Responding to voicemails is time-consuming. Fortunately, with the right greeting, you might be able to save yourself some hassle. If you don’t have an auto attendant, you can give callers the information they are looking for with your voicemail greeting. Of course, this means that your greeting may be a little lengthy, but that can work in your favor as callers will only stay on the line to leave a message if they still need assistance.
We’re sharing some practical advice on what you can start doing today to empower your business phone system during the Coronavirus pandemic and create a better customer experience:
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I am not in the office today; I may not be in tomorrow. I may be in to work sooner, if you gave me your car to borrow.
We offer 24/7 support and abundant training resources for all of our customers including weekly live training sessions and one-on-one new customer training.
You want to be a little more formal when you're recording a business voicemail greeting for your company. State your business name, your hours of operation, the manner in which you'll reach out to the caller, and a place where he or she can obtain more information about your business. Thank you for calling GreenLeaf Logistics. No one is available to answer your call right now. Our business hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 7 pm. Please leave your name and phone number so that someone from our Customer Success Team can follow up with you. For more information, please visit www.greenleaflogistics.com. 3. Department Wide Voicemail Greeting
I often judge organizations based on the ease of getting through the layers of electronic screenings to get my questions answered or speak to a live person.
For phone greetings to be successful, they need to be: Crisp. A crisp, clear voice goes a long way. The message needs to be clearer than glass. No shuffling papers or dogs barking in the background. **Professional. **Your phone greeting needs to sound like you're a real company, not a random person answering their cell phone. Thought-out.
Hey, who’s this? I’d actually pick up, but my phone is staring at me. OMG! I just saw it wink!
In this case, the agent shows concern for the customer and wants to serve him in the best possible manner. The agent is also polite and courteous.
I could see an argument for relaxing that for mobile voicemail, on the basis that mobile phones are pretty personal and not generally shared by multiple people, but I've no idea whether that may have happened. Or, indeed, whether such policies may vary between organisations within the NHS.
You have reached our general company mailbox. No one is available to take your call at the moment, but please leave your name, telephone number, and a brief message, and someone will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you and have a great day.
Thank you for calling. You have reached (Your Name) at (Your Business). Please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I’ll return your call as soon as possible.
Leave a specific request. What do you want your listener to do? Sure, you want them to call you back, but why? To answer a question? To set up an appointment? People will appreciate it if you give them specific actions for their call back. That way they’ll know they won’t be wasting a lot of time on the call back trying to figure out what you want.
*Note: Some of your users don’t celebrate all the same holidays you do. Remember to keep these voicemail greetings neutral 🌟
A word of warning: These greetings will not do you any favors if you’re in the midst of a job hunt or work in a conservative industry. Always remember your target personas. If there’s a chance they won’t appreciate your sense of humor, opt for a straightforward greeting instead. “This is Bond. James Bond. Okay, it’s really [your last name]. [Your first name] [your last name]. I’ll get back to you as soon as I’m done helping M16 save the world — which will probably be tomorrow at the latest. Have a good day.” “Hmm. Gryffindor … No, Ravenclaw. Yes, you definitely belong in Ravenclaw. *Pause.* Okay, you haven’t reached the Sorting Hat — it’s the voicemail of [your name]. Please leave your name and number (and just for fun, the Harry Potter house you think you belong in) and I’ll return your call as soon as possible.” “Hello! You’ve gotten the voicemail of [your name]. Leave your name, contact info, and the answer to the eternal question ‘Which came first, the chicken or the egg?’ Anyone who gets it right will receive a call back.”
You have reached (Your Name) at (Your Business). We help (What Your Business Does). I wasn’t able to take your call right now, but leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
What kind of company do you run? A law firm may prefer more formal business voicemail greetings than a trendy retail store, for example.