When customers call your business, their first interaction is often with the auto attendant greeting. A well-designed auto attendant can leave a positive impression, set the right expectations, and efficiently guide callers to the appropriate department or person. In this article, we’ll explore the key phrases commonly used in auto attendant greetings and discuss how, when, and why each phrase should be applied in the context of a small business phone greeting.
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From Switchboard to Auto Attendant
One of my favorite movies is Auntie Mame starring Jane Russell (1958.) There are so many wonderful, funny scenes in the movie, but some scenes always stand out in your memory and one of those for me is when she went to work as a switchboard operator. Continue reading
What is the Difference between a Queue and a Hunt Group?
Are you wondering how to distinguish between a queue and a hunt group? It might help to start with the basics behind how both work. Continue reading
Customer Spotlight: Applied Air Systems
Applied Air Systems provides customized compressed air solutions and conducts air system audits to ensure that plant facilities are energy efficient and cost effective. Continue reading
Identifying Your Small Business Phone and Voicemail Priorities
The single most important principle to keep in mind when you are ready to invest in any new technology is its strategic importance to your business mission. As business owners, you’ll only want to acquire technology that helps you:
- Impress your customers;
- Control your costs; and,
- Support your longer-term strategic objectives. Continue reading
Disaster Planning: Include Your Virtual Phone System
Sadly, unexpected disasters can strike your area and business in numerous ways. While there’s no way to completely prepare for every type of disaster, having contingency plans and needed tools readily available can help you navigate through tough times.
Part of a disaster plan should address how you’ll communicate with your customers, clients, and employees. It may not be feasible to individually call each member of your team or expect team members to have access to their normal work environment. Instead, you may need to set up a communication system that can be accessed by employees once they reach safety. Including a virtual phone system with automated attendant, call forwarding, and hunt group features into your disaster plan can minimize service disruptions. Continue reading
3 Auto Attendant Mistakes that Frustrate Customers
Are your customers getting frustrated and hanging up before leaving a message or listening to the options? Your company’s auto answer features might be driving them away.
Mistake
Often, small business owners set up their auto attendant with options like: Press [1] for Suzy, the President, Press [2] for Mike in Marketing, Press [3] for Mary in Accounting…Press [43] for Jake.
Nothing says cheap like “The Google Voice customer you’re trying to reach…”
Google is a wonderful company, but Google Voice is not really for small businesses as its functions are simply not robust enough. Personally, I think Google Voice is good for allowing for people to not find you, which is the opposite of what small businesses want.
For example, some analyst firms offer free whitepapers written by vertical industry experts. It helps to be able to get the statistics that these firms have spent tens, sometimes hundreds, of thousands of dollars on. But often filling out these forms means that you’ll get a phone call or a series of emails asking me to subscribe to a premium service. Google Voice, in these instances, is a great way to give out a number for such marketing lists. I can check the voicemails when I want, but can also choose when and when not to have such calls go to my cell phone.