On hold messages: the short answer
An on hold message is a short recording that plays while a caller waits for someone to pick up. It usually sits between pieces of music and does three jobs: it tells the caller they are in the right place, it gives them something useful (hours, website, what to have ready), and it reassures them that they have not been forgotten. That is all it needs to do.
For an Australian small business, the practical rules are simple. Keep each message to about 35 to 40 words with one point each, leave music between messages, match the loop length to how long callers really wait, and update it when hours or holiday dates change. If most callers wait more than a minute or two, treat the queue as a symptom: a caller who can be answered, helped or called back usually prefers that to a loop.
This guide covers what to say, copy-ready scripts, how long the audio should run, a general note on music licensing, why callers hang up, and how an AI receptionist can answer the call so the caller is never parked on hold at all.
What an on hold message should (and shouldn't) say
Think of each message as answering a question the caller would otherwise ask the moment you pick up. The useful ones fall into five groups.
- Reassurance. "Thanks for calling. We're helping another customer and will be with you shortly." It acknowledges the wait and says the call is queued.
- Practical information. Opening hours, the street address, your website, where to find forms or booking links. This is the content that cuts repeat questions at the start of the call.
- Getting ready. "It helps if you have your booking reference or the address of the job handy." It makes the call faster once someone answers.
- Service awareness. One light line about something else you do, such as "We also do after-hours call-outs." Keep it informative rather than a hard sell.
- Required notices. If you record calls, say so early. If your business deals with health or emergencies, include a line such as "If this is an emergency, hang up and call 000."
What to leave out: long monologues, hard-sell language, the same message twice in a row, prices that change often, and anything out of date. A caller on speaker in a van or waiting room will take in one idea at a time.
Tone matters as much as wording. Write the way you talk and read each message aloud before recording. Provider guides are consistent on the basics: short messages, one point each, played in a loop and refreshed when things change (Business1300's guide to on hold messages is one example).
How long should on hold messages be?
There are two lengths to think about: each message, and the whole loop.
Each message. Around 35 to 40 words is a common provider guideline and a good starting point. That reads aloud in roughly 15 seconds for most speakers. Time your own recording rather than trusting the rule.
The music gap. Put 20 to 30 seconds of music between messages so the loop does not feel relentless.
The whole loop. Match it to your typical wait. If your phone system's call report shows most callers wait around two minutes, a loop of two to three minutes means few people hear the same line twice. A rough worked example: four messages of about 15 seconds each, with a 25-second music break after each, gives a loop of about 2 minutes 40 seconds. Too short and it repeats; too long and the key points arrive after many callers have gone.
If you do not know your typical wait, your phone system or VoIP platform will usually report wait time and abandoned calls. Those two numbers tell you whether you need a better loop or a better answer.
On hold message scripts and examples
Replace the bracketed details, keep the structure, and read each one aloud. These are written for Australian small businesses and are deliberately short.
1. Welcome and reassurance
"Thanks for calling [Business name]. We're helping another customer at the moment and will be with you shortly. Please stay on the line."
2. Hours and website
"We're open [days] from [time] to [time]. You can find our services, prices and booking form at [website]. Someone will be with you soon."
3. Get ready
"To help us help you faster, please have your name, the best number to reach you and your booking or job reference handy."
4. Busy period
"It's a busy time and we're taking calls in the order we receive them. Thanks for your patience."
5. Recording notice
"This call may be recorded for training and quality purposes. If this is an emergency, please hang up and call 000."
6. After a long wait
"Thanks for staying with us. We know you've been waiting and we're sorry. Someone will be with you as soon as possible."
For after-hours greetings, holiday closures and unattended lines, a voicemail script is the better tool. Our voicemail greeting examples guide covers those, and phone etiquette for Australian small businesses covers how staff should sound when they do pick up.
When callers hang up on hold
Callers hang up for predictable reasons, and a good message only fixes some of them.
- Silence or beeping. If nothing plays, many callers assume the call has dropped. Even a simple line and some music tells them the call is live.
- No sense of progress. A caller who does not know whether the wait is one minute or ten is more likely to try someone else. Honest expectation-setting ("calls are answered in the order received") helps; promises you cannot keep do not.
- Repetition. Hearing the same message back to back is irritating. Rotate several messages and refresh them.
- Irrelevant content. A promotional message for a service the caller does not want does not feel like service. Lead with help, not advertising.
Do not rely on general claims about hang-up rates. The only useful number is your own. Check your phone provider's call report for abandoned calls and average wait, then compare before and after you change your messages. If abandonment stays high after a better loop, the fix is to answer faster or to offer another option such as a callback or an after-hours phone answering service.
Hold, call back, or answer: what should happen to each call?
Putting a caller on hold is one of three choices. A small business usually gets better results by thinking about each call type separately.
| Situation | Best option | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Staff free but transferring to a colleague | Short hold with a brief message | The wait is seconds, not minutes |
| Everyone is busy and the caller wants a quote or booking | Answer, take details, or offer a callback | A waiting caller may try someone else |
| After hours or on a public holiday | Voicemail or an answering service | Nobody is there to take the hold |
| Peak periods with many simultaneous calls | Overflow answering | More than one waiting caller needs more than one answerer |
If a wait is likely to be longer than a minute or two, a message is a stopgap. Our guide to overflow call answering covers what to do when a second or third call comes in while someone is already on the phone, and message taking services cover what to capture when you offer a callback.
Music on hold and licensing (a general note)
Music is where small businesses most often get caught out, so treat it as a decision rather than an afterthought. Music played to callers on an external line is generally treated as a use of that music, and the rules are not the same as for the music on your phone. In Australia, the Australian Business Licence and Information Service lists a Workplace and Telephone on Hold Music Licence under the *Copyright Act 1968*. It covers copyrighted music used on telephone on hold systems for external calls, runs for one year, and its fees vary with your intended use. It is administered through APRA and OneMusic Australia.
In general terms, your options are to hold the right licence for the music you use, to use music whose terms cover telephone on hold, or to use spoken messages only. Do not assume a track you own, a streaming playlist or a ringtone is cleared for a business phone line. This is general information, not legal advice.
Setting up on hold messages
Check that your phone system can play audio to waiting callers, because some basic mobile and landline setups cannot. Write four to six short messages, record them in a quiet room, keep any music quieter than the voice, and test the loop from both a mobile and a landline. Review the messages every quarter so hours and holiday dates stay correct. Routing matters alongside the audio: our call forwarding guide explains busy, no-answer and unreachable settings, and IVR vs AI receptionist explains why a phone tree with hold music is different from an assistant that answers.
When an AI receptionist answers instead of putting callers on hold
The best on hold experience is usually the one the caller never hears. A hold queue exists because the number of callers is greater than the number of people who can answer. An AI receptionist removes that constraint for routine calls: it answers straight away, in your business name, and does not queue callers behind one another.
With Miyai, voice calls are answered in your business name. The AI asks the questions a good receptionist would ask (name, number, reason for calling), answers questions you have briefed it on, books when your diary allows, takes a structured message when a job needs a human quote, and can transfer a person with context. Callers with simple requests get what they need on the first call instead of a loop of music.
This is not a fit for every call. For complex or sensitive conversations, a person is still better, and you should say clearly in the script what the AI will and will not handle. The practical test is whether your callers are waiting for something a well-set-up assistant can complete: booking, taking a message, answering a standard question or routing to the right person.
Compared with outsourcing, an AI receptionist suits the same busy-period and after-hours problems that a virtual receptionist service or call centre outsourcing addresses, with calls answered without a queue. If you want the broader comparison, our IVR vs AI receptionist guide sets out when a menu is enough and when it is not.
Miyai website chat is $19 AUD/month and the Growth voice plan is $199 AUD/month. Details are on pricing.
FAQ
What is an on hold message?
A short recording that plays while a caller waits, usually between pieces of music. It reassures the caller, shares practical information such as hours, and sets expectations.
How long should an on hold message be?
About 35 to 40 words per message, with 20 to 30 seconds of music between messages, in a loop long enough that callers do not hear the same message twice in a typical wait.
Do I need a licence for music on hold in Australia?
Often, if you use copyrighted music on a business phone line. ABLIS lists a Workplace and Telephone on Hold Music Licence under the Copyright Act 1968. You can also use music you have the right to use for telephone on hold, or spoken messages only. Check the terms for your situation.
What should I say when I put someone on hold?
Ask permission, say how long you expect to be, and thank them for waiting. For example: "Can I put you on hold for a moment while I check that for you?" Then come back quickly.
Can an AI receptionist replace on hold messages?
For routine calls it can remove the need to hold, because the call is answered straight away. You still need on hold messages for calls you transfer to a person.
Next step
Check your abandoned-call and wait-time report this week. If the numbers are fine, write four short messages from the scripts above, record them and review them every quarter. If callers are waiting or hanging up, try an AI receptionist that answers instead. Get started when you're ready.