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5 Reasons Why Your Answering Service Line Needs An Auto Attendant

Posted in Best Practices and tagged

Robot Says Hello

If you’re using an answering service, it can be challenging to make sure each caller gets as personalized an experience as when they reach your own office. One of the ways answering services can help maintain continuity is through an upfront, customized recorded greeting. Customized greetings, or auto attendants, can help bridge the gap between a business and their answering service, and can make for a seamless transition from one to the other. Here are 5 reasons why we think custom recorded greetings rock.

#1. They give stellar first impressions.

Unless it’s Groundhogs Day, you only get one chance to make a first impression. Having a customized recorded greeting on your business line will help give callers lasting first impression that you’ve been missing by outsourcing.

Fact: Virtual receptionists answer for hundreds of different businesses each day. When operators answer calls live, it can be hard for them to get your company name 100% correct every single time. While answering the phone for Smith Plumbing may be easy and effortless, they may stumble when answering the phone for Sheila’s Sea Shells. Instead of having the operators say your company name, a custom recorded greeting would completely eliminate the chance of error. The automated greeting announces the company name, and the live operator greeting is kept to a generic ‘Thanks for calling. How can I help you?’

#2. Racking up those minutes? A custom greeting can help!

Unless you’re taking advantage of a free trial, answering services are going to charge a fee to answer your calls. Some bill by the call, some bill by the minute, some bill by the agent – but all do eventually bill for something. If your answering service bills by the minute, you can waste a lot of time and money in just your live greeting alone. Here are some ways a custom recorded greeting can help keep extra cash in your pocket:

  • While answering services will charge you for the time the operator is on the phone, most services won’t charge you extra to add a custom recorded greeting on your line.
  • Having a custom recording that clearly states your company name can help deter wrong number calls, which you could otherwise be charged for.
  • Auto attendant features like IVR can help cut down on the amount of automated phone calls getting through to an operator. Since robots can’t press 1 to be connected, they won’t eat up your bill. Eureka! A solution to a super annoying problem.

#3. They can provide service information.

As long as you provide your answering service with basic FAQs like where you’re located, your business hours, your website, etc, your virtual receptionists can easily help answer callers’ questions. However, an upfront greeting can also do this, which could help cut down on operator time. For example:

  • Greetings are a great tool for providing information that your callers NEED to know.
  • Using your service solely after hours? Use the greeting to state your business hours.
  • Temporarily located somewhere else? Let the recording tell all your callers!
  • Do you have a common question that eats up your minutes? Your greeting can give callers the answer before even getting to an operator.

#4. They can relay different messages.

Sometimes, life happens. You may have to turn on your answering service at a time you wouldn’t normally, and your callers may be surprised to get someone other than Rachel at the front desk. However, you can use a feature like a customized greeting to your advantage in situations just like this. For example, you can have your greeting updated to say something like: “The office is closed due to inclement weather” or “The office is currently experiencing an outage. Please hold for an operator.”

Being able to have your greeting customized and updated whenever you need it can help avoid confusion for the callers and awkward conversations with the operator. Many times callers will know they’ve reached an answering service and ask the operator why the office isn’t answering. Having a statement in your upfront recording can help answer these questions.

Pro tip: Some answering services may even be able to add different custom greetings to your line depending on the day or time. For example, you may want one greeting played during business hours, and another played for after hours. 

#5. They can show your company’s personality

Every business is different, and your personalized greeting can help set you apart from the competition. Let’s say a potential customer calls two restoration companies. The first offers a bland, generic greeting, which is fine, but boring. The second includes a quirky, bubbly introduction that grasps the caller’s attention right from the beginning. From this interaction alone, the caller decides to go with business #2 simply because their greeting made them smile. Other examples include:

  • Use the upfront recording to reflect how your company is run. Are you a fun start up tech company? Are you a suit and tie business? You can easily show your style through your custom greeting alone.
  • Does your company have a motto or slogan that is well known to consumers? Put it in your custom greeting!
  • Many people may want their operators to open the call with “It’s a great day at ___”, but it doesn’t always come off as natural as it would from someone in your own office. You won’t have this problem with a recorded greeting since it is said with the same tone and enthusiasm every time.

Download 15 Professional Business Voicemail Greetings

While custom greetings are great, we created some generic short voicemail greetings in .MP3 and .WAV format you can download to use in your own business voicemail system.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. We will be with you in just a moment.

Greeting: For quality assurance, this call may be recorded.

Greeting: Thank you for calling, for English Press 1. Para Espanol, oprima dos.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Please hold for the next available agent.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Due to the high volume of calls, wait times may vary. You can also check online for updates. Please hold and we’ll be with you in just a moment.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Press 1 for Sales. Press 2 for Services or Press 0 to be connected to an operator.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line and an operator will be with you momentarily.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. All of our agents are currently assisting other callers. Please remain on the line to speak with the next available agent.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Please press 1 to speak to a representative.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Due to the power outage, response times are delayed. Please hold and the next available representative will be with you shortly.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. If you are calling to schedule an appointment, please press 1. For all other calls, please call back during regular business hours.

Greeting: Due to the extreme weather, we are experiencing a high number of calls. Please hold and an operator will be with you in a moment.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. Please remain on the line to speak to one of our team members.

Greeting: Thank you for calling. We’ll be with you in just a moment. For quality assurance this call may be recorded.

Greeting: You have reached the after hours emergency line. If you are experiencing a true medical emergency, please hang up and dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room. For all other calls, please stay on the line and someone will be with you momentarily.

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Specialty Answering Service is a leading call center company, helping fast-growing businesses close sales and deliver amazing live customer support 24 hours a day. SAS' friendly virtual receptionists and customized call handling create an outstanding virtual office experience. There are thousands of small businesses already using our services. Try SAS for free today.

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