Auto Attendant Guides Callers to Right Person
An auto attendant greets callers and instructs them to press certain extension numbers in order to reach a particular person. This can lend a professional touch to a business and make a company seem authoritative and well-established. Having this type of professional greeting can be easy and affordable for any business large or small.
A First Impression
When customers call a business that is using auto attendant, they are greeted with a professional message that lets them know they have reached the right number. The message is also designed to put callers at ease and minimize their wait time. This is because they are quickly connected to their party once they have selected the right option. The initial greeting can be custom-tailored to meet the individual needs of a particular company so it feels more personal rather than seeming like a scripted message.
The Message
A message may say something along the lines of “Thank you for calling XYZ Company. Your call is very important to us”. After the initial greeting they can be given further instruction on how to reach a specific department or individual extension. Each employee can also choose a voicemail greeting for callers to hear if they are unavailable to take calls. If there are special announcements or events that need to be publicized, these can be included during the initial greeting as well.
Professional Speaker
Auto attendant allows individuals to record their own greetings or use a professional speaker if they do not feel comfortable doing so.
This is helpful for business owners who are self-conscious about their speaking voice or people who talk with a lisp or accent. More than one voice recording can be used, so callers might hear one person when they are initially connected and another one when they press a certain extension number. Having more than one voice recorded can give the illusion that the company is actually bigger because callers may perceive there are multiple telephone operators employed there.
Cost-effectiveness
An auto attendant can reduce the need for a live operator or receptionist. This is because the service is routing calls instead. Doing so can free up workers to take on other tasks, which improves the overall efficiency of a business. Best of all, the attendant can be used 24 hours a day, so there is no need to pay employees overtime or holiday pay in order to ensure there is telephone coverage after hours. The overall cost of using an automatic attendant is normally very affordable even for very small businesses.
Small business owners are often faced with having to play many different roles, especially when first trying to establish an organization. An auto attendant can take some of this stress away by managing calls efficiently and professionally. Using one of these services gives the company credibility while also preparing it for future growth. Best of all, the service can be tailored to meet the exact needs of a company no matter what its size.
Williams Carol is a marketing representative for iTeleCenter, a company that provides local, 1800 Numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system to their clients. Services include call Screen, Auto Attendant, voicemail and more.
