When you are wanting a complete communication system, you have to consider a fantastic voice mail system. All businesses today can increase their productivity by using voice mail as a tool. When used properly, it will be a tremendous asset. Follow these suggestions and you will enjoy the benefits and productivity of voice mail.
- Your greeting message should be professional and leave clear instructions. Here is a good example
Hello, this is John Jones, I can’t take your call right now so please leave me a detailed question or message after the beep. I will return your call soon with an answer.
- Return all calls as soon as you can
- Don’t tell your caller what day it is. This is insulting. Some big phone company started using that greeting and it has spread like wildfire. Please stop it now.
- Don’t tell callers you are out of town on vacation, It is for your own security and safety.
- Less is better. A short to the point greeting is better than a greeting with Mr. Obvious telling the caller everything.
- Don’t tell callers that they shouldn’t leave them a message or tell them to do something else like hang up and call another number.
- Always have zero setup to dial the receptionist and not just get another voice mail. It is called voice mail jail when you keep shuffling folks around.
- KISS or keep it simple stupid and keep your IVR or Automated answering tree simple without multiple menus after menus. If a caller can’t get to the right person or department within 20 seconds, your design is flawed.
- If you ask a caller to key in their customer number, phone number, card number, etc. then don’t ask them for that information again when you answer the call unless you are doing it for security reasons.
- If you can’t return a call with an answer, then return the call and tell the caller when you will call them back with the answer.
- Leave a detailed message when you call someone with the information to get you an answer.
- Keep your greeting up to date. If you are out of the office for a few days, have an alternate person handle your calls and tell the caller you will not return their call.
- A professional voice mail system should have different prompts for different times of day. You can have a greeting for your business hours, directions to your store, what to do in an emergency, transfer to an outside phone number, and other information that would be helpful.
- The sound quality should be excellent and not tinny or scratchy sounding.
- You should receive your voice mail as an attachment to an email notification when someone leaves you a message.
- You can even have voice recognition as long as you keep a simple menu. People for the most part resent voice recognition systems usually because they are designed poorly and are not accurate.
- Your music on hold should not play the local radio station. First of all it is illegal and you don’t want your competition playing ads on your phone system.
- TELECO voice mail systems include a music-on-hold system and a background music system.
The TELECO Perfect Voice family of products integrates with Toshiba phone systems and will integrate with your business in the perfect way.