Your customers might need you on the holidays. If you’re a business owner, you know this already. 🙂 Manage customer expectations and let them know how to get assistance.
In an ideal world, voicemail would be unnecessary. There would always be someone available to take customer calls and no one would complain about their calls not being returned and/or rejected. But of course, this perfect world isn’t possible. That’s why it’s important to give your callers options when you are unavailable. For example, aside from leaving a message, callers can also choose to listen to some relevant information about your business (such as a list of your services, your address, directions, hours of operation, and more).
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One feature of Voice Mail Message Notification Preferences will change in the updated platform—there will no longer be options for the disposition of voice messages related directly to message notification. Instead, messages will be kept as new even though the message may be delivered to an email address.
19. “Hi, you’ve reached [your name] at [X company]. We are sorry but our office is closed until [date]. Please leave us your name and phone number and our team will get back to you as soon as possible. Enjoy [holiday] and thanks for calling [company name]! If you do happen to be open the holiday season, it’s important to provide holiday hours. Especially if your hours vary from your regular hours.
When you receive a voice mail message, the message appears in your Outlook Inbox. Go to your Outlook Inbox. Open any email with Voice Mail in the subject. Click the blue play button to listen to a message.
Expand your opening to with 'Thank you for calling [insert company/individual name]' or 'You've reached the voicemail of [insert company/individual name]'. This personal touch goes a long way towards building a rapport even when you're not available to answer the call directly.
14. “Hello, you’ve reached [company]. If you’re looking for information on [X], please check out our [Facebook page, company website, etc.] If you want to know more about [Y], take a look at [Z page on our site, our YouTube channel, etc.] Still have more questions, or just want to hear our lovely voices? Leave your name and number, and we’ll return your call straight away.”
As a bonus, here is an example of our own holiday voicemail greeting here at OpenPhone:
Wow, the recording sounds even more professional than what I was expecting, many thanks! - Brent Bytes Ahead Ltd. Thanks so much, the recordings are perfect! - Oleg On The Ready I.T. Consulting. The recorded message sounds perfect! - Denis Chelsea Auction INC. Very Good quick service. Would recommend - Neil Cartridge Tech Ltd.
4. Funny Voicemail Greetings. Hi, you’ve reached [your name] at [X company]. We are busy trying to save the world by [what your company does best]. If you want to learn more about how we do it, please leave us your name and phone number, and we will get back to you as soon as our mission is complete— which should be fairly soon.
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8. "Hi, you've reached [your name]. I'm unable to come to the phone right now. But if you leave your name, number, and a short message, I'll be sure to call back."
Standard greeting with phone number: "At the tone, please record your message to [phone number]."
Before you officially pick a greeting, why not practice on making your voice even and understandable? I know that my voice rises when I speak on the phone, and I tend to speak faster, so I practice in the mirror to slow down my voice and make sure that I am speaking as naturally as I can.
33. Hello, you’ve reached [X company]. We’re currently closed to celebrate [X holiday], but we’ll be back on [X date]. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message so our team can get back to you when we return.
System administrators can configure voicemail settings for any extension in 8x8 Admin Console. Individual extension users can change their voicemail settings in Work for Desktop. Changes can be made to voicemail settings on the phone through the voicemail options audio menu only after the initial voicemail password has been set up in 8x8 Admin Console or Work for Desktop.
Believe it or not, voice mail greetings like that exist and it’s not just large companies giving customers a long list of instructions to punch their way through in hopes of talking to a real, live person. It’s job seekers and small business owners not thinking about the image they’re portraying when they note a phone number in their contact info.