The advertising industry refers to the tool as message-on-hold or on-hold messaging. While it’s not new, its popularity is on the rise. “Is it growing? Yeah it’s growing,” says Marc A. Gallo, president of Mind the Gap, a Drexel Hill company that specializes in on-hold messaging. “It’s becoming commonplace in an overall advertising whether you do direct mail, display ads or telemarketing.”

The appeal is evident. “It’s a great way to market and advertise to a captive audience,” says Joseph Collura, owner of the West Chester-based division of On-Hold Marketing & Communications.

A franchise based in West Des Moines, Iowa, On-Hold Marketing & Communication’s13,000 customers include Management Recruiters International, which has more than 1,100 offices.

Frequent customers also include hotels, medical practices, spas, and hair salons. But one-person and home-based businesses are also hearing the touchtone. Ellen Langas Campbell, president of NouSoma Communications in Downingtown, has noted more requests from individual and small businesses for professional phone messages. “It’s a simple and cost-effective method to upgrade a company’s image instantly,” she says.

Indeed, as long as a company is pressing the hold volume, the company’s size or its call volume is not factor, Collura says.

A wide variety of businesses produce the service. “The industry is a bit bifurcated in a way,” Gallo says. “Some companies are competing for the price, and others are more consultation-oriented.”

Wed-based operators provide an online form that asks customers to detail certain information, such as the company name, products, and services. “You pick the music and the voice, and they bounce you back a generic script, “he explains. “One week later, you get a customized CD.”

Onsite services lack the handholding that firms with warm bodies can offer. Mind the Gap is more of a marketing firm, says Gallo, who often works with marketing directors so the message matches the overall ad campaign.

Mind the Gap uses talent from all over the nation. On-Hold Marketing & Communications handles the production in its West Des Moines studios, which is also the home of the voice talent.

Langas Campbell has been providing voice-over talent for on-hold messages for more than 20 years.

Companies with a personal touch usually price the services depending on client needs. Companies that want to frequently change the message can expect to pay more. Restaurants, for instance, might want the message to reflect monthly promotions.

Most companies dedicated to on-hold messaging will sell the equipment necessary to deliver the service. The devices are also sold on the Web. But buyer beware: The devices, which hook into the telephone system, range in price and quality.