Boring music?  Nothing?  Consider adding value to the time your patients spend on hold. Select music that is fun and appeals to your patient base.  Think about the kind of music your patients might listen to and be careful not to alienate others.  My personal preference is Classic Rock.  Several generations listen to it and it’s hard to find someone that dislikes it.  And, it’s a bit cleaner than much of today’s music.  Adult Contemporary and Jazz are also pretty safe options.  Another great option is the House/Chill/Relaxation stations.  They are upbeat, but soothing. More important than music is using the time to share useful messages about the practice with your patients. You have a captive audience, so spend some time thinking about what your script should say.  What are those qualities about your practice that people often don’t know? Announce new services, physicians, or processes in the office.  Reference your website and let patients know what kind of information they can find there.  Congratulate physicians and staff on recent awards or certifications.  Let patients know where your office locations are.  Talk about what your practice does to ensure quality care.  Share with patients about volunteer work that staff or physicians do.  If your hold music is set up to be changed seasonally, include advice that is relevant to the season, such as flu shots and allergy information. Be sure to include a mixture of “selling” practice services with offering information that the patient wants to hear.  And, when promoting services, make it all about the patient – why they need it or how they benefit from it. Now, how do you make all this happen?  If you know someone with a great phone voice, have recording equipment, and know how to integrate that into the phone system, go for it!  Otherwise, find a company that specializes in hold music.  There are lots out there.  They’ll set up the music and do the voice-overs for you.  And, it’s relatively inexpensive.  It’s a great investment for a practice.  Email me if you need suggestions on companies or the script. We never want our patients to be on hold.  But, inevitably, it happens.  So, at least let that time be valuable!