Interactive On-Hold Services

Frequently Asked Questions

TWO COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS Propagated by Telco Salesreps

It amazes me that many telco's across the country are installing phone systems worth many thousands of dollars and their salespeople still can't get two simple facts straight. Whether these are outright lies (or just feigned ignorance) I.O.S. intends to set the record straight when it comes to playing ANY audio to callers placed "on-hold".

#1: "Just buy a $20 radio and hook it into the music-on-hold port of your phone system and you'll be all set."

There are three basic problems with this misinformation. First, unless you are paying annual licensing fees to ASCAP and BMI (the Performing Rights Societies), then you are STEALING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY since playing this music to on-hold callers is deemed a "PUBLIC PERFORMANCE". You will loose this battle in a court of law 100% of the time. Second, the radio is a poor choice for many reasons that we will be happy to discuss with you. Third, you are not effectively using this space as can be demonstrated by Statistics .

#2: "Just hook up a CD player with a repeat function and play anything you wish."

The same answer regarding the legality holds true in this scenario... "It's illegal unless you are paying for these rights." Furthermore, CD players ARE NOT designed to run 24x7x365 and will burn out frequently costing much more in the long run. Finally, CD players will STOP PLAYING when you have a strong power surge and you will be reduced to "silence on hold" without even knowing it. Callers (used to hearing something on hold) will think they've been disconnected and hang up far more frequently. So even if you do own a licensed program a CD player IS NOT recommended. (Ask us about digital announcer technology which is very economical and designed for this specific function.)

Q: We're considering a lease program bid for our message-on-hold solution, do you offer them?

A: No. We don't believe most customers will benefit from these "LOCKED IN" deals and here's why; 1) They usually provide used, last generation (i.e. lower quality) playback equipment that you won't own and therefore can't depreciate, 2) You pay a fixed monthly rate, say $79 per month (= $2,844 over the 3-year lease), for a service that you will most likely never fully utilize and will therefore pay many hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars more using their pricing STRATEGY. Our experience shows us that most companies buy only one production a year... maybe two if they do a Holiday version. Why then would you lock yourself into nearly a thousand dollars a year for regular "monthly upgrades" that you won't need? Do you really think you'll be doing it that regularly? If so, then ask us about our package deals and our ability to modify programs fast and cost effectively thanks to the new equipment that we offer. Our pricing should save the vast majority of MOH buyers at least 50% over the next three years while providing the BEST OVERALL SOLUTION AVAILABLE! Also, 3) if you are not 100% satisfied with us then you can vote with your feet and go elsewhere... and that's how it should be. Do you really want to be married to a service provider (involuntarily) for years on end without knowing the quality of their work or the frequency in which you will require changes? 4) What if they're not in business next year? In that case you can say "sianora" to your investment.

Q: We have an audio production company down the street from us. Why should we choose yours over one our neighbors?

A: We love that question because so few companies can compete with the comprehensive services that we offer. We focus on "audio productions for business" and that degree of specialization allows us to compete effectively with anyone. That means you're going to get the best bang for your buck right here… that is “if” you don’t delude yourself into thinking you can do a better job by trying to piecemeal together lowest cost providers at every turn. Provide us with a copy of your best quote and we'll prove it!

People who do that are "Penny wise and pound foolish.” as written by Edward Topsell way back in 1607. By focusing on COST these novices tend to buy from multiple vendors, often forgetting to factor in their own time and THEIR costs to the company, which include not only salary but benefits as well. They also forget to factor in such things as the QUALITY of the script writing service, the amount of LICENSED MUSIC that is IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE at NO EXTRA COST, the number of SUPERB QUALITY MULTI-LINGUAL VOICE-ARTISTS who can deliver their message in a TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER and not just some amateur who happens to have a nice voice but doesn’t have a clue on proper delivery techniques, they don't understand "THE FRESHNESS FACTOR", which simply means that a well produced MOH program WON’T HAVE TO BE REDONE EVERY THREE MONTHS, the speed at which the production can be produced and the overall PROFESSIONALISM, QUALITY, COST EFFECTIVENESS and most importantly, RESULTS OBTAINED. What it comes down to is that novices using the "low-price 1st" approach will cost your company significantly more money to produce an inferior program! Let I.O.S. handle the details and we'll provide the best overall solution QUICKLY, ECONOMICALLY and CORRECTLY... THE VERY FIRST TIME!

Furthermore, just because our HQs is in Vermont doesn't mean we aren't your neighbors as well. Our team hails from the following areas: California, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Montreal AND Alberta Canada as well as the United Kingdom.

Being dispersed over most of North America doesn’t pose a problem for us due to advanced telecommunications. That fact, along with normal 2-3 day mail delivery (via US Priority Service for only $4.55) allows us to get your CD or cassette based productions into your hands as quickly as someone across town from you. Think you need your programs faster than that? How's 5-minutes after it's finished sound? (via MP3 digital or wave files.) So the real question is; How do THEY mesasure up to I.O.S.?

Q: What's the best method to play our on-hold production?

A: This is an important question and is therefore described in great detail on the following page: Digital Announcers

Q: How do you determine your ranking for MOH playback devices?

A: We look at all models and then compare playback quality, expandability and extra features with cost performance. We rarely consider "copy cat" products that arrive late and cost more because they add no significant value to the established products that were introduced by market leaders such as Eletech & IntelliTouch. We then determine if the extra features warrant the added cost. If not, then a better unit, that is much more expensive, will get a lower ranking. Feel free to compare specific models with us.

Q: Okay, we understand the need to buy a digital announcer but there are so many options to choose from. What does your company recommend?

A: There are many DVA (digital voice announcer) manufacturers and each of them offer systems containing “similar” functionality. Our research has provided us with a favorite, which remains our #1 ranked product for companies with phone systems that have an “MOH port” (music on hold), the ELE-2020. Our next two favorites are the OHP-7000 and the OHP-6000. The 7000 uses CD-loader technology on top of the 6000 platform but that inserts a "point of hardware failure" into an otherwise solid design. The OHP-5000 has dropped off of our top three list and was manufacture discontinued. Click on the "Best In Class" groupings on the main page (left column bottom) to get more info on equipment for phone systems (that have an MOH port) and "non-Key" (which are 2 to 4 line phone solutions).

We have all witnessed the evolution of technology and a few key advantages seem common to them all. Newer systems are generally smaller, faster, of higher quality, more reliable and, surprisingly enough, more economical. This also holds true in the world of digital announcers.

I.O.S.’ primary mission is to provide business with “the highest quality audio productions at very reasonable prices”. We also offer the playback devices in order to provide you with "one-stop shopping". We DO NOT represent a single manufacturer and are free to utilize the technologies that make the most sense, both technologically and economically. When a new capability becomes available we seamlessly integrate it into our product offering while letting the older technologies "wither on the vine". (Like many of the Premiere products, the entire Bogen line and, the OHP-3000 & OHP-4000, OHP-4500, OHP-5000 and even the superb DP-100.)

Q: Why can't we find the ELE-2020 anyplace else?

A: That name was given to the product by I.O.S., in part as a tribute to the manufacturer (Eletech Electronics) and two, because the name they gave it (the DP400) doesn't mean anything and is close to the name of another product that is not competitive. The ELE-2020 reflects the perfect vision of 20/20 hindsight as well as the fact that I know many of these devices will be in service in the year 2020 since there are no moving parts to break and no need for higher audio quality in the foreseeable future. Just check out our samples page and recognize the fact that this quality is ALREADY embedded into the ELE-2020 but that the copper wires within your walls will remain the weakest link in the MOH chain for quite some time. We'll talk about this again when there's fiber optics (or the equivalent) to the desktop... and then we'll simply use the ELE-2020's next higher sampling rate.

Q: Are there any specific questions we should be asking when comparing different playback devices?

A: Yes, here are a few questions that will allow you to build a solid matrix in order to compare units objectively:

1) What is the equipped capacity? Can it be expanded?
. . . If so, how & how much?

2) What is the sampling rate? This addresses audio quality.

-->Lowest quality: 33 or 45-kbps,
-->Medium quality: 64 or 88-kbps,
-->Highest Quality: 128, 176 or 192-kbps.

3) What medium is the program loaded into memory from?

-->Lowest quality: Normal bias tape,
-->Medium quality: CrO2 tape (chromium),
-->Highest Quality: CD, compact flash, or other non-volatile flash memory.

4) What's the actual process to change audio programs?

5) Is the memory volatile or non-volatile?
(Non-volatile is far superior since it will not need to be reloaded with any power hit or outage.)

6) Can the unit be loaded from the internet? If so, how?

7) Is there a warranty? If so, how long is it?

The ELE-2020 does all of these things exceedingly well and is THE BEST UNIT AVAILABLE for phone "systems" with an MOH port. If these questions aren't answered clearly in competing product ads then I would invite you to ask them "Why not?" If their product was competitive then they should be proud to answer these simple questions.

Q: Which medium is better, smart media or compact flash?

A: It's a very good question but you are only asking part of it since there are curently SIX main standards competing. Capacities are determined by the amount of MBs (megabytes) of storage. A 64MB card is four times the capacity of the 16MB card, or is it? Yes, it is... but the actual capacity is determined by that factor plus the "sampling rate" being used. i.e. The lower the quality of the sample rate the more time capacity you will have in ANY given format. Don't get confused since this technology now gives the end user far more capacity then they should ever need... especially for standard music-on-hold applications. It wasn't that long ago when a 4-minute machine (without a production) was well over $400 and COULD NOT be upgraded. If you wanted an 8-minute machine then a whole new purchase was necessary and for significantly more money ($600-$700). So don't get tangled up in the minutia of bits and bytes but concentrate instead on investing your time and money into a solid CUSTOMIZED production.

UPDATE: IntelliTouch's introduction of the OHP-6000 was VERY SIMILAR to the DP-100 product that we began recommending two years earlier. The only significant hardware difference was that they initially used "Smart Media Cards" (instead of Compact Flash Cards as with the DP-100 and new ELE-2020 line) and then evolved it to "Secure Digital" format to make it more competitve. That upgrade brought the OHP-6000 up to our #3 spot behind our #1 rated ELE-2020 and the 6000's big brother, the OHP-7000. PC MAGAZINE favors the compact flash card over the Smart Media format and provides their reasoning within their article "Flash Memory: Pick a Card".

Q: What equipment do you recommend if we require transparent remote downloads over the net?

A: The vast majority of clients will never need this level of service and can therefore forego the "dedicated” telephone line (at $600 per year) or a more expensive digital voice announcer that connects directly to your network. In those cases you should call us so we can get deeper into your application and not try to handle all of your options here.

If you are like the majority of companies in this category then we recommned the ELE-2020 over the OHP-6000. We like the ELE-2020 better when it is equipped with the optional compact flash card reader/writer (and additional compact flash card for $10) since it provides more efficient files transfer. The OHP-6000 requires a disconnect so you can move it from your telco equipment room (or closet) to your CPU to upload a new file via the 6' USB cable that is supplied with the unit. Or, you can carry a portable down to the equipment room and take the 15 minutes needed to do it from there. Versus a 10 second swap out with the ELE-2020. We invite your call to us at: 1-800-925-9025 to clarify any questions.

Q: Why do some companies rate digital announcers using the “kbps” scale while others use KHz?

A: That’s a very good question and it’s too bad that all companies don’t express their scores in the same manner so consumers can easily compare product audio quality. We’ll be happy to demystify this simple conversion so no one can pull the wool over your eyes. We’ve already explained in our previous question the levels we consider to be “Low, Medium and High” using the more typical “kbps” (kilo-bit-per-second) sampling rate scale so all that’s left to do is to give you the formula used to do the conversion.

When converting from KHz to find the kbps rate simply multiply the KHz number by 8. For example; A previous #1 announcer was the DP-100 and it had the ability to sample your audio program at three different rates; 11-KHz, 16-KHz and 22-KHz. When doing the math you find that the three sampling rates (when expressed in “kbps”) are 88-kbps, 128-kbps and 176-kbps (8 times the number in KHz). So put away your calculators and don’t be fooled by products expressing their quality vaguely.

Q: We just bought a used digital announcer in an on-line auction. Will you still be able to provide us with your custom on-hold production services?

A: Absolutely! That’s our core business and our primary reason for being here. All that we ask is that you provide us with the exact model you will be using and the format you require from us. i.e. CD or cassette? Type of tape: normal bias or Chromium, “CrO2”, MP3 or .wav file and even the newer Compact FlashCards.

Q: We plan on updating our program on a regular basis, perhaps as often as four times a year. Do you offer pricing discounts for repeat customers?

A: Yes we do. We offer a number of different programs to fit your needs. Ask us about our "Buy 3 Get the 4th one FREE" program. Just contact us to discuss your requirements and we will be hapy to provide you with a firm quote.

Q: Do you offer "voice-over ONLY" work?

A: Yes we do. Depending upon the application we have various prices to allow for this type of work. Contact us to discuss your specific requirements and we will be happy to provide you with a firm quote.

Q: Do you offer gift certificates?

A: Absolutely, and starting at only $100! This is a great gift when you're not sure what your friend or loved one needs but KNOW that they can benefit from a customized audio program from I.O.S.! They will receive an attractive and customized gift certificate that can be applied to any of our production services or complete "Bargain Basement" packages. Our audio production services include website ads, message-on-hold programs, radio or TV ads, voice-overs for an automated attendant or IVR (interactive voice response) system, store broadcast, DVD or audio for PowerPoint presentations. Furthermore, you will be able to give more than your pocket allows in three ways. First, we will write the gift certificate for 5% MORE than your purchase price, second, we will pre-ship our V3 CD Sampler along with your gift certificate, and third, you can be certain that your gift will keep on giving for many years to come as our production helps to improve their customer service and drive new revenue opportunities.

Q: I saw a service like yours for only $39.95. Why should we pay your rates?

A: I saw a car for $100, but I wanted a Lexus… That’s not to say that we are as expensive as that fine automobile… although our DELUXE services are of that quality. With many “mom & pop” shops you often have only one male and (possibly) one female voice to choose from. (Not EIGHTEEN SUPERB VOICE-ARTISTS as with I.O.S.) Also, read their web pages and determine for yourself if the quality of their writing excels or if they are simply copying ads or using "boilerplated" software. The companies that tell you that a piece of software can replace a writers skill is a . . . well, let's just say they are fooling themselves. We will help you write a truly unique program that all of your employees can be proud of.

Q: We’re looking at buying an “adapter” for our music on hold that will accept ANY input device. Is this a good way to proceed?

A: No, it isn’t. This is a “last generation” solution that would allow you to connect an existing audio source, such as a cassette or CD player, into your music-on-hold (MOH) port. Unfortunately, most consumer devices that you may already own are inappropriate hardware solutions for MOH applications and WILL wear out or simply stop playing as soon as they sense a power surge. Therefore, this "adapter" is likely to become excess equipment very quickly and you'll be looking to get rid of it. Self-contained digital announcers (such as the OHP-6500 and new OHP-7500 units) provide the best solutions and the newer equipment is not only better but is more economical than you'd suspect.

PS: Using the radio is illegal due to "Intellectual Property" Laws prohibiting its use in the MOH domain, which is considered a "public broadcast". You can legalize its use by acquiring annual licenses from Performing Rights Societies such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and in Canada, SOCAN but this is relatively expensive and your money would be better invested in a customized on-hold program.

Q: What about those "record it ourselves" products, is that something we should be looking into?

A: When I was a child I used to watch Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris lift fastballs out of the park with effortless grace. “I can do that too…” my little dreamer said to me. Well, the older I became (and the harder I tried) the more apparent it became that being a big league player wasn’t in my cards. Everything “seems” easy until you actually set off to do it… or at least to do it well enough for people to sit up and take notice. Why then would you want to be you own Production Company? Is it part of your core business? If not, then let a professional team knock your production “out of the park” for you and don’t let others delude you into thinking that your company can do just as good a job (or even as cost effectively) as a company that does this every minute of the day… every day.

Q: What about used equipment? We’d prefer to invest our advertising dollars on the custom production.

A: That’s a very good point, especially since a customized on-hold program will yield a better return on your investment. However, new equipment is often LESS EXPENSIVE than old and you need to adopt a Buyer Beware attitude. Be sure to get a written commitment from the seller that they will provide you with a COMPLETE REFUND (including shipping BOTH ways) if their unit proves to be defective. Whenever possible, get a written warranty of at least 90 days... one year is obviously better and is the minimum warranty we provide on our used MOH equipment. Don't be misled by companies dumping very old products at "GREAT PRICES"... that's the old "Penny wise and pound foolish" mistake. If the unit samples at 64-kbps (or less) then you are buying technology that is at least three generations old. The absolute lowest rate you should accept is 64-kbps. Our top picks sample at 128, 176 or 192-kbps.

Q: Our on-hold application is pretty straight forward. Why would we spend more to get an announcer with a built-in CD loader?

A: The primary reason for this decision is "convenience". Most of our clients like the idea of updating their programs on a regular basis. Having a built-in loader, i.e. either a CD or cassette player, makes that step easier. The CD-loaders are current technologies and utilize the superior "NON-volatile" memory, whereas the cassette based units are now an "end-of-lifecycle" group of products that utilize volatile memory and we DO NOT recommend. Note: The newest technologies use Compact Flash or Smart Media cards, which are high-capacity, VERY economical and offer EXCELLENT quality! They are easy to change (or exchange) and offer instantaneous track selection with the touch of a single button.

Q: What about “zero gap”… do your digital announcers have that capability?

A: Yes, all of our “Best In Class” units do. Most announcers have the ability to remove the gap since this is a function of how the program is recorded at the studio. Some dealers describe their units as “zero gap”, which in our humble opinion, is making a mountain out of a molehill since no one is going to complain about 1/10th to 1/4-second of silence every four to eight minutes of audio programming. We suspect that their marketing department came up with this “feature” to try and differentiate their product by taking the emphasis off of having a sampling rate or warranty that is less than optimal. All of our "Best In Class" solutions can remove the silence gap completely.

Q: How much does a typical on-hold production cost?

A: There is no such thing as typical to us since every customer is unique. Our services start as low as $100 and range up to about $375 depending upon the voice(s) you choose, the length of the script and MOH program, which is typically between four and eight minutes in length. We have 18 superb voice-actors to select from and offer multi-lingual services. Our most popular packages are described in the “Bargain Basement”.

All of our productions use professional voice-over talent, include script-writing assistance (unless you opt out to save $s), offer you an extensive selection of music from LICENSED libraries and a medley of songs (instead of just one). Here's a good point to visit our Voice-Over Actor's page for a better appreciation of just this one aspect of your program; (i.e. the voice chosen to represent your company, whether it's for your message-on-hold space, your automated attendant, your upcoming radio spot or any other AUDIO PRODUCTION that you have in mind.) This is among the most important differentiators and their partial clients list is provided.

This is not an area where saving a few dollars makes a lot of sense. (No pun intended.) Just multiply the number of calls that you receive (and also initiate) on a "typical" day by the 250 days you are open for business each year. According to AT&T statistics you will put about 70% of them on-hold. Is this a corner that's worth cutting? Or should you optimize this time with the most professional message possible? Are you looking to provide a warm and fuzzy "I haven't been disconnected" feeling to your callers... or do you want a message that will impact them with quality customer care that may actually translate into your bottom line as positive revenue?

Q: We would like to upgrade our digital announcer...do you take trade-ins?

A: Generally yes, but it really depends on the announcer you are offering us. For example, if you are trading in a 12-15 year old Bogen MMT 34 (or MMT 68) or even their more recent "ProMOH" models we aren't interested because of their VOLATILE MEMORY and use of low quality tapes. They sample at rates that are 64kbps (or less) and utilize "normal bias" tape which is an inferior medium. The Bogen ProMOH series are much better than the MMT units but we no longer offer them. Still, they do make economical sense as "used equipment" (if you can't afford the ELE-2020) as long as you can get at least a 90-day warranty and spend less than $50-75 for them (depending on the total recording time and warranty provided). That small guarantee will assure you that you aren't wasting your money on someone elses junk.

At I.O.S. we pride ourselves on quality productions but you are only as strong as your weakest link. Furthermore, we provide very deep discounts on all new equipment and don't play the sales game of artificially inflating prices just to offer trade-ins on obsolete equipment that will ultimately be discarded.

Q: How much should we expect to pay to have a digital announcer installed?

A: If you have a complex installation, such as a sophisticated ACD system (Automated Call Distribution), it might take as long as 2-4 hours and cost you hundreds of dollars. Otherwise, for standard on-hold applications you can expect to pay your local service provider between $75 to $150 depending on your location and whether or not you are having any other work done at the same time. (There is always a minimum dispatch expense from your local provider to cover their costs... even if the job will only take a few minutes.)

However, with most on-hold applications we recommend that you try and perform this simple installation yourself since it's so easy and will typically take less than 10-minutes. The hardest part is locating the "music on-hold" (MOH) port in your phone system, which is located in the KSU (Key Service Unit) or PBX (switchboard) equipment. Just check your owners manual under "music on hold port". Think of it as a toaster plus one output connector to the MOH port.

Q: We are considering your Generic On-Hold CD series but have multiple locations. Can we copy that CD ourselves for the other locations?

A: Thank you for asking, but NO. These CDs are licensed for only one business at one location. This includes large campuses, which may have multiple buildings all served by the same switchboard. However, we do have a sliding scale purchase program for more than three locations.

Thank you for considering I.O.S.'s products and services. If there are any questions that remain please feel free to call us at: 1-800-925-9025 or, e-mail us at: sales@iosonhold.com