Here are several tips to consider when setting up a professional voicemail greeting:
Even in today's fast-paced world, customers don't like being greeted with an automated message. According to the New York Times, callers of a certain age are put off entirely if they are answered by a voicemail instead of a real person.
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5. Be Brief. The best after hours greetings are brief, direct, and punctual. Do not waste the customer's time and give them a reason to hang up by adding in unnecessary details.
You can’t call someone back if you don’t have their number. It seems basic, but it’s easy to forget. So a quick reminder can go a long way.
When customers are trying to reach a specific person who is unavailable, personal business voicemail greetings can be used to make that personal connection or forward their calls to employees’ remote phones and numbers. VoIP Resources Small Business Tips Business Communications 10 Sample Call Center Greeting Scripts
A voicemail greeting is a simple message that plays before callers leave a message. It may play either when you don’t answer or if your phone is off. A professional greeting may encourage people to leave messages, which in turn makes it easier for you to get back in touch. Keeping that communication open and efficient may lead to better business relationships. It also helps you put forth a professional image for your business.
You don’t have to spell out every single thing that you think they might want to know. Have some faith that your callers will be able to figure things out on their own. Be natural but informative.
If you are recording a voicemail message for business, be sure you include your name and your company's name, so people know who they are calling and were they are reaching them. If you do not include the business name, they may think they have mistakenly called you at your personal number. You will also want to make sure to give callers the option to speak to someone who is currently available, an operator or other representative, by pressing a certain key (check with IT personnel to see what this might be).
A professional voicemail greeting is a recorded message that welcomes callers to your business when no one is available to pick up the call. For a polished call experience, the greeting should reflect who the client is calling – whether a general business number, department, team, or individual – and when the customer can expect the call to be returned.
Business Phone Greetings 101. As a professional company, you want to get across the right message to clients, partners, customers, and others who call your business. For phone greetings to be successful, they need to be: Crisp. A crisp, clear voice goes a long way. The message needs to be clearer than glass.
You can play a voice message at different speeds and pause/resume the message, using desktop client visual voicemail, or by dialing into their voicemail. Pressing a certain key on your phone controls how you can hear the voicemail: Read your voicemail transcription
9. Hi, this is [your name], [your job title] at [your company]. I’m currently away from my desk, but please leave a message with your name, number, and reason for calling so I can get back to you in a timely manner. See Also: 50% of Business Owners Over 50 Back Trump's National Emergency Declaration
17. “Hi, you’ve reached [your name, the office of X company]. We’re closed until [date]. Please leave your name and phone number and someone will return your call ASAP. Have a great [New Year’s, Fourth of July, day].”
4. Include Other Contact Methods. If there are other ways to get in touch with your business, or receive information about your products, you may want to include them in the after hours greeting.
How many of your voicemails just say, “Please call me back”? Over the years, listening to voicemails has taught consumers that this isn’t a very good use of time. You can’t skim a voicemail. You have to listen to the entire thing and decipher what the person wants you to do.
#DidYouKnow Katharine’s voice inspired other great performances in the film industry? In The Lion in Winter, Katharine Hepburn played the mother of actor Anthony Hopkins. Hopkins later said that Hepburn's voice was, in part, the basis for Hannibal Lecter's voice in Silence of the Lambs.
Note: If your business gets five or more calls per day, Numa can save you money and recover lost business.