BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. Read more BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.Read more Best of the Best Best for Offices This entire AT&T system will meet the needs of small businesses or anyone who needs multi-phone capabilities with lots of features. However, it's more than the average answering machine user will need. An excellent choice for offices, as it includes a corded and cordless phone that's expandable and packed with features. Has clear sound quality. Features caller ID. Answering machine works well. Clear digital display. On the higher end of the price spectrum. Not everyone needs all of these additional features. Best Bang for the Buck Bargain Pick Although it isn't fancy and the phone could be better, this model is an affordable option with a reasonable amount of recording time. Basic and easy to use. Can record up to 14 minutes of messages. Compact design fits nicely on desks and countertops. Comes with cordless phone that has backlit caller ID. Some issues with the phone have been reported, including short-range and poor sound, but the answering machine works well. Feature-packed This quality answering system works as promised, sounds great and comes with two additional cordless phones. Offers a large, bright display and crisp, clear audio. Expandable, and comes with two handsets. Answering system is easy to program and use. Offers 14 minutes of message recording time. Caller ID is quirky, but this doesn't affect the answering machine. Easiest to Use A traditional answering machine by AT&T with some user-friendly features, but it also has some sound quality issues that could hinder its performance and reliability. Answer machine only in a straightforward design. Slim build. Easy to program and use. Comes at a reasonable price. Recorded greeting as well as call play backs often have poor sound quality. No indication of the message record time. Corded Option Corded phones with answering machines can be difficult to find, but this one offers welcome features for customers who still prefer landline models. Classic corded phone with a built-in answering machine that can record 30 minutes of messages. Earns praise for its ability to block as many as 1,000 numbers. Has large, user-friendly buttons. Answering machine is a bit challenging to set up, but the user manual is helpful. Sound is average. We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers. We purchase every product we review with our own funds — we never accept anything from product manufacturers. Written by Jennifer Blair Table of Contents Buying guide for best answering machines Standalone vs. built-in answering machines Answering machine features Answering machine prices Tips Other products we considered FAQ
Do they want to sit through an IVR menu that may or may not direct them to the right person? Do they know you’re a one-man/woman team and there’s no reason to sit through a menu? Skip the menu entirely and let them leave a message as quickly as possible. There’s no reason to add any additional steps or make your customers go through leaps and hurdles to leave a simple voicemail. When you identify what your customers’ pain points are, you make it much easier to determine what you want them to do to save everyone from the unnecessary stress.

You may think this is boring, but it’s what works. Leave the sales talk and the promotion for when you call them back. Leaving a greeting is all well and good, but if it has no context you’re going to struggle to stop the person from giving up on you. Make sure people know that they’ve reached the right place. Hello, this is the office of X, the Y department. Please leave your name, reason for calling, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. By mentioning the specific department or office they’ve reached, you’re reminding them that they’ve reached the right place, and this is not some generic support department they’ve been redirected to. We talk to lots of different people every day. Make sure you remind people of who you are, and why you’re the best person to handle their call (and more importantly their valuable time). Hello, my name is X, the Senior Manager of Y, I’m sorry I’m unavailable right now, but if you leave your number I’ll return your call as soon as I can. Not only have you revealed who you are, but you’ve also given them the reassurance that their call is important to you. It leaves the right impression. The order of your words can seriously impact how your greeting is received. Research shows that we remember the first and last items on a list best, so the statements that matter most are those at the beginning and those at the end. Hello, you have reached X. I’m out of the office at the moment. Provide me with your contact details and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Do you see how important the order of the words is? The name comes first and the call to action is last. Most people will put all this important information in the middle of their greeting. It may not seem like a big difference, but it really matters. It can be tempting to try to fit as much information into a voicemail greeting as possible. Don’t do that. Sometimes less is more. Try to incorporate some strategic pauses into your greeting, so you can let everything sink in. Hello, this is X from Y. [Pause] I am not available to take your call right now. [Pause] If you are calling about Z, then please leave your name and number and I will get back to you as soon as you can.
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