1. www.Long-complicated-web-address.com/4-your-callers
If your company has a website where customers can find support information or help to aid their buying decisions, then providing your web address in your IVR or On Hold messages is essential.
Has your company got a long or complicated name as part of the web address?
If so you might consider getting an additional shorter domain and redirecting it to your main website. Web domains are relatively inexpensive and most providers can offer a 301 redirect that redirects the domain to any web address you like.
For example, if your web address is massachusetts-same-day-logistics.com, this is a long domain for a voice-over to say. Registering a shorter version, such as msdl.com, and redirecting it as mentioned earlier might be a good idea. This option is easier to listen to and simpler for your potential client to type.
Furthermore, if your website has a lot of information on it and your callers are only really going to need a specific part of the website, perhaps your help section, you could get a domain that redirects to a section on your website to help clients, for example, msdl-help.com.
2. To double-yew double-yew double-yew dot or not?
This is one of those things that has stuck. So many people still say the www. aspect of their domain when they speak it. However, most people rarely type it and browsers do not need it to be typed. It is taken for granted that every website address starts with this. If you read your on-hold script out loud you will find that saying www. several times is a bit of a tongue twister and takes a good few seconds each time too. It’s similar to reciting your country code before your phone number whenever you share it, which is unnecessary for the recipient unless you’re abroad.
It is your choice, but www is not required these days.
3. Logon / Login
These days, most people are always connected to the internet, so saying ‘log on to our website’ feels a bit outdated. Log in or on is more associated with a membership or account area rather than the act of getting online. Unless you need them to actually log in to an area on your website, Visit or Go to our website sounds better.
4. Why not…
Saying “Why not visit our website …” is not great instruction. If there is not a practical reason why bother!? Especially if you are already on hold, why would you suddenly want to visit their website?!
Give people a purpose to visit your website instead of calling or a reason to visit later. Give people a purpose to visit your website rather than calling, or give them a reason to return later.
For example:
Did you know, you can find full details and order all of our products 24 hours a day on our website, go to msdl.com
OR
Did you know, the answer to most support questions can be found in our online help section? Go to msdl-help.com or continue to hold and we will be happy to help when you are connected.
5. Dial, press or touch phone?
Do you still have a dial on your phone? Most people under 30 have probably never even used a phone with a rotary dial.
It is more acceptable to say please press as most people are familiar with pressing numbers on their phones or touching them on their touchscreen smartphones. Having said that, we have never recorded a script that says please touch 1 etc.
We hope you have found this helpful. For more tips on writing your script please see our Guide to Writing Your Telephone Script
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