Your intention in setting up an automated phone system is undoubtedly, to ensure that your customers get the very best service possible. However, there are many consumers out there who simply hate getting a machine when they call anywhere. It is those callers that you must keep in mind when you are setting up your new automated phone system. Follow these guidelines and you are sure to create a system that even the haters can live with.
- Make it quick and easy to reach a real, live person. There are many callers who simply hate having to deal with machines and will even avoid a company whose customer service is done by auto attendant. In order to appease those who don’t appreciate the advantages of business phone technology, make it easy to get directed to an actual person at the start of the call.
- Have a recording for customers to listen to while they are on hold. This will reassure them that the line has not been dropped. For those who are not fond of automated system, this will reassure them that they are still being taken care of. Use such recordings to share tips about your products, to introduce new products or to market to callers in other ways.
- Make it easy to understand the options you offer. Instead of recording “Press 1 for billing…”, invert it to “For billing, press 1…” This simply makes it easier for callers to know what to do.
- Ensure that callers never loop back to the main menu. Set up the system so that as often as possible all calls are transferred to a person. However, if that is impossible, callers should get a voice mailbox where they can leave a message.
- Establish strict guidelines for your employees and how they use the system. They should check mailboxes regularly. Messages should be updated regularly to reflect changing seasons, departments, products and more. Names should be recorded on voice mailboxes, to give a more friendly impression to callers and to make it easier to identify that they have indeed reached the correct person.
The auto attendant system that you are implementing will be the first impression that many new callers have of your business. Attention to details surrounding it will ensure that this impression is a positive one, even if the caller typically hates auto attendant phone systems.