Telephone system greetings have been pretty standard for several years. In spite of the fact that it’s the very first thing your customers and potential customers hear when they call you, and that they could hear that same greeting again and again on a busy day, most businesses don’t pay much attention to how it sounds.
Who usually records a company’s telephone system greetings? Not the boss. And the boss’ secretary usually fights off the task. A phone installer friend (with a slight accent) told me that he’s usually the one whose stuck with the job, and he’s recorded hundreds of them. Even he thinks this is a mistake.
No matter who records the telephone system greetings that your customers hear, here are a few suggestions to make it less painful for them.
Suggestions for the best telephone system greetings and prompts
- Your telephone system greetings, Automated Attendants and Telephone Answering Equipment were originally developed as a cost-saving measure. But we all know what most people think of them! CallCenterMagazine and AT&T research have shown that the average call takes 2-3 times as long to be routed to the right place as when an operator answers the phone.
- We believe that the cost savings of using an automated attendant aren’t the only benefit they offer. Instead, consider how an automated attendant can actually improve your customer service levels. How? With better telephone system greetings, and a little forethought.
- Consider what most of your callers need. Then set up your greeting and prompts to help these callers as quickly as possible.
- Some companies give callers lots of different options about where they can go, and callers have lots of different levels of prompts to go through to get to the option they want. That’s fine if you really do have multiple departments the callers go to, but if you don’t, why make the process longer?
- Caller information: some sophisticated telephone systems require callers to enter information, such as telephone number or account number, only to be asked for the same information when they reach a rep. Wouldn’t it be more efficient (cheaper) for you, and less frustrating for your caller (your customer) to find a way to route the information to your telephone service reps? Ask your phone installer about how this could work.
- Keep each greeting brief. Callers are busier and more impatient than ever. So don’t waste their time. Here’s a basic script that seems to work well for just about any business. Why not copy it?
- It’s easier for callers to follow directions if you put the “press 1” information at the end of the sentence.
- Night messages: if you offer the caller an opportunity to leave a message, make sure you return the call. If you can’t follow up on all calls on your next business morning, don’t offer this option.
- You only get one chance to make a great first impression. If possible, us a professional voice. Make sure that all pronunciations are correct.
Here’s what we’re talking about:
Do you need special telephone system greetings?
Let’s talk about your greeting. If callers spend time in a “queue” waiting to be answered after entering their choice, consider putting the time to use with Informer Messages on hold. Lets see how your greeting sounds in Free Comparison: email us, or call to set up your Free 15-minute Discovery Session. In New York call 212-355-6980. Nationwide call 800-862-8896