The best small business phone systems are no better than the provider that supports them. You'll invest a lot into planning, hardware, and setup, so don't skimp on service. Think through the following factors as you choose a service provider.
Set up Visual Voicemail. If your carrier supports Visual Voicemail, you can set it up with these steps: Go to the Phone app, then tap the Voicemail tab. Tap Set Up Now. Create a voicemail password, then tap Done. Enter your password again to confirm it, then tap Done. Select Custom or Default. If you choose Custom, you can record a new greeting.
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Practice makes perfect, and the same applies to reading and making your business voicemail calls. Before making those calls, give the call agents or representatives of your company time to rehearse. Let them go through the script a lot, so they’re familiar with the words. With enough time to practice, your call representatives can also make their own notes on the scripts to be guided and to avoid any monotony.
RingCentral is one of the best small business phone systems. They have four plan options that start at $29.99 per month, not including headsets. They're a great option for small businesses that want VoIP service with a hosted private branch exchange (hosted PBX) and call center tools. All plans include unlimited calling and SMS messaging, toll-free minutes, and mobile apps.
One way to identify your pain points can be as simple as meeting with your team to discuss what makes their day — and the customer’s day — harder. By anticipating what your customers are struggling to find on their own, you can potentially solve their problems before they leave a voicemail or, at the very least, point them in the right direction. This will help ease your own pain by making the experience easier for the client to navigate, leading to a more organized process.
The list of features offered by Grasshopper is not as extensive as some competitors in the market. Grasshopper does not provide users with options like call recording, video conferencing, or multi-level auto-attendant.
A quick web search reveals a number of business options for transcribing voicemail message audio into a text format. Many service providers offer such transcription capability as part of the overall phone service plans they sell, allowing their business customers to have company-wide access to text-based voicemail without being forced to seek a third party for that functionality.
Grasshopper became known by positioning itself as the professional, but very hip virtual small business phone service. Grasshopper is a “virtual phone system” meaning that you can get phone numbers, voicemail, call forwarding, etc. independent of phone hardware. This is great for branding and to make your phone help make your small business presence look big. Originally a fun startup in the Boston area, the company was purchased by IT giant Citrix back in 2015. It has 350,000 customers today. No free trial, but offers a 30-day money back guarantee. Feature We Like: Faxes emailed as PDFs.
For some small businesses, GoToConnect may be too much. A company like Grasshopper providers virtual phone numbers without needing equipment or anything else.
A professional voicemail greeting is slightly different than a business greeting, as certain professionals may require the caller to leave specific information. For instance, a professional therapist voicemail greeting would specifically ask for contact information from the caller, as well as leave their own personal contact information in case the caller is having problems. Hello, thank you for calling the office of Dr. Harold Tweed. I can’t come to the phone right now; please leave your name, number, and message at the tone. If this is an emergency, please contact either my personal assistant at 555-555-2345 or myself at 555-555-3234 and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you for your call. Include your name/business Ask for their contact information and message Provide them with alternate phone numbers if this is a crisis Extend gratitude for their call Funny Voicemail Greeting
3. Top business voicemail messages examples that you can try today for your brand
For more accessibility options, see Learn how to navigate Skype for Business using accessible features.
In addition to making sure your internet service can handle your VoIP traffic, you also need to make sure your local area network (LAN) can handle it. What makes network management tricky with VoIP is that if you simply drop it onto your network, that traffic will get processed the same as any other traffic, meaning your shared accounting application or those 20 gigabytes worth of files your assistant just moved to the cloud.
For larger systems, and for systems where security is critical for things like being compliant to vertical regulatory needs, your current internet connection might not be adequate. The internet doesn't do quality of service (QoS), and bandwidth can be unpredictable. Network congestion can ruin a conference call, and activities such as DNS hijacking can put your business and data at risk.
Hi, my name is Dew Tinnin. I'm a speaker, sales coach and consultant, and CEO of Skillway. I live in Nashville, TN with my husband, Shane, and our dog, Peanut. My stepson, Spencer, attends St. Cloud State University. I enjoy reading, running and traveling. BlogArchives (List of All Posts) Subscribe Via Email About Dew Work with MeSales Coaching Executive Coaching Sales Training Sales Consulting Speaking Testimonials Contact Me Client Login 18+ Voicemail Greeting Examples to Help You Record the Perfect One
Almost 70% of Americans say that it’s their general practice to not answer the phone. At some point or another, you’re going to have no choice but to leave a voicemail for your clients. Here’s how to do it in a HIPAA compliant way.
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