“Hi, you’ve reached three-time fantasy football champion (insert your name) at (insert your company name). Please leave your name, number, and a fun fact about yourself, and I’ll return your call as soon as possible.”
Set the expectation by providing a realistic timeline for when the caller can expect a return call. Remember once the expectation has been made, make sure you follow up and return the call as promised.
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Hello. You have reached Erin Klineman, Marketing Manager for Stone & Associates. I am currently out of the office attending a conference until August 4th. I will be checking messages daily, however, if you need immediate assistance, please contact Marketing Specialist, Michael Kim at extension 240. Otherwise, please leave a message, and I will call you back at my earliest opportunity.
As I mentioned above, some words like ‘can’t’ are often mispronounced by non-native speakers and it can sound like a swear word!
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.
2. My ass and I are out for a walk. So as soon as I can get my ass back in the house, I’ll give you a call. Leave a message till then.
When calling to schedule an appointment or follow up about a recommended form of treatment, patients expect to be treated with the same sensitivity and care they are treated to in person. A mental health answering service can help ensure your patients get the VIP treatment every time they give your office a …
Thank you for calling [Company Name]. To celebrate the holiday season, we are offering limited-time discounts on all purchases. Please ask your account representative about them today! To place an order, press 1. To follow up on an existing order, press 2. To speak with a representative about our products, press 3. If you have a billing question, press 4. To repeat the menu options, please press the * key. 9. Holiday Closures
For many small businesses, the announcement will send the caller straight to a voicemail box. But larger organizations may decide to direct callers to a phone menu or forward the call to an external destination, depending on the situation. These options can include: Listing individual voicemail boxes for different departments or employees. Forwarding calls to a professional answering service. Giving callers an option to connect to an after hours or emergency support line. Directing calls to a personal cell phone. Presenting menu options for additional recordings about office locations, ongoing promotions, and other information.
If you drone on and on, there is a good chance that some of your callers are going to hang up before leaving their message.
Editor’s Note: The article is part of the blog series Grow Your Business brought to you by the marketing team at UniTel Voice, the virtual phone system priced and designed for startups and small business owners.
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As I mentioned above, some words like ‘can’t’ are often mispronounced by non-native speakers and it can sound like a swear word!
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.
The pet care service providers get calls from pet owners at odd hours or when they are busy attending to their chores. So, resorting to voicemail services is necessary for such businesses. Below is an excerpt from a voicemail for a pet service entity:
Hello Lynn, this is Annemarie from Speak Confident English. I’m calling to follow up on our discussion at the conference last week. The best way to reach me is by phone during the workday. My number is 222-231-2323. Again, that’s 222-231-2323. Thank you.
3. Enter your Pin Number. You will need to know your pin or passcode in order to check your voicemail. If you don't have this code, you will have to retrieve it from your carrier. You will hear instructions to input your pin. Hit the pound key after you enter your pin. Follow instructions on how to listen to your voicemail. It's usually to push a certain number (like 1). That's all there is to it. You should be able to hear your voicemail messages now.