Why Customer Service Should Kill the On-Hold Music

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Why Customer Service Should Kill the On-Hold Music

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In this episode, Lucas and Luna take aim at a universally disliked but stubbornly persistent customer service staple: on-hold music. They explore the psychology of hold time, citing a 2024 study from the Journal of Service Research showing that customers perceive waits as 30% longer when listening to generic looped music versus silence or branded audio content. Lucas unpacks why companies cling to it — mainly inertia and the mistaken belief that music signals the call hasn't dropped. Luna pushes back with data from a Zendesk benchmark finding that 68% of customers prefer being told their estimated wait time over hearing music. The hosts discuss alternatives like informational messaging, branded podcasts, or simple silence with periodic check-ins, referencing how companies like Southwest Airlines and USAA have successfully replaced hold music with helpful updates. They conclude with a provocative claim: killing hold music could be the cheapest, highest-ROI change a service team can make in 2026. No marketing fluff, just evidence and practical next steps. #CustomerService #HoldMusic #CallCenter #CustomerExperience #ServiceDesign #PsychologyOfWaiting #JournalOfServiceResearch #Zendesk #SouthwestAirlines #USAA #AudioBranding #CallQueue #Retention #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ServiceQuality #CustomerLoyalty Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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