The simple truth is that you need to be more aware of what you’re leaving for other people to hear. Sure, this doesn’t always register as a priority for users, but it’s never too late to reassess your greeting. a. Reading/Speaking in the Imperfect Tone: Tone is absolutely everything. Users don’t want to come off as being too nice, as it sounds insincere, or being too terse, as it can be interpreted as being rude. That being said, striking the right balance is absolutely essential. Your greeting exists as its own entity, and therefore, it should NOT rely on callers’ familiarity with you. Instead, it needs to appeal to the masses. As such, your inflection, i.e. the way you state your name and directions, needs to be both welcoming and firm. b. Injecting Humor & Insincerity: While humor/light heartedness can be welcoming, it can also convey a sense of informality, insincerity, and ultimately unprofessionalism. Why, because you’re not there to lend your humor or to contextualize. Instead, you’re assuming the caller has a working knowledge of your personality to ground the message. Though this might not sound like it’s all that terrible—it can be detrimental. As stated above, one should NEVER rely on a caller’s familiarity with you. Instead, aim to appeal to the masses. Humor is ultimately subjective, meaning not everyone has the same tastes; therefore, someone is bound to be turned off by a quirky or off-color remark. While implementing a light-hearted or even tongue and cheek tone can work, it’s just a really bad idea.
With the text to speech functionality, you can copy one of the 21 voicemail samples above and paste it into the OpenPhone voicemail interface to get your professional voicemail greeting instantly. Who thought a voicemail system could be so fun? You can copy & paste one of the scripts above into the OpenPhone voicemail interface and create a professional voiceover instantly. How to set up auto-repliesCreate snippets (or text message templates)How to record phone calls
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Telling a quick joke or including a little more information can keep you safely within the 20-second timeframe while letting the caller understand a little more about you.
16. Hi, you’ve reached [X Business Name]. Our regular business hours are [State opening hours]. If you need to reach someone immediately, please call [contact’s name] at [cell phone number]. If not, leave your name and contact information and a representative will get back to you when we re-open.
Note: A line that is dedicated to an alarm, credit card, ATM or fax machine should not be included in a Rollover Hunt Group.
Humor also leaves a lot of room for misinterpretation—which subsequently weakens sincerity and authority. A caller can be very turned off by merely misinterpreting your joke. Why take this risk? Additionally, this could even cause callers to question your character. Say, for example, the president of a company’s mobile phone voicemail greeting was funny. What’s to happen if the caller didn’t like or get the joke? What if they found it offensive? Another scenario is that a caller is reaching out to you for the first time—i.e. they have no idea regarding your personality. What next? The point is, with this type of greeting, humor is bound to be more divisive so just avoid it altogether. c. Poorly Pacing Your Message and Bad Time Management: Don’t speed through your message. Speak clearly so callers know what to include in their message and when to leave the message. At the same time, don’t drag your message out. No one wants to sit through a diatribe. Just get to the point clearly.
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Chances are, that voicemail that you’ve recorded and deleted thirty times has been just fine. Your main goal is not to get in the way of the caller leaving a message, which is exactly what can happen if you overthink it or drone on too long.
While email and text support saw an increase in recent years, many customers, partners, and potential hires still prefer to call your company directly. When writing your voicemail script, include basic information such as a short greeting, your company name, an invitation to leave a short message, and the time frame in which the caller can expect a return call. If relevant, you may want to include your office hours, extensions for company departments, and the contact information for your office manager or HR department.
I am leaving a message and hearing the response, “Your message is too short.” Is there a minimum length for a message left in a voice mailbox?
Share with your caller when they can expect a callback. If you return calls within 24 hours, let them know. Give them an estimate of when they can expect your call.
On occasion the option to send a call straight to voicemail is not available. If it is determined that the recipient does have a voicemail box but the Voice Mail option does not appear as in the screenshot above, this is likely because the recipient is a Skype for Business on Mac user.
Each user with a voicemail box should set up a voicemail greeting so callers know they have reached your business and that you will return their calls. Access your voicemail. Press 9 for your mailbox setup menu. Press 1 for greeting options. Choose your next greeting option to perform a specific greeting function. Press 1 to listen to your greeting. Press 2 to save your greeting. (You must save your greeting to activate it.) Press 3 to delete your greeting. Press 4 to record your greeting. Press * to return to the main menu. How to change your voicemail password Access your voicemail. Press 9 for your mailbox setup menu. Press 2 to change your password. Enter a new password you can remember (up to 16 digits), and press #. Re-enter your new password to verify it. Press * to return to the main menu. How to navigate your voicemail main menu
Many busy businesses utilize auto attendant greetings to make a great first impression, however, if your business relies on the personal touch of a live receptionist, it is important to have a plan in place when that position is unstaffed. Make sure your voicemail greeting contains the useful information that your receptionist would normally provide. This could include: location & directions, office hours, website URL, or social media info, as well as any pertinent company information.
Sorry I wasn’t able to take your call, but please leave your name and a detailed message and I’ll get back to you.
2. "Hi, you've reached [name] at [company]. If you need a quick response, please shoot me an email at [insert email address] and I'll be in touch by EOD tomorrow. If it's not urgent, leave me a message with your name and number. Have a great day."
Simply speak into your phone or computer while recording a greeting with your business phone service. If you need to create your own audio file, the voice memo app on your phone should do fine.
These guys do it all. They have a voice-over service (including writing the greeting script) and transfer the greeting to your phone in super high quality. I couldn’t find anything better online anywhere. https://www.okcvideoproduction.com/record-high-quality-voicemail-greeting