Halloween is around the corner. Does this change our On Hold messages? Certainly, there’s value for being up-to-date and customizing our messages to fit specific seasons. In fact, it signals a great deal of customer service by constantly changing – you’re implying that you’ve been recently active and that you’re giving a personal touch. That’s why businesses are wise to put up seasonal decorations as well.
In general, if you’re able to customize a greeting, it’s a good idea to do it. It’s subtle, but people notice and it can even generate buzz if it’s something visual (like a sign) or memorable (brush up on your Halloween jokes!). Of course, it isn’t always possible or necessary to change it up every month. You would run the risk of losing that brand recognition.
There’s also a bigger issue at play when it comes to seasonal greetings. 15% of New Zealand identifies as Christian. What percentage of that group opposes Halloween? Probably very little, but if your business is in an area that caters to them, it would be a poor business move to highlight Halloween in a greeting. The same goes for celebrating Christmas in a Muslim area. Or ignoring Chinese New Year in a Chinese-specific region. It does come down to who your client base is.
But let’s say you know your audience well. And you’re choosing something that is not alienating. What are the issues you have to ask think about? There is an opportunity cost, after all. Ten seconds talking about a holiday is ten fewer seconds you’re able to promote a service or product. So if you can tie a promotion within a season (Christmas sale!), then that’s even better. Also, if you’re choosing a holiday that doesn’t have significant social impact, you’re just wasting time and resources on something people don’t care about. If you can make it personal, then you’ll score points with your community. That means showing how your product and company understands the needs of the people they are serving. When it comes to seasonal greetings, that’s the most important thing to remember.
So Happy Hallowess Eve to everyone. Here’s hoping that the last few months of the year are the best.