For additional details on the voice mail menu and associated options, see the Quick Reference Guide and User Guide. Cox Business Voice Mail includes high-value features to make leaving and retrieving messages efficient for you and your employees. Here is a summary of Voice Mail features: Three main voice mail options: Basic, Extension, and Group Voice Mail Speedy access when you dial “*298” from your desk phone Optional services for Unified Messaging and Readable Voice Mail Other Voice Mail Specifications We need to update the greeting in a voice mailbox, but prevent callers from leaving a message. Can we configure this with standard voice mail? Cox Business Voice mail offers multiple greetings options for you. The Extended Absence Greeting allows you to customize a greeting and select whether or not you want to prevent callers from leaving a message after the greeting plays. Press 5 from the Greetings menu to activate this feature.
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Before you read this, stop and listen to the voicemail greetings for your cellphone and business line. Seriously, I’ll wait.
Voicemail service providers like Voicemail Office offer these life-simplifying features as part of their unified messaging packages, which allow users to obtain both voicemail and fax messages in their email inbox. Voicemail messages that are sent to email are also identified with the extension number in the body of the email, so that the purpose of the call can be foreknown. Surprisingly, rates for these services are very low, starting at just $9.95 per month.
@umbra21 - It's not jokes that annoys me so much as someone who leaves a message ten minutes long, particularly when you have to wait out the whole thing before you can leave your voicemail.
3. Voicemail greetings for the customer s ervice phone number. Customers will eventually need help from your business. If your customer service team is unavailable for calls, you can use the customer service voicemail recordings below.
Avoid background noise. Whether you have music playing in your office, or you’re sitting in a coffee shop, background noise can make it difficult for your customers to understand your greeting. Limit the noise around you when you leave your voicemail greeting.
Obviously, I need to update it. And if you haven't changed your voicemail greeting in over a year, you're likely in the same boat.
Really think about it – You’re out of the office, it’s after business hours, or you’re otherwise indisposed, whatever the case may be, your voicemail is now tasked with representing you (and/or your company). No pressure, right? Your voicemail message is a platform that represents you to callers; therefore it’s ABSOLUTELY crucial that your message is perfect.
From the Calling User Portal, click Voicemail. 3 4
Now that the importance of having current and applicable voicemail greetings has been established, the big question of how remains, right? How does one create this stellar voicemail selection and improve their business voicemail greeting?
5. Voicemail Greetings For Vacation. As mentioned above, alerting callers that they won’t be getting an immediate call back is of upmost importance for an entity’s reputation and a caller’s satisfaction.
Call Forwarding is only available for telephone numbers within the continental United States.
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.
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.
e. Never Assume Anything: Phrases like “You Know What To Do,” “Sing Your Song at the Beep,” and others mentioned above are awful to leave in your greeting. For the sake of universality and comprehensiveness, NEVER assume the caller knows what to do. Lay it out clearly. f. Leave a Message: This phrase, by itself, will not do. It’s imperative for users to identify themselves in their greetings. Callers need to know they’ve reached the right person. g. Disregard Lethargy: If you’re not excited about your greeting, why would anyone else be? Never display a lack of enthusiasm in your greeting as it could turn callers off to both you and your business. h. Speak Clearly and Never Slur: Callers need to understand your every word; therefore, mumbling, slurring, and all other detractions of speech should never be recorded. d. Be Creative Without Sacrificing Quality: Callers know how voicemails work–i.e. leave a number, message, etc. While you want to be clear, it’s important not to be contrive or redundant with your message. Creativity can help users to differentiate themselves, as well as intrigue callers. While users should avoid the tropes of creativity listed above, it’s definitely good to think outside the box. That being said, scripting and practice can help users to experiment more with their greeting–ultimately allowing for more unique and creative approach. e. Speak With Diction: It’s important to present one’s self as an authority without alienating callers. As such, it’s crucial to articulate and speak with clear diction. “ if your voice recording has you stumbling over words and speaking haltingly, it does not convey confidence and competence,” states Ron Sellers of Grey Matter Research & Consulting. Remember, this greeting represents you; therefore, you want to appear collected and professional, as well as welcoming. To do this, one must carry themselves well through their recorded message. f. Account for Timeliness: Your message should be concise. No caller wants to be sitting through a rant/diatribe of redundant statements. Your greeting should flow without dragging. Inversely, one doesn’t want to be terse, either. Engage callers with a simplified approach laden with creativity. h. Account for Quality: Aside from speaking clearly, users want to eliminate any noise in the surrounding environment. The quality of the greeting is just as important as what’s being said in the greeting itself. As such, one doesn’t want to undermine a great message with poor quality. i. Courtesy, Tastefulness, & Tact: This is pretty self-explanatory and straight forward–NEVER be rude. Being light-hearted and humorous is very different from being obnoxious and/or abrasive. Again, these tools can be helpful if utilized properly, but not everyone perceives humor the same way. So play it safe. The last thing your voicemail greeting should do is offend a caller. k. Provide Options: if you’re part of a bigger company, it might be good to offer caller options. For example, allow a menu to defer callers to a colleague or co-worker in your absence. This can help show callers you care about their well being. Another option might be offering different modes of communication–i.e. email, fax, etc. In offering users diversity, contact may be much easier to maintain.
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.