The above eight rules of engagement for voicemail greetings may sound easy enough, but they’ll require some practice to get just right. Let’s look at some examples to provide some context in how to apply the rules to various types of greetings and situations.
14. Hi, you’ve reached [business name]. We can’t take your call at the moment, but if you leave your name and number, the next available team member will return your call as soon as possible.
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You can review your latest bill statement from Cox Business. If you notice the phrases, “Standard Voice Mail,” “Group Voice Mail,” “Extension Voice Mail,” or “Related Services,” you use Cox Business voice mail. You must have a Cox Business voice line, trunk, or VNS service to subscribe to Cox Business Voice Mail. From a desk phone, VoiceManager or IP Centrex users can access their voice mailbox by dialing “*298” or “*86”. Depending on how their line and caller ID is configured, the user may just be prompted for their PIN, or they may be prompted for the 10-digit telephone number (TN) and the PIN. (Click here for more details.) This provides access to the voice mail main menu.
The unavailable message is the standard greeting callers hear when they reach your voicemail box. It is the greeting that you can use consistently throughout the work year.
Businesses should have two main types of greetings to create an excellent call experience. The first one is what we call a “welcome greeting” – this greeting welcomes callers to your business. Typically, a welcome greeting will present a menu of call options like hours, location, or customer service. For more details on how to create a welcome greeting for your general business number, read this article.
While straightforward is always the safe bet, certain entities can go to the humorous side of voicemail greetings. Before taking this route, consider the type of callers and the persona the recipient is trying to convey. Since (insert name) isn’t available at the moment to take your call, but will promptly return it should you decide to accept your mission and leave your name and number, we have a very important question to occupy you in the meantime. Why did the chicken cross the road? Voicemail Greetings For Vacation
Thank you for calling [LinkedPhone – The Work From Anywhere Business Phone System]. Our office is closed until [Monday, January 25th for the holiday weekend]. If your call is urgent, please contact [Anya at 212-555-1212 or [email protected]]. Otherwise, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as we return. We value your call. Thank you from everyone at [LinkedPhone].
These issues limit the quality of the recording because the amateur actor doesn’t know how to speak with the proper enunciation and cadence for phone system recordings, and there’s no experienced director handy to provide guidance.
It's easy to get carried away in a voicemail and include more detail than is necessary. We've all been in that situation where the automated or pre-recorded voice on the end of the line goes on and on with more information than you can take in.
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.
As you look to update your script, here are a few questions to ask: Will your voicemail greeting be funny, so your callers think your business is fun? Do you want the tone to be more professional, so it gives callers the impression you only work with Fortune 500 companies? Do you want to record a brief message, or will a more detailed message be helpful? Knowing these answers will help you craft a personal voicemail greeting unique to your company.
In this article, we’ll discuss why a voicemail greeting is important for your business and show you how to set one up with just a few simple steps.
33. Hi, thank you for calling me. I apologize for not answering the phone at the moment. Please leave your name, number and message, and I will call you back as soon as possible. You can also send me an email at [your email]. Thank you, and have a nice day.
Noise in the background of a voicemail is both unprofessional and distracting. Background noise can communicate to the receiver that you are inconsiderate and have not taken the time to prepare and assess your surroundings. Make sure you are situated in a quiet environment when leaving a voicemail to ensure that your message is clearly heard.
The thing with voicemail is it can be really handy when it comes to catering to your prospects when you are not available after work hours.
15. “Hi, Thanks for giving us a call! Sorry, but we are closed right now. Please leave us your name, number and the best time to reach you and we’ll get back to you within the day. Thank you.”
A lot of small businesses set up a 13, 1300 or 1800 number to appear more professional, but that’s only the first step. Using a business phone service gives you a range of advantages over your standard landline, including the ability to: Set your business hours and record different voice greetings to align with a particular time of day or year. Set up an automated response, add department extensions to route the calls, and more. Have multiple users on the phone number via call overflow regardless of their location. For ideas on what to include in your voicemail greeting, see our blog on examples of professional voicemail greetings.