American On Hold, Music On Hold Options

On Hold Messaging can be effective for nearly every kind of business and application, but sometimes music alone is what’s called for. That’s why we offer Music On Hold (MOH). You can choose from the many styles in the BusinessVoice music library, or you might opt for web delivery of our music programming. Either way, an MOH program from BusinessVoice can:

    * Let callers know they’re still on hold and haven’t been disconnected accidentally.
    * Make a positive impression on callers.
    * Shorten your callers’ perceived hold times.
    * Improve your callers’ moods during service calls, or make them more receptive to impulse buys and upselling.

We can also incorporate your jingles or audio logos into a Music On Hold program to reinforce your brand identity, and all for less than the fees you’d pay to a licensing agency.

Are You Breaking The Law?

You may be if you’re playing the radio or your personal CDs for callers on hold or the customers in your office or store. Using music for commercial purposes requires a license. Without it, you’re in violation of federal copyright law.

ASCAP, BMI and SESAC are three organizations that license music. To learn more, follow these links:

ASCAP Customer Licensees - http://www.ascap.com/licensing/
ASCAP FAQs - http://www.ascap.com/licensing/licensingfaq.html
BMI Licensing - http://www.bmi.com/licensing/
SESAC Licensing - http://www.sesac.com/licensing/licensing.asp

The content in the American On Hold music library and all the music used in our Internet-delivered Background Music service are fully licensed. That means that when you have a American On Hold Music On Hold program you’re in complete compliance with all applicable laws.

We Give You Options

If you’d like to use music from the BusinessVoice library, you can choose from 11 genres. Click here to hear demos of the following music categories:

    * Acoustic
    * Classical
    * Country
    * Jazz
    * Specialty
    * Young Pop

         

    * Adult Contemporary
    * Corporate
    * Easy Listening
    * New Age
    * Urban

Regularly scheduled Music On Hold updates are delivered remotely or via CD, MP3, wav file or cassette. The number of updates in your program is determined by your calling patterns and your budget.

If you choose our Internet-delivered background music programming you’ll have access to dozens of music styles, 24 hours a day, including these and many other categories:

    * Smooth Jazz
    * Adult Alternative
    * Big Band & Swing
    * Soundscapes

         

    * Light Classical
    * Solid Gold Oldies
    * Smooth R&B
    * Salsa Y Merengue

         

    * Today’s Country
    * Soft Rock
    * Singers & Standards
    * Americana

A Few More Things To Consider

In addition to requiring a license, there are other problems with playing the radio for your customers on hold or those onsite. Radio receivers can go out of tune. The radio station might air objectionable content or a commercial for your competitor. And radio programming features many interruptions each hour – DJ breaks, promos, news and other non-musical elements that don’t serve your company well.

Ways to get Affordable Health Care Insurance

17% of all Americans don’t have any form of individual health insurance in Oregon. This is what the U.S Census Bureau says. Furthermore, a good number of those who have any form of coverage are able to afford it only because of group health plans.

However, the number of Americans without health policies may likely increase because most employers are beginning to find it too burdensome to provide their employees with health care benefits. This is partly due to the rising cost of health care.

This means that for most to have any form of health insurance, they’d have to fend for themselves. And, it will be a great help for such people if they can find such at an affordable rate. Hopefully, this article will show you a few time-tested ways to save…

1) How much are you willing to pay out of your pocket each time you visit a doctor? This amount which you contribute is called your co-pay. The higher it is, the lower your health care insurance rates will be. This is particularly recommended for those who rarely go to see a doctor.

2) Lose weight and you’ll enjoy more affordable rates. There’s something called Body Mass Index (BMI) which is used to determine a prospect’s rates. If your BMI rating is high, your rates will be high. That simply means that your weight is too much for your height. Do your best to shed excess weight as losing even a few pounds could put you in another BMI rating and result in lower rates.

3) You can reduce your costs by obtaining quotes from reputable quotes sites. You will need to invest only 15 minutes to get quotes from 3 quotes sites. Some folks present information that are not quite true about themselves. That is NOT smart. If you complete the process correctly all you’ll have to do then is simply choose what represents the most affordable health care insurance quote for you from the list of quotes received.

Changes Coming To Medicare Part D

Texas Medicare Part D

Our company is located in Texas and we provide Medicare Part D information to our customers. This article is about upcoming changes that everyone needs to be made aware of, whether you are located in Texas or not. So, Although Texas Medicare Part D may be referenced, it's important to realize that this is universal information.

Medicare Part D Changes

An anxious standing-room-only crowd gathered yesterday to hear about changes to the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage for seniors.

“This year, above all years, it’s very, very important that you review your insurance,” said Kay Barbee, a Medicare outreach consultant for the Central Missouri Area Agency on Aging.

Barbee told more than 100 people crammed inside the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library that there have been significant changes to many of the drug plans. Most noticeably, last year there were 43 stand-alone drug plans available, but now there are only 29. Barbee said seniors should not be alarmed at the change, as benefits offered in eliminated plans can be found in others, but they should educate themselves on the changes, she said.

“From now until Nov. 15, you will be inundated with mail,” Barbee told the crowd. “My only advice would be: Don’t set it aside. Because there are plans that are leaving Medicare, there are plans that are leaving Boone County.”

From Nov. 15 through the end of the year, seniors will be asked to participate in the annual enrollment period for Medicare Part D. The popular federal prescription drug coverage program began in 2005. Whereas seniors once paid hundreds or even thousands of dollars for prescription drugs each month, most drugs are now covered for a relatively low monthly premium.

Monthly premiums on the prescription drug plans range from $14.80 to $113.30.

But the price seniors pay for this benefit is a system that is often difficult to navigate. Each year, seniors must examine the medication list for each of the plans to ensure their drugs are covered. They must also look at the premiums and deductibles charged and make sure their local pharmacy accepts a particular plan.

There also is a significant coverage gap in most plans stipulating that, after receiving a certain amount of annual benefits, the recipient must pay for drugs out of pocket. This gap in coverage is nicknamed “the doughnut hole,” and Barbee said it is important for beneficiaries to figure out when or whether they’ll fall into it in 2011. Beginning this year, brand drugs will be discounted 50 percent for people in the doughnut hole, Barbee said. The gap will be phased out in coming years until it is eliminated in 2020.

But many in the crowd expressed deep anxiety about changes to the federal health care system. When Barbee explained the gradual elimination of the doughnut hole, someone yelled out: “By 2020, we won’t have any coverage, right?”

“I don’t talk politics,” Barbee replied calmly. “I’m just the messenger, not the policymaker.”

After the meeting, several Medicare recipients said they fear that federal health reform will be paid for out of reductions to Medicare. “The administration, they’re intent on ruining everything right now,” said Einar Palm, 87. “Most of us just want to find out where’s it all going.”

Others simply seemed dizzy at the array of options available.

“That’s the whole problem,” said Ken Toler, 65. “The age of the clients is beyond the complexity of all this. And they need an individual that just kind of takes them through and directs them into the right program.”

Help evaluating the plans is offered by Barbee and others at the aging agency via a toll-free number: (800) 369-5211. Consultants will also hold two events at the library Nov. 22 and 29 to help seniors sign up for new plans. Seniors are encouraged to make appointments for those events by calling the toll-free number.