People get frustrated when you don’t pick up the phone. They also get frustrated when the person who picks up the phone can’t help them, or if they have to wait a long time to talk to someone who can. A phone answering service like a virtual receptionist or call center can help reduce wait times and prevent missed calls, but if they can’t help a caller, your customers will feel like they’re just being passed from one person to another—and most people clearly don’t like that experience.
When your small business is closed, ensure that your callers know that! If appropriate, you might want to reiterate your business hours to manage callback expectations.
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Back in 1997, Seinfeld’s character, George Costanza, attempts to avoid a breakup call from his girlfriend and we hear his comical outgoing machine recording.
Set the right tone for the call by introducing your business in a welcoming manner. The message can be played either by itself or as an intro to IVR prompts.
Let the customer know that they're being served by a real person, and not an impersonal automated system. Ask a question. “How are you doing today?” “How may I direct your call?” “What can I do for you?” Whatever question you ask, it should let your caller know that you care, and are there for them.
31. Hello, you’ve reached [your name]. I’ll be out of the office from [start date] to [end date]. Please leave a message and I’ll return your call upon my return. Alternatively, you can email me at [email address] or call [name] at [phone number] for immediate assistance. Thanks for calling!
To change the number of times your phone rings before voicemail answers, please contact us and a representative will set your ring cycle.
By presenting a clear, welcoming message containing relevant information about your business, you are showing callers that you value their time. If your recording is vague, confusing, or drags on, customers will lose interest and hang up the phone instead of leaving a voicemail message.
People have short attention spans these days, and you should always craft your communications for the lowest common denominator with something as universal as your voicemail.
6. Vacation Voicemail Greetings. Hey, this is [your name] at [X company]. I am actually on a break at the moment, on the other side of the world! Please direct all phone calls to [alternate contact name] at [phone number] and emails to [X email address].
Like this blog? You may be interested in our blog on integrated telephone system features.
Your voicemail greetings give you an excellent opportunity to give your brand a personality and provide you with opportunities to make callers aware of special promotions or new products. The trick, of course, is to get your message across in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
6. Callcentric. Another option for a business phone number is from Callcentric. They offer a Dollar Unlimited plan ($1.00/month) which allows the user to choose a Phone Number from the following states: New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois.
1. Customize Your Voicemail! Customizing your outbound voicemail greeting for different callers is just the tip of the iceberg! Sign up today for FREE! Enhanced visual voicemail. Call blocking. Voicemail sharing. Voicemail to email. Voicemail to text.
1. Personal Business Voicemail Greeting. Your personal voicemail greeting should be brief and to the point. State your name and your availability, project a welcoming aura, and ask the caller for whatever information you need from them. Hi, you've reached the voicemail of Mike Downing. I'm not available to answer the phone right now. My office
Now, we’ve covered the topic a bit at length in the past, with sure-fire ways to engage callers with your business voicemail greeting. Still a solid basis for constructing your new voicemail greeting, we’ll cover a quick recap of the most important aspects of a voicemail greeting for those that are unfamiliar.
Although this system is showing its age, Visual Voicemail is built-in on the larger display Synapse phone (pictured above), allowing you to navigate and manage voicemails as you scroll through your e-mail on your smartphone. Reliability and build quality are absolutely exceptional. It also offers the ability to connect multiple locations together for calling from store-to-store, for example. The included warranty is 2 years with an option to extend to 5 years. You cannot go wrong with this versatile AT&T solution! Unfortunately, it doesn’t support upgrading later to VoIP and the system does not offer a mobile app and the system was discontinued last year.