Using Humor in On-Hold Messaging: When It Works (and When It Doesn’t)

Humor can make on-hold messaging feel human—and it can also make callers feel dismissed. The difference usually isn’t “are you funny?” It’s timing, context, and clarity.

Below is a practical way to decide when humor helps, when it hurts, and how to test it safely—without re-recording your entire phone system every time you tweak a line.

Humor in on-hold messaging: the real job it needs to do

Your caller didn’t dial in for entertainment. They called to fix something, buy something, or get routed to the right person. Research on call-center experience consistently shows that friction during the call impacts customer perceptions and outcomes—especially when people are already under time pressure (see Microsoft Research on call-center CX).

Good humor on hold should:

• Reduce tension (without minimizing the caller’s issue)
• Set expectations (wait time, next steps, options)
• Deliver value (answers, self-serve options, FAQs)

If your “funny” line doesn’t do one of those things, it’s a risk.

When humor works (and why)

Humor tends to work when the caller’s situation is low-stakes and your brand already communicates in a warm, conversational tone.

Low-stakes contexts

Humor-light messaging is usually safest for:

• Appointment scheduling
• Order status / delivery updates
• General questions (“What are your hours?”)
• Simple support issues with clear self-serve steps

Brands that already sound human

If your emails, website, and front-desk interactions are friendly, humor on the phone can feel consistent. If you’re typically formal, humor can feel like a mask.

NN/g’s guidance on tone of voice is a helpful gut-check: your tone should match the user’s context and expectations, not your internal mood board (Nielsen Norman Group: Tone of Voice).

Short holds + clear next steps

Humor works best when it’s short and followed immediately by something useful:

• “Here’s a faster way to reach billing…”
• “You can request a refill online…”
• “Press 2 to schedule…”

When humor doesn’t work (red flags)

Some calls are emotionally loaded. In those moments, even mild jokes can read as “we’re not taking you seriously.”

High-emotion calls

Avoid humor (or keep it strictly neutral) for queues like:

• Billing disputes
• Cancellations
• Complaints/escalations
• Outage or service-down lines

A good rule: if your agents are trained to use empathy scripts, your hold message should match that energy. NN/g’s principles around empathetic language (even in error states) are relevant here: don’t sound smug, and don’t blame the user (NN/g: Error Message Guidelines).

Regulated or sensitive industries

If you’re in healthcare, legal, financial services, insurance, or anything involving vulnerable situations, humor can be misread fast. Also be mindful of privacy: don’t make jokes that reference personal data or recorded calls. For baseline privacy context, see the California AG’s CCPA overview.

When you don’t know who’s calling

Many SMBs have mixed audiences (new leads, existing customers, vendors, job applicants). Humor that lands with one group can alienate another—especially in B2B.

A safe framework: the 5-question humor filter

Before you add a “funny” line to your on-hold messaging, run it through this filter:

1. Is the caller likely stressed right now? If yes, default to calm + helpful.
2. Does the joke delay the point? If it takes longer than one breath, it’s too long.
3. Could it be interpreted as mocking the caller? Avoid anything that implies they’re impatient, clueless, or wrong.
4. Will it age well? Skip memes, slang, and time-specific references unless you update frequently.
5. Can you deliver it consistently in voice? The same line can sound warm or sarcastic depending on pacing and tone.

If you want humor but you’re unsure, choose “humor-light”: friendly, slightly playful, but still professional.

Scripts you can use: 10 humor-light lines that won’t get you in trouble

Use these as optional openers—then move straight into helpful info (hours, routing, FAQs, promotions).

Humor-light openers (before the useful info)

• “Thanks for hanging in there—our team’s on it.”
• “We’ll be right with you. In the meantime, here are a couple quick options.”
• “You’re in the right place—just a short wait while we pull up what you need.”

Humor-light reassurance + expectation setting

• “Quick heads-up: we’re helping a few callers at once. We’ll be with you as soon as we can.”
• “If you’d rather not wait, you can leave a message and we’ll call you back.”
• “You can also email us—sometimes that’s the fastest route for detailed requests.”

Humor-light closers (while the caller is still waiting)

• “Still with us? Thanks. We appreciate your patience.”
• “We haven’t forgotten you—thanks for holding.”
• “We’ll be right back. If you need urgent help, press 0 for the operator.”
• “Thanks for your patience—your call matters here.”

Tip: Keep your funniest impulse for seasonal messages you can rotate in and out—don’t make it your only voice.

How to test humor without risking your brand

You don’t need a big research budget. You need controlled variation and a couple measurable outcomes.

Rotate versions (humor vs. neutral) by time/day or queue

Create two tracks:

• Version A (neutral): clear, calm, informational
• Version B (humor-light): one friendly line + the same informational content

Then rotate them. If your system supports it, keep humor out of sensitive queues.

OnHoldToGo’s “smart rotations” approach is built for this kind of iteration—so repeat callers don’t hear the same line every loop (see the cluster pillar: how to use on-hold messaging as a hidden marketing channel).

Measure outcomes you can actually observe

Pick 1–3 metrics you can access in your phone system or contact center reports:

• Call abandonment rate (did fewer people hang up?)
• Transfers to the wrong queue (did routing messages reduce misroutes?)
• Repeat calls for the same question (did FAQs on hold reduce repeats?)

Iterate with AI voice instead of re-recording

Humor is highly dependent on delivery. With an AI voice system, you can test:

• A warmer vs. more formal voice
• Faster vs. slower pace
• Different background music styles

…without booking voice talent each time. If you want a quick workflow, start with OnHoldToGo’s AI voice options and export MP3/WAV for your business phone system.

Common mistakes (and quick fixes)

• Mistake: trying to be funny instead of being helpful.
• Fix: lead with the option or instruction; add one light line only if it doesn’t delay clarity.
• Mistake: a joke that repeats every 20–30 seconds.
• Fix: use rotations, or keep humor only in the first loop.
• Mistake: “cute” music + serious message mismatch.
• Fix: match music to industry and caller expectations (calm, unobtrusive, consistent).

If you want safer “playful but useful” content, trivia can work better than jokes. See: 5 creative ways to use trivia in your on-hold messaging.

Mini illustrative scenario: a small business that uses humor the right way

Illustrative (not a real company): A local HVAC company gets two types of calls: routine maintenance scheduling and “no heat” emergencies.

What they did:

• Maintenance queue: added one humor-light opener + clear scheduling options
• Emergency queue: removed humor entirely; added reassurance + priority routing

Before (one-size-fits-all):

• “Please hold. Your call is important to us.” (looped)

After (maintenance):

• “Thanks for holding—we’ll be right with you. For faster scheduling, you can also book online at our website. If this is an emergency, press 1 now.”

After (emergency):

• “If you have no heat or a safety concern, press 1 for priority dispatch. Otherwise, stay on the line and we’ll help you next.”

Notice what stayed consistent: short sentences, clear options, and no jokes where stress is likely.

Next step: turn hold time into a branded experience in minutes

If you’re considering humor, don’t start with “funny.” Start with useful, then add a small amount of warmth.

Do this next:

1. Draft one neutral on-hold script (routing + FAQs + expectations)
2. Draft one humor-light variant (one line different; same info)
3. Rotate them and watch abandonment + misroutes for 2–4 weeks

To build both versions quickly, create your script, pick from professional voices, and download audio in minutes with OnHoldToGo—or review pricing if you’re ready to roll it out across multiple lines.

Related reads in this cluster:

• Stop apologizing: turning hold time into value time
• On-hold messaging for small businesses: a practical starter guide