Corporate History and Structure
How is your company structured?   Is it a corporation, sole proprietorship, partnership, or L.L.C.? Are you a franchiser or franchisee? What is your corporate history? How long has your company been in business? How long have you been providing On Hold Messaging services?

USP/Mission
Are your company's Unique Selling Proposition and Mission Statement synergistic with the capabilities and services I will require from an On Hold Messaging provider?

Services and Products
What services and/or products do you provide, and what percentage of your business do they represent?

Number and Type of Clients Served
How many clients do you currently serve? How long have you been serving them? What industries or vertical markets do you service? Are there any industries or markets in which you specialize?   How do you define an " ideal client" in terms of industry, size, services required, etc.?   What percentage of your clients fit that definition?

Geographical Limitations
Do you consider your company to be local, regional, national, or international? Geographically, where are your On Hold Messaging clients located?

Best Practices
Most companies have procedures or practices that make them stand out from their competitors - things that they do better than any other company. Can you discuss yours?

References
Can you provide me with references from customers in my industry that are similar in size, or may use their On Hold Messaging in much the same way I will? Can you provide me with references of clients who have had customer service issues with you so I can see how you handled them?

Awards and Recognition
How has your company been awarded or recognized for business success, production creativity, or service or support excellence? How have you been recognized for contributions to the On Hold Messaging industry?

Affiliations
Is your company a member in good standing of the Chamber of Commerce or Better Business Bureau? Do you belong to the On Hold Messaging Association (OHMA)? Are you a member of any marketing or telecommunication association or group? Are you affiliated with any of my industry's associations?

Number of Employees Dedicated to OHM
What percentage of your employees is dedicated to On Hold Messaging? Do you have employees who are dedicated to copywriting?   Account management?   Installation?   Service and support?

Marketing Expertise
To what extent is your company able to provide marketing advice or support? Are your employees experienced in the field of marketing? Does your company have any special marketing expertise? Can you provide references?

Telecommunications Expertise
How experienced are your employees in the field of telecommunications? How skilled are they at installing On Hold Messaging equipment to different telephone systems? Describe any call center recording applications or other telephone recorded announcement services you provide?

The Discovery Process
How do you gather the information you need to design an On Hold Messaging program? How long does the process take? Who should be involved? What tools are used? Is it done over the phone, by fax, by email, or in person?

Program Design, Creativity and Flexibility
How comprehensive is program design? Who is involved? How flexible is the program? Can it be changed or amended over time? If so, how does the process work? Who is responsible for suggesting and implementing improvements?

Scheduled Production Updating
How does the production updating process work? Am I automatically notified when it's time for a change, or are productions only updated upon my request?

Account Representatives
How skilled are your account representatives in designing On Hold Messaging programs? With what telecommunication applications do they have experience? What level of marketing assistance do they provide? How familiar are they with my industry? How will they support me after the sale?

Copywriters
What education or training do your copywriters have? How long have they been writing On Hold Messaging copy? What marketing expertise do they offer? How familiar are they with my industry? Have they earned any awards, accolades, or special recognition for their writing skills?

Voicing
What options do I have when it comes to voicing productions?   How can I sample your voices? What restrictions, if any, are there on using more than one voice? Is there any additional cost? Is it possible to use a voice not affiliated with your company (such as our president, or a voice we use on other audio marketing mediums)? If so, how does the recording process work, and is there an additional cost?

Music
How does the music selection process work?   Are there any limitations to what music I can use?   Can I use my own music source?   Are there any instances when licensing fees are not included?


Production Capabilities
Do you have in-house studios, or will a third party produce my On Hold Messaging? How advanced are your recording techniques? What are your delivery turn-around timeframes? What is your production capacity? Do you have production quality benchmarks? If so, how are they monitored and measured?

Equipment
What type of equipment do you provide? What equipment do you recommend, and why? How does your equipment compare with other equipment in the marketplace? What features are available with your equipment? What are your sampling rates and bandwidths? What are your memory options? What production delivery formats do you support? What equipment guarantees and warranties do you offer?

Compatibility Surveying
Do you provide telephone system compatibility services? How are they conducted, how comprehensive are they, and how much do they cost?

Installation Capabilities
To what level do you provide installation services? Do you have employees dedicated to coordination, scheduling, and installation? Do you use your own employees for installation, or do you contract to a third party? Are they certified telecommunication professionals? How much experience do they have with my specific model of telephone system(s)? Are there any limitations to your installation capabilities? How many On Hold Messaging systems has your company installed? Do you have any geographical limitations? If I have multiple locations, will you be able to install them all in a timely manner? Do you have the capacity to perform the amount of work I'm going to request of you? How much will installation cost? What is covered and what isn't? Are there any hidden costs? If you use third party installers, are you responsible for guaranteeing my satisfaction?

Service and Support
To what extent do you provide service and support? What are your service options, and how much do they cost? What are your customer service hours? What are your service rates? Are there any limitations to the service you provide? Do you have employees dedicated to service and support? Are your service technicians certified telecommunication professionals? Will my On Hold Messaging system be covered by a warranty? If so, what specifically is covered and for how long? What are your service response times and benchmarks, and how are they defined, monitored, and measured? What are your quality assurance guarantees? If your service does not meet these standards, what corrective action do you take? What is your service escalation policy? Define any proactive service or support programs you utilize.

Account Management
How is my account handled before and after the initial sale? Who handles sales issues? Am I assigned an account manager? What are her responsibilities? What marketing experience does she have? How familiar is she with my industry? How involved is she in the day-to-day administration of my account? To what extent does she have the authority to make decisions regarding my account? If I have a problem or concern with my account manager, to whom do I speak? How am I informed of industry advancements, program improvement options, new products, or new services? How often is my account reviewed, and by whom? How do you communicate your findings and recommendations? What criteria are used to measure the success of my program or my satisfaction with it? How is that criteria tracked and monitored?

Ability to Provide OHM as Designed or Desired
Can your company provide the On Hold Messaging program as designed? If not, what can't be accomplished, and why?

Price / Value
How much does the program cost? What is included? Does the price include equipment? Is installation included? How about maintenance or on-premise service? Are there any additional or optional charges? How are the financial aspects structured? What are the terms? What is the length of the program? Are prices guaranteed and, if so, for how long? What options are available at the end of the program? What are the renewal terms?