77% of people believe that a phone call is the most efficient way to get business done. But have you got the right call handling protocols in place?
Don’t Use The Computer Generated Greeting—I get aggravated when I hear a computer generated message like, “The person you are calling at 9-4-1-5-5-5-1-2-3-4 is not available to take your call, please leave a message at the tone.” Even if the number repeated by the system is the same one I have for the person, it requires extra work on my part to confirm I’ve dialed the right number and even then I am still left wondering if this is the right number for the person I am calling.
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You may also not always want to pick up the phone when you do not recognize the number, or the number is withheld.
Before you record your professional voicemail message, take a quick peek through these examples for some inspiration:
4.) Bienvenue chez John Doe Solutions. En raison d'un événement en interne, notre secrétaire n’est pas disponible aujourd'hui. Vous êtes le bienvenu à laisser un message. Nous serons de nouveau à votre service lundi. Merci pour votre compréhension.
a standard greeting as per Option 4, followed by the mailbox owner's name (as recorded by the owner), followed by the leave-message tone, and then silence.
3.) Bienvenido/a a John Doe. Para alemán, por favor, pulse 1. Para inglés, por favor, pulse 2.
"If my mom needs to reach me, she'll send a text, like 'Call me now,' if I don't answer," she says.
Recent statistics from Forbes magazine show that 80 percent of callers sent to voicemail do not leave messages because they don' think they'll even be heard.
When someone reaches your voicemail, it’s important that you help them confirm that they have reached the right person by providing all of the relevant information that they will need. Who have they reached? Did they contact the right person and the right business? Should they leave a message? When will you get back to them? Is there a better time for them to call?
The difference between writing a script and writing for print is that scripts must be written for the ear and written for effective delivery by voice talent. It must be written in a conversational tone. When you create a script that’s listenable, your callers will better understand your business.
The above section details types of phrasing to avoid; however, it doesn’t detail what users should NOT say on their greeting. Though this is a bit loaded, as there are hundreds of combinations of things one shouldn’t say, there are some key components users should ALWAYS avoid. a. Forget About Slang: You should strive to be as professional and welcoming as possible in your greeting. While this may steer you towards using slang, in an attempt to make callers comfortable, it’ll most likely work against you. As a professional, your demeanor, tone, and speech should be clear cut and well articulated. Using slang undercuts this and works against you. b. Don’t Even Think About Profanity: This is a no-brainer. Never, under any circumstances, curse in your greeting EVER! c. Keep Your Sentences Clean, Don’t Ramble: Introduce yourself and give your caller specific direction. Avoid long diatribes detailing tangent thoughts. Keep it simple and quick. d. Always Return Your Calls: It’s important for callers to feel they are valued. Nothing dissolves this quicker than a greeting that doesn’t stress this. For example, “I’ll call you when I can,” “If I don’t return your call, please call back”—these phrases are terrible and completely destroy any good will you may have with a caller.
An ophthalmologist performs multiple duties related to eye and vision care. He/she may undertake eye surgeries of varying types, suggest medications, and perform eye exams and more. The job requires the utmost concentration and focus.
Calls diverted to the voicemail box of a department that doesn’t have active reception staff.
“Hi, you’ve reached [your name] at [your company]. I’m unavailable right now — probably helping [type of company] get [X results, e.g. ‘double their leads in 60 days,’ ‘hire the best and brightest engineers,’ ‘convert 40% more customers.’] Leave your name and number, and we’ll discuss how your company can see similar results.” “Hello, this is [your name] at [company]. Thanks for calling. Please leave your name, number, and reason you’d like to chat, and I’ll get to back to you ASAP.” “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.” “Hey, this is [your name]. If you’re calling for [X reason], please [contact so-and-so] or [go to our website, send me an email]. For all other inquiries, leave your name and a brief message and I’ll call you back within [one, two, three] business day[s].” “Hello, you’ve reached [name] at company. I’m unable to come to the phone right now. Leave your name and number, and I’ll return your call as soon as I’m free. Thank you.”
You don’t want to answer calls 24/7 (unless you’re serving clients globally and there’s an expectation of 24/7 support). If you’re unavailable during specific hours of the day, use the voicemail examples below for after-hours business calls.
3.) Esta é a caixa de correio do Sr. John Doe. Por favor deixe uma mensagem ou ligue para este número novamente mais tarde. Obrigado por sua compreensão.