceptional closures, inventories, unscheduled messages, these are just some of the situations you need to take into account in your telephone greeting. If you need to warn your customers, Voconix lets you create and download your new message immediately.
Manage your sales operations
Make sure that all your employees have their voicemail updated with your current advertising spot? Then use the history to easily return to the corporate message.
Business Answering Machine
Even when closed, you can communicate (opening hours, contact points, etc.) without having to leave a message.
New employee voicemail setup
Set up a new team member's voicemail message straight away using your company's approved voice, music and script.
Find any past voicemail message
A voicemail message from one of your employees or your company is no longer being broadcast. Find it quickly in the Voconix history.
IVR prompts and auto attendant
Keep your IVR & auto attendant regularly updated with quickly generated professional voicemail.
Voice mailbox for unavailability
Clearly indicate who to contact during your holidays or absences.
In your telephony application, customise the messages for each off-line status.
Create your messages independently
Choose the voice, music and text, then immediately generate your professional telephone greeting for download. You can also share your creation with your team to validate it.
The rates
Free
€84 /year
(10,000 titles)
€180 /year
The 5 main European languages
These different languages will enable you to meet most of your telephone on-hold message requirements. If you need another language, contact us
FAQ
Browse the FAQs and find the answers to your questions about creating professional telephone on-hold messages.
How can I create a telephone on-hold message using AI?
To create a telephone on-hold message using AI, simply write the text you want, choose a synthetic voice from the options available, then generate the audio file. Voconix offers settings to adjust the quality of the mix and the level of background music, for a professional look. No technical skills are required, and the process is fully guided.
How long does it take to generate a telephone on-hold message?
A professional voicemail message can be generated in just a few minutes. After entering the text and selecting the parameters (voice, tone, music), the audio file is produced almost instantaneously. The total duration depends mainly on the length of the text and the customisations applied.
What are the strengths of Voconix compared to other on-hold call generators?
Voconix stands out for the quality of its synthetic voices, its ease of use and its seamless integration with existing telephone systems. It also offers a large library of royalty-free music generated via AI, memory for difficult pronunciations, a message history for updates, and a free trial period to test out the features.
Can Voconix be easily integrated with existing telephone systems?
Yes, Voconix generates audio files in MP3 or WAV format, compatible with most telephone systems (IPBX, PABX, cloud standards). The files can be imported directly into existing infrastructures or passed on to a third-party installer for fast, uncomplicated integration.
How do you deliver telephone expectations to a third-party installer?
Once the voice message has been generated, it can be downloaded from the Voconix platform in MP3 or WAV format. You can also enter your telephone installer's contact details so that they can be notified when your new message is available. These standardised formats make it easy to integrate directly into telephone systems, without the need for additional conversion.
Can I test telephone on-hold generation free of charge before buying?
Yes, Voconix offers a free trial version that allows you to create, listen to and download a complete telephone hold. This option allows you to evaluate the quality and ease of use of the tool before subscribing to a paying package, with no commitment and no credit card required.
Does Voconix offer a message history for easy updating?
Voconix keeps a history of all telephone expectations created in your user space. This allows you to consult, modify or reuse your old messages in just a few clicks, simplifying updates without having to recreate everything. The retention period depends on the subscription package you have chosen.
What file formats are available for telephone calls?
Telephone waits generated by Voconix are available in MP3 and WAV. The wav format is already compressed in quality to adapt to all telephony systems, PABX, IPBX and Centrex.
How do I add royalty-free music on hold to a message on hold?
Voconix includes a library of high-quality, royalty-free on-hold music that we've specially generated using the latest AI technology. You can select a piece of music, associate it with your on-hold call, and adjust its volume or duration to suit your needs. This music can be used at no extra cost and with no legal constraints.
Does Voconix offer royalty-free music with no PRS or PPL fees?
Yes, Voconix provides a selection of royalty-free on-hold music that can be used without SACEM or SCPA fees. This music is included in the offer and can be legally integrated into your on-hold messages without additional royalties.
How do I contact Voconix support if I need help?
Voconix support can be contacted by email at support@voconix.com, via the platform's integrated chat facility, or by telephone during working hours. Requests are dealt with within 24 hours on weekdays, and priority assistance may be offered depending on the packages subscribed to.
Can I try Voconix with no commitment?
Yes, Voconix allows you to test its service free of charge with no obligation. The trial version gives access to all the basic functions, including the generation of telephone waiting messages, in order to evaluate the solution before subscribing to a paying package.
What text should I choose for my business telephone on-hold message?
A good on-hold message text should reassure the caller, provide useful information and be calibrated for looping. Voconix offers pre-written templates to help you structure your on-hold message. telephone on-hold message with a tone appropriate to your sector.
Why choose a professional voice for your on-hold calls?
A studio voice instantly enhances the perceived quality of your telephone on-hold message. Voconix AI delivers perfect elocution and a warm tone that keeps the caller engaged throughout the hold.
