To ensure that your business voicemail gives off a positive image, it behooves you to have a great voicemail greeting befitting your type of business. In this article, we’ll be running through 50 of the best examples, including for different days, types of businesses, and moods you want to get across to your callers. It’s not hard to come up with a free voicemail greeting for business!

• What is a good voicemail greeting for business?
• What to say in a voicemail greeting? 
• Why is having business voicemail greetings important? 
• Tips for creating a business voicemail greeting?
• How knowing your audience can help create a perfect voicemail greeting?
• How to set up business voicemail
• 50 business voicemail greeting examples 
• How do you create the perfect voicemail greeting? 

What is a good voicemail greeting for business?

A good voicemail greeting is created with a short message, oftentimes no more than a couple of sentences, in which callers are provided with the information they are most likely to need. The best voicemails seek to predict, and therefore address, the concerns of callers before they get to a physical person, in order to cut down on call times.

What to say in a voicemail greeting

It’s easy to mess up a professional voicemail greeting for business by using unoriginal phrases or by going on too long. Here’s a few things to do (and not do) when composing a message:

1. Do not begin with the “Your call is very important to us…” This overused phrase is a boring “turn off” to callers and isn’t taken sincerely.
2. Let the customer know the name, department, and position of the person whose voicemail they reached.
3. Apologize for being unavailable to take the call.
4. Invite the caller to leave a message.
5. Mention the approximate time when you’ll return the missed call. Follow through with a call back!
6. Optionally, your voicemail may include: a call to action, an alternative service phone number, a company email, a website, or social media. Some industries (e.g.medical) may find it necessary to give an emergency contact number.
7. Keep the information concise – giving too much will confuse the caller.
8. Keep things simple! While you don’t want to sound overly generic, it does not hurt to follow a script or even a template of some kind.

Why is having business voicemail messages so important?

Businesses need to present a professional tone to interested clients; if you seem amateurish or unwilling to care about the little details, it’s likely that they’ll pass you by. One of the best ways to start off on a good foot is with an appropriate voicemail script. The main reasons to have a good greeting are:

1. Coming across as a professional.
2. Being able to immediately provide information to callers.
3. Cutting down on the number of callers who actually need to speak to a person. If you write your voicemail script right, you may never need to be one of those people who go about answering a business phone.
4. Keeping callers attended to during after-hours when a receptionist isn’t available
5. Being able to mention recent successes. It’s *your* voicemail message after all- it doesn’t hurt to remind callers who *you* are!
6. Encouraging call-backs: Motivate callers to leave messages, ensuring follow-up communication.
7. Customized for seasons or events: Update greetings for holidays or special events, showing attention to detail and current engagement.

Tips for creating a business voicemail greeting

1. Write a script ahead of time – Nothing sounds worse than a business voicemail message with a bunch of pauses and “uhhhh”s that ruin customer expectations. A simple business voicemail script can help to avoid this.
2. Prepare yourself and your surroundings –  If you plan to record yourself, make your space quiet, without background noises. Test the mic, do a few takes. See what you can improve but give it a practical eye — don’t just roll your eyes at “how weird my voice sounds”.
3. Mention key facts about your business – Many business callers just want to find out things like opening hours. By including information like this on your business line, many callers won’t need to actually speak to you
4. Make it unique – Try to avoid cliched and standard phrases. They make your business communication strategy seem impersonal and uncaring.
5. Keep it (relatively) short – While you shouldn’t make your voicemail only seconds long, you shouldn’t approach a minute either. The best is to shoot for about 30 seconds
6. Listen to your business voicemail sample recording before you’re finished – Make sure you are audible and that you are not speaking too quickly or too slowly.
7. Don’t forget to update – Often we run short on time, and Christmastide tends to spill over into Eastertide. Don’t let that happen here! An outdated version of information, music, etc. can make your callers believe that your company is either negligent or has gone out of business.
8. Include a friendly sign-off – End with a warm, courteous closing that leaves a positive impression and encourages interaction, such as “Thank you for calling, we look forward to speaking with you soon.”

How knowing your audience can help create a perfect voicemail greeting

Your voicemail is like the welcome sign on the door of your business. You wouldn’t want one that wards off potential clients – you’d want something that reflects your business ideals, looks inviting and keeps a professional tone.

To give the appropriate sort of welcome to your callers, approach your voicemail message like you would bigger customer experience content: analyze your audience and goals. As each industry is special, your goal is to find the “golden ratio” of flexibility for your specific audience.

Here are several things to consider regarding your audience:

• Industry or niche: how much of a business “dress code” does your client communication involve? Remember that even in formal business areas, a polite personal touch is always welcome.
• Target audience age: are you part of an industry catering specifically to millennials, senior citizens, or perhaps Gen Z-ers? You might want to spice up/tone down your message accordingly. Read into a sample helping of messages to get a tone right for you.
• Geographical and language preferences: if your business is serving a national audience (for example, you have an online shop) it makes sense to follow the example of caring business owners nationwide who go the extra way of adding bilingual voicemail greetings. Consider English/Spanish business voicemail pairs for the U.S. and English/French for Canada.

How to set up business voicemail

Setting up a voicemail for business varies depending on the kind of phone you are using. With VoIP online numbers, a business owner or employee can usually go to their central web portal or mobile app to change the telephone greeting for the business number when setting up their voicemail for business. But for many cell phones, it works like this:

1. Go into “Settings” or tap the “Phone” icon
2. Tap voicemail, and press 1 or 0
3. Oftentimes a password will be required (you should have set one up previously). Input that.
4. Record the proper new message, and (usually) press 1 or 0 again to save it.

50 business voicemail greeting examples

Below is just a small sample of the many ways you can make it interesting for your callers to leave a message at the beep! To download any of the audio files, click on the menu (three dots) and select “Download”.

General voicemail examples

1. Hey, I’m not at the phone at the moment but rest assured I’m hard at work and willing to work with you. If you leave your name and number I will get back to you as soon as I can.

2. Greetings! You’ve reached [Name] but unfortunately I can’t pick up. Please leave your preferred contact information and I’ll respond [by certain time].

3. This is [Name]’s inbox. Thank you for your call. Alas I’m currently occupied but if you leave your name and number you will receive a call back.

4. Hey there, you’ve reached [Name]. Hope you’re having a great one. If you leave your name, bumber, and why you’re calling, I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

5. Hey this is [Name]. As you can tell I’m currently unavailable but if you leave your info I’ll respond when I can.

6. Hey I’m currently not available. Please leave your name and number at the beep and I’ll get back with you.

Small business voicemail greeting examples

7. Hello hello! [You’ve reached {Company} but] Unfortunately we can’t come to the phone right now. But thank you so much for your call! If you leave your info we’ll get back to you as soon as humanly possible.

8. Hello friend! It’s callers like you who are the lifeblood of [Small Business’ Name]. That means your needs are important to us. Leave us your name and number and they’ll be addressed as soon as we are able.

9. Hello there! It’s good to hear from you and we hope you’re having a wonderful day. We’re probably helping a client at the moment, so if you just leave your name and number at the beep we’ll be sure to get back with you.

Short voicemail greeting examples

10. This is [Name]. Please leave a message, thanks.

11. You’ve reached [Name]. Leave your name and number and I’ll get back to you.

12. This is [Name], sing your song at the beep!

Cell phone voicemail examples

13. You’ve reached [Name]’s cell. If you’re trying to reach me at work, my number is [Number]. Otherwise, leave your name and contact info and I will get back with you.

14. This is [Name’s] mobile phone. If this is a work related call, please try contacting me at [Work number]. If not, leave your information at the beep.

15. Hi [this is {Name}], thanks for the call. Please leave your name and number.

Business voicemail greetings during opening hours

16. Hey you’ve reached [Company Name]. Today we’re open [Insert Hours Here], so come on by! If you can’t manage a trip, leave your name and number and we’ll get back to you at the earliest opportunity.

17. This is [Company Name]. Thanks so much for giving us a call. Today we’ll be open until [insert closing time]. If you have a more specific question, leave us your information and we’ll get it answered.

18. Hello, [you’ve reached {Company Name}]. We’re currently open so we might be helping a customer at the moment. Drop us your name and number and we will return your call.

Voicemail greetings for after business hours

19. You’ve reached [Company Name]. We’re currently closed but will re-open tomorrow [Time of Day] at [Time]. Leave us a message and when we open up we’ll be sure to address your call.

20. Unfortunately, we [at {Company Name}] have gone home for the day. But rest assured we’ll be back and hard at work the next business day [at {Time} tomorrow or whenever the business is next open]. For pressing matters, leave a message and we will answer it first thing when we can.

21. Currently, [Company Name] is closed and will re-open at [Time]. While we cannot answer calls now, we will be sure to return them in the order they were received, so make sure to leave your name, number, and reason for calling at the beep.

Main office greetings

22. Greetings, you’ve reached the main desk [of {Company Name}]. Leave a message at the beep and be sure to include the name of the person you’re trying to reach.

23. This is the main office at [Company Name]. Unfortunately, we’re currently unable to take your call. Please leave a message with your name and number and any other key information.

24. We at [Company Name] care about your concerns. Please leave a message with any important info and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Department specific greetings

25. You’ve reached [Name] at the [Department Type] Department. Please leave a message. Thanks.

26. Hey, [Name] here in [Department Type]. Leave your name and number and I will get back with you.

27. This is the [Department Type] at [Company Name]. Please leave your name and number and one of our associates will get back with you as quickly as possible.

Greetings for specific team members

28. Hey-howdy-do! This is [Name] at [Company Name]. I’m not at my phone right now but if you leave your information and why you’re calling I’ll be sure to get back with you.

29. Hey there, [Name] at [Company Name] here. I’m unavailable to take your call, but if you leave a brief message I’ll be sure to make time for you.

30. Hi, you’ve reached [Name]. I currently can’t talk. Please leave a message at the beep and I’ll return your call.

Customer service voicemail greetings

31. Hi, you’ve reached Customer Service. Leave a message with your question, comment, or concern and we’ll get back with you ASAP.

32. This is [Name] at [Company Name]’s Customer Service. We’re currently servicing other callers but if you leave your name and number we’ll call you at the first available opportunity.

33. Thanks for calling Customer Service. All of our operators are currently busy assisting other callers. Please leave a message with your name and number, as well as the reason you’re calling. Thank you!

Out of office voicemail greeting examples

34. Hi, this is [Name]. I’m out of office until [Date or time of return]. Please leave a message with your name, number, and reason for calling, and I will get back to you as soon as I get back to work.

35. You’ve reached the voicemail of [Name]. I’m currently out of office and will not be returning until [Date or Time of return]. Please leave a message with all relevant information and I will get back with you in order of messages received when I return to work.

36. Greetings. I’m currently out of office and cannot receive calls. If this is a time-sensitive call, please dial [Alternative number here]. Otherwise, please leave a message with your name and number. Thanks and have a good one.

Business closed voicemail message

37. Hey this is [Name]. I’m not at work right now but will be back when we re-open at [Time]. If you leave a message with your question and your number, I’ll be sure to get back with you.

38. Thanks for calling [Company Name]. Unfortunately we’re currently closed but will re-open [at {Time}] tomorrow, when we’ll be able to answer your questions. To make sure we get back with you, leave your name and number.

Personal voicemail greetings

39. Hey this is [Name]. Sad to say but it seems that I can’t take your call. So leave your name and number to make sure I can call you back!

40. You’ve reached [Name]. I currently can’t answer the phone but can receive messages; why not leave one?

41. Thanks for calling. Alas I cannot respond at this given time, but be sure to leave a message to make sure I can give you a ring in the future.

Professional voicemail greetings

42. Thank you for calling [Company Name]. Our lines are currently busy or we are otherwise unavailable. Please leave your name, number, and reason for calling. Have a nice day.

43. Greetings, [this is {Company Name}, and] we are grateful for your call. Unfortunately we are otherwise occupied at the moment. Please leave us your name and number and we will return your call at the earliest possible time.

Funny voicemail examples

44. [Name of Caller] work at [Name of Company], only to find your phone message. And I’ll call back, I’ll call back, as soon as I am able! (preferably sung in the rhythm of the original song)

45. This is [Last Name.] [First Name][Last Name]. I’m unable to take your call because I’m doing secret things. Leave your number and I’ll call back when those secret things are finished.

Vocational voicemail examples

46. At a Construction firm: You’ve reached [Firm Name], where we’re hammering the competition and our prices. If you leave your name and number we’ll get back to you once we put our hammers down.

47. At a legal firm: Hey this is [Firm name], where we fight for you. Leave us your number, name, and a bit of information about why we’re calling so we can have the right associate call you back.

Holiday voicemail greetings

48. For Halloween: Our prices are so low it’s downright spooky! Come see what all the fuss is about at [Company Name], but if you can’t, leave your name and number at the BOO and we’ll get back to you.

49. For Independence Day: Happy Independence Day! Please leave a message- but make sure to speak up over the fireworks!

50. For Thanksgiving: “Turkey in the morning and turkey at night means we’re too stuffed to come to the phone right now. Leave us a message and we’ll get to you as soon as we can get up off the couch again!”

How Do You Create the Perfect Voicemail Greeting

Now obviously, all of these are just some examples – there are plenty more ways to make it interesting for your clients when they leave a message. But the important thing is that you have something, you include some basic information, and you keep it relatively short.

To benefit from the practice of voicemail messages, you need a business phone system that makes recording, tweaking, and uploading sample voicemail greeting scripts as easy as possible. Not just for you, but for your whole team.

MightyCall provides such an answer for businesses. With simple, visually-based call flows, adapting your voicemail messages for different customers and even different times of day demands no tech knowledge and no hardware.

The post 50 Best Business Voicemail Greetings (2024) first appeared on MightyCall.

So many menu options you forget which number you need, ridiculously long wait times, the same music on loop every 60 seconds, being disconnected before reaching an actual human being(!)—there’s a list of potentially maddening things to drive your callers, and your customers, away.

Yet despite this chaotic phone landscape, 88% of customers maintain that they want to talk to a live person over the phone when they have a problem or a question.

The key to filling this desire then is to have a quick and convenient phone menu. How do you do that? We help you discover below!

Navigate:

• What is a phone menu?
• What call menu aspects are the trickiest for callers?
• 10 ways to keep your menu for the phone engaging
• Use Your Phone Menu System to Engage, not Enrage Callers 

What Is a Phone Menu?

A phone menu is an automated voice service, also called IVR (Interactive Voice Response). It is used to route calls to the appropriate person, department, or office branch and can also be used to provide information. Any person who has called a business and heard “Press 1 for X, Press 2 for Y” has encountered the phone menu (and, being honest, has been frustrated by it on more than one occasion).

What Call Menu Aspects Are the Trickiest for Callers?

In 2019, Vonage conducted a deep report with a spooky name: “The horrors of IVR: five key issues” where people shared the things they hate most about automated menus. Though this may sound like awful news for a business, in fact knowing what “not to do” is the best way to do something well.

According to the above report, here’s what irks callers most about phone menus: 

• The caller’s reason for inquiry is not among the call menu options (65% of complaints)
• Listening to irrelevant menu options (63% of complaints)
• Can’t get through to a live operator (54% of complaints)
• The phone menu is too long (46% of complaints)
• It wastes their time (35% of complaints)

Sending callers to voicemail isn’t a viable solution, either. According to Forbes, 80% of callers who end up at a voicemail don’t leave a message. Why? Well, younger generations prefer messaging, while others skip them because they doubt they’ll ever get a callback.

10 Ways to Create an Engaging Menu for the Phone

So, what can we learn from the above statistics, that may sound kind of frustrating? Actually, a lot. Here’s a simple checklist to ensure your automated phone menu system is working to aid, and not annoy, your callers.

1. Keep your phone menu system simple

Don’t make callers listen to a long recording with tons of options, such as “Press one for this department, Press two for that department,” and so on. Keep it simple—you should never make a caller listen to six or more voice menu options.

2. Give callers an easy way to connect to an operator

Want to really stand out? Make speaking to a live operator the first option on your phone menu. That’s what most people want anyway, so even if giving them that option right away might make your call center agents or employees busier, it’s also bound to make your customers happier.

3. Use caller ID to route callers intelligently

Caller ID lets your phone system recognize who’s calling. This means you can separate existing customers and unknown callers into different call menus to maximize service. For example, you give existing customers the chance to speak to the account manager they’ve talked to previously, while new callers are directed to the main phone menu.

4. Make your phone menu sound professional

Larger companies sometimes hire professional voiceover artists to record their outbound greeting and phone menu options. Smaller companies should find someone within the company who has a soothing, professional-sounding voice. Using both a man and woman will spice things up, too. Perhaps the female voice is heard first when someone calls and the male voice comes in after making the first menu selection, or vice versa. By mixing it up, you’ll keep callers interested and engaged.

5. Some tips for a successful, professional-sounding phone menu:

Match your tone and your jargon to your brand. If your company imports and sells British goods, have someone with a British accent record your phone greeting and menu options. If you sell surfboards, sound like a surfer and say ‘dude’ a lot.

• Be friendly, relaxed, and authentic.
• Speak in a soothing tone.
• Eliminate background noise.
• If necessary, write a script and practice it.

For more, see the 50 Best Business Voicemail Greetings.

6. Be a little different

Most of us hear the usual “Press one for this, Press two for that” drill too often. If there is a way you can make your phone menu a little more creative, especially to match your brand, do it. For example, you could consider using a touch of humor or irony (if it fits your brand, is actually funny, and in no way causes callers to spend more time listening to your recordings and menus). Be careful here though, uniqueness is a double-edged sword. It can help your branding if done right, but it could also turn customers away if mishandled.

7. Regularly analyze caller behavior and adjust your phone menu accordingly

Just as Google Analytics can help you improve the effectiveness of your website, your business phone system’s analytics can help you better understand which menu options callers chose most frequently, among other things. With that information, you can update your phone menu to improve the call experience. For example, if you learn that a majority of callers press option four to speak with someone in customer support, then consider making that the first option.

8. Know how you will measure your phone menu’s success

What is the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for your phone menu? Is it to reduce operating costs or to increase sales? Determine what your top business goals are for your phone menu and then use your analytics to measure how well you are (or aren’t) meeting those goals.

9. Alert customers to important updates

If you’re a service company and there’s currently an outage in your service, update your phone menu to let callers know upfront. Tell them you’re aware of the outage and are working to resolve it, then give them the option to speak to an agent. This is a good idea for any important updates or info you have.

10. Know your audience

When creating your automated phone menu, you need to know who the majority of callers will be. ‘Who are my customers?’ is the most important question you’ll ever answer as a businessman. After you know your audience, you need to ask yourself ‘What do they typically want when they call?’If you design your phone menu with these questions in mind, you’re more likely to give your callers the best experience possible.

Use Your Phone Menu System to Engage, not Enrage Callers

Remember this: keeping an existing client is significantly easier and cheaper than attracting new ones. As previously mentioned, callers generally don’t trust voicemails to be returned, and voicemail itself is a huge productivity drain for workers. In fact, some major companies like Coca-Cola and JP Morgan & Chase have all but eliminated landline voicemail boxes for their employees.

With every lost call, you lose a potential customer. Don’t risk that. Build your phone menu following the advice above to route calls quickly, painlessly, and intelligently to your employees so callers don’t have a reason to be aggravated. At a time when customers are increasingly demanding better service, your phone menu has never been more important.

The post Automated Phone Menus Are a Good Tool for Any Business to Have, but They’re Tricky to Get Right first appeared on MightyCall.

Business voicemail greetings and music on hold are like those holiday lights. In an instant, they can turn a bored caller into a smiling customer, illumine someone’s day, and share more about your business mission statement than a ton of words.

At MightyCall, we’ve already supplemented our holiday music library with new holiday voicemail greetings and music on hold that you can add to your business phone right now.

As for personalized holiday voicemail greetings, take a look below for amazing and fun ideas from small business owners across the world!

1. Instrumental Jazz Classics

Daniel Foley

Founder, Daniel Foley 

“I have been using the phone a lot more recently, so I decided to set up an on-hold tone. I decided to use some old school instrumental covers of the classic Christmas songs, so people can recognise them without [someone] shouting carols down the phone at them and it being too much. It is relaxed and calm.”

How to adapt to your business

If you feel like you’ve got a lifetime’s share of carols in the shops and malls, playing a nice instrumental classic as your holiday on-hold message is a polite and classy way to wish your callers happy holidays. The nicest time spent on hold is the one that makes callers forget they’re “on hold”, so adding a touch of sweet nostalgia may be just the right option to freeze time for your audience.

2. Holiday cheer from all the employees via Zoom record

Ethan Taub

CEO, Loanry 

“We always do holiday and seasonal voicemails for our customers and colleagues, to help them be in the festive cheer. With this year being different, we have had a rendition of Jingle Bells recorded over Zoom being used. It was very fun and we hope that we can continue these into the new year.”

“The customers love it, and it says it helps to feel happy before they speak to one of us. Our colleagues want to do one now too, so I expect more voicemails like ours next year!’

How to adapt to your business

Want to combine a great team-building activity with something special for your callers and customers? Record a joint carol via Zoom! It doesn’t have to be Jingle Bells, but should be a popular song you’re all familiar with! The recording process will be unforgettable and your customers will love the off-camera family spirit. Make sure to mention that it’s a special greeting from your team!

3. Special offer or holiday discount

Dan Bailey

President, WikiLawn Los Angeles Lawn Care

“Wishing you a very happy holiday from the entire WikiLawn family! We know you don’t want to sit through another canned holiday message, so as a treat for making it through this one, we’d like to give you 20% off your next order. Use the code holiday greetings at checkout, and in the meantime, please wait for an associate to assist you.”

“Basically we wanted to do something fun that would give us a way to give back. We were planning on doing this sale anyway, so making it more apparent in a hold message has worked out well for us.”

How to adapt to your business

Sharing a promo is one of the coolest business ideas for holiday voicemail greetings and on-hold messages. If your business can afford it, offering a special discount or promo just for waiting makes the offer twice as irresistible. First of all, callers aren’t likely to hang up — your bounce rates will improve drastically. Secondly, having been surprised so nicely, they will most likely spread the message to their family or friends. As in, “Did you hear about the cool discount x has going on?”. As a result, you get happy customers, returning customers, and free word of mouth. What goes round, comes round!

4. Holiday jokes or fun poems

James Dyble

Managing director, Global Sound Group

“If you have a brand which is light-hearted, why not include a load of festive jokes which will make the listener laugh while they wait as opposed to some boring jingle? It is all about thinking outside of the box.”

“Holiday voicemails and greetings are a great way to stand out from the crowd. It is often the case that many greetings are generic, thus creating no long-lasting impression for the business in question.”

How to adapt to your business

We don’t suggest reciting the whole of “‘Twas the night before Christmas” to your callers (though there may be an eager audience for that, too!) but if you’re out of ideas for business voicemail greetings for the holidays, a short, fun poem should do the job. (Just google “short holiday poems” for ideas.) All you have to do is record yourself (or your kids, which is always super cute) reciting a holiday poem or greeting in verse like this one —  *feel free to shorten*.

That time of year’s come ’round again,
So we wish you all the best.
The joy that comes from knowing you
Makes us feel that we’ve been blessed.
So we’ll share with you our feelings
At this special time of year:
May your holidays be a delight,
Filled with happiness and cheer.
Happy Holidays!

By Karl and Joanna Fuchs

5. Personal karaoke rendition of a popular song

Emily Deaton

Financial Journalist, LetMeBank 

“I like to have fun with my voicemail with my colleagues so I decided to up the ante this year. For my holiday voicemail, I recorded the first 30 seconds of the popular Mariah Carey song, “All I want for Christmas is You” with my talented (?) voice on top of it. It’s fun and helps to boost my spirits.”

“When people do get round to recording their voicemail, they are roaring with laughter, so they end up sending another after to make up for time. I’m glad I can make people smile with my brilliant skills.”

How to adapt to your business

Are you the only one on your team with a flair for singing or dormant music skills? If so  — or you’re a solopreneur, or your team is just shy —  how about a karaoke rendition of your favorite holiday song? For this one though, make sure you’ve got a good ear and a tasteful approach. (No bashing and smashing, please!)

6. Tidings of peace and joy from your family to theirs

Robert Johnson

Founder, Sawinery

“Hello! It’s my favorite time of the year! Which one should I first eat, the cookies my wife baked or the turkey I made? Oh, I’m sorry my hands are full to answer this call. How about you? Talk soon when this happy Holidays end!”

“I want to relay a message that I am spending a great time with my loved ones and not with papers or laptop screens, of course in a humorous manner. It’s also my way of tapping the callers that they should have too because it’s a once in year celebration in a life that is so short to be facing monitors instead of your family.”

How to adapt to your business

Not into singing or poetry? That’s perfectly fine. A warm, mindful holiday voicemail message is just as perfect for business. Your message doesn’t need to be long. Make this one just 2-4 sentences long, but personalize to fit your audience. Whether you make it fun and light or more family-oriented and uplifting is completely up to you. Just give those couple of sentences from your heart, and your callers will appreciate the warmth!

7. Simple and professional

Danny Pollack

CEO, Bespoke Extracts

“Thank you for calling Bespoke Extracts. All of our staff are currently unavailable in observation of the holiday season. If this is an urgent matter, please email [insert email], but please refrain from doing so if it’s not. We appreciate you reaching out to us and wish you a happy holiday season!”

How to adapt to your business

Not every business will find fun on-hold music, carols, or even personalized greetings appropriate for their audience. If that’s your industry, or you’re not into all the holiday stuff, you should still record a voicemail greeting for the holidays. In such cases, just stay on the informative and professional side. Don’t forget to give a number or email for emergency contact and wish your callers happy holidays.

8. Special strokes for special folks

Cindy Corpis
CEO, SearchPeopleFree.net

“May your holidays be blessed with the warmth and love of your family and friends. A valuable client of ours is known as a friend. Thank you for the great business we did together, and Merry Christmas!”

“This is a particular holiday greeting message, which showcases your genuine concern about your clients, and also demonstrates that you value their business. Customers were elated to receive this message as I showcased my immense gratitude with this seasonal message. The best wishes and a word of appreciation went a long way in allowing my customers to identify that I am similarly appreciated while doing business with them. These made the most significant impact on my business, and I was able to boost my revenue.”

How to adapt to your business

Since not all of your callers are clients, try uploading this special greeting only for clients, or your VIP callers! The ability to record personalized voicemail greetings for special callers is part of MightyCall’s VIP call routing feature and is available for all MightyCall’s customers.

9. Helpful and trustworthy

Sean Kelly
Co-Founder, BookRetreats.com

“Thank you for contacting us at Bookretreats. It is Christmas time and our team is off duty on 24th December and 25th December. You can contact us again on 26th December from 9 AM – 5 PM. For emergency cases please call the following number …. or email us at …  Merry Christmas from our entire team!”

“As the first direct communication message, delivered to clients or prospects; I think it has met the 3 requirements: solid, professional, and trustworthy. Last year I used an equivalent voicemail, they seemed to love it. That’s why I continue to use the holiday message I’ve mentioned.”

How to adapt to your business

Whether you’re a local or international business, customers are always happy to be provided with concrete information. This message is so versatile, it needs no adaptation and is ready to work for you right out of the box. Just fill in the blanks with your business information. If you own an international business, you can also modify the dates and holidays accordingly.

10. Global holiday classic

Nick Chernets
CEO of Data for SEO

We chose to use an instrumental version of Jingle Bell Rock. This is a famous tune that everyone loves and it’s very cheerful. The reason we chose instrumental is the fact that we work with international clients. We figured this was the best choice since people recognize the song, yet we didn’t have to choose one language.

“So far, our clients loved it and they mention it being very different from typical on-hold tunes that are relaxing and slow. As the holidays approach, everyone is more in a mood for something cheerful.”

How to adapt to your business

If U.S. businesses have their share of jingle rolling from every loudspeaker, international businesses may definitely try an instrumental holiday classic as their on-hold music this holiday season. With an instrumental version of a carol or holiday classic, your international clients can hum to the song in their own native language. And they’ll thank you for the extra cheer. Just remember to keep your music on hold   royalty-free or record a personal version.

Summary:

• Play an instrumental holiday classic as your holiday on-hold music. MightyCall has already added new holiday music to our built-in music on hold gallery, or you can download a royalty-free recording online.
• Record a team-sung carol via Zoom as your holiday on-hold music, or if you’re into singing, a personal karaoke version of a holiday classic.
• Write a few words from your family. Make it sincere and warm.
• Give a special discount or promo code/word to your callers while they wait on the line, so they can use it to get % off your products/services
• Recite a holiday poem as your on-hold message or voicemail intro. If possible, have your kids recite it for extra sweet vibes.
• Use only royalty-free music as your on-hold music. Playing a regularly-downloaded or bought song that’s not labeled as “royalty-free” is considered a violation of copyright law.
• Whatever option you choose, remember to add relevant information about your business such as: holiday working hours, emergency contact, holiday greeting.

Discover more

Have you picked your favorite holiday voicemail greeting or on-hold music yet?

If that’s a yes, save and complement this guide with these 6 tips to make your callers hold the line.

And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ll help your team talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything, with some stunning holiday deals going on now!

The post 10 Holiday Voicemail Greetings and Music on Hold Ideas for Your Business first appeared on MightyCall.

If you’re a business, boredom is an awful way to start off the conversation with potential customers. Since the attention span of a human being fluctuates around 8-10 seconds, filling them up with a standard voicemail greeting is the worst idea you can have.

How can you avoid boring, generic messages and opt for creative, funny voicemail greetings? Let’s find out!

In this post:

• How do I personalize my voicemail?
• What is the best voicemail greeting?
• 20 creative and funny voicemail greetings to try today (listen+download )
• What you need to record creative voicemail greetings. 

How do I personalize my voicemail?

Ok, it’s a joke! But many customers still get the feeling that they’re kind of being neglected when your phone goes straight to voicemail.

To avoid those negative vibes, you can use voicemail personalization. And to personalize your voicemail, you need to know your audience and industry. If you’re a business, speak the language of your prospective customers. Creative and funny voicemail greetings can be perfect for businesses in e-commerce, home and gardening, lifestyle products, and niche businesses.

Here’s an example of creative and funny voicemail personalization from a home improvement business:

“Hello! You’ve reached Jeff and ESP painting. Please leave your name, number, and favorite color and I will call you back soon! Thank you!”

Simple and great, right? So thought this business’s customers – and began connecting to him right away (with most responding to his question!) Sometimes a simple smile can be enough to get a customer to connect to your creative and human side and decide that your business is just what they were looking for!

What is the best voicemail greeting?

The best voicemail greeting is one that is engaging without losing professionalism. It provides relevant information and is updated every few months.

Seasonal voicemail greetings are a simple creative idea for many businesses. They add a personal, caring touch and are really easy to do.

Need some inspiration? Here are terrific Holiday voicemail greetings, Thanksgiving greetings, and even Halloween voicemail greetings tried and tested by other entrepreneurs.

By the way,  if you’re someone with a problem like in the above meme, check out Voicemail to Text. You’ll never have to hear another voicemail again, we promise.

20 Creative and Funny Voicemail Greetings to Try Today

• Hello. I’m available right now but cannot find the phone. Please leave a message and I will call you up as soon as I find it.
• Hi, this is [your name]. If you’re part of the problem, hang up now. If you’re part of the solution, leave a message.
• Hi. I’m probably home. I’m just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it’s you.
• Hello, you have reached the number you have dialed. Please leave a message after the beep.
• Hi, this is [your name]. I’m sorry, I can’t answer the phone right now. Leave a message, and then wait by your phone until I call you back.
• Hello, this is [your name]. I’m not home right now, but I can take a message. Hang on a second while I get a pencil. (Open a drawer and shuffle stuff around.) Okay, what would you like me to tell me?
• This is you-know who. We are you-know-where. Leave your you-know-what you-know-when.
• Please repeat the secret code and if you get it right, I will call you back!
• Hello. I’m not here right now, so leave a message! Make it short, make it sweet, or I’ll have to press delete.
• [Your name’s] voicemail is broken. This is his refrigerator. Please speak very slowly, and I’ll stick your message to myself with one of these magnets.
• You know what I hate about voicemail messages? They go on and on, wasting your time. I mean, all they really need to say is, “We aren’t in, leave a message.” That’s why I’ve decided to keep mine simple and short. I pledge to you, my caller, that you will never have to suffer through another long answering machine message when you call me.
• I can’t come to the phone now because I have amnesia and I feel stupid talking to people I don’t remember. I’d appreciate it if you could help me out by leaving my name and telling me something about myself. Thank you!
• Hi, I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the phone but if you hop 3 times, spin around, touch your nose and say your name, then leave me a message after the beep, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
• In an attempt to crack down on spam and nearly-sentient robots, please provide the captcha below to confirm you are a human before being allowed to access [your name]’s voicemail.
• Hey, it’s [your name]. I’m trying to spice up my voicemail, so if you’re going to leave a message, please make it rhyme.
• Hello. You are talking to a machine. I am capable of receiving messages. My owners do not need siding, windows, or a hot tub, and their carpets are clean. They give to charity through the office and don’t need their picture taken. If you’re still with me, leave your name and number and they will get back to you.
• Voicemail. Speak.
• Hi. Now you say something.
• You know the drill.
• This classic from Taken (minus the violence) “I don’t know who you are. I don’t know what you want. If you are looking for ransom I can tell you I don’t have money, but what I do have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you leave me a voicemail now that’ll be the end of it. I will not look for you, I will not pursue you, but if you don’t, I will look for you, I will find you and I will call you.”
• This George Costanza-approved screening technique (adjusted for yourself, of course):

Listen to more creative and funny voicemail greetings

1. I can’t come to the phone now because I have amnesia and I feel stupid talking to people I don’t remember. I’d appreciate it if you could help me out by leaving my name and telling me something about myself. Thanks!
   Download
2. Hi, I’m sorry I couldn’t come to the phone but if you hop 3 times, spin around, touch your nose and say your name, then leave me a message after the beep, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
   Download
3. Voicemail. Speak.
   Download
4. You know what I hate about voicemail messages? They go on and on, wasting your time. I mean, all they really need to say is, “We aren’t in, leave a message.” That’s why I’ve decided to keep mine simple and short. I pledge to you, my caller, that you will never have to suffer through another long answering machine message when you call me.
   Download
5. Hello. I’m available right now but cannot find the phone. Please leave a message and I will call you up as soon as I find it.
   Download
6. Please leave a message. However, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say will be recorded and will be used by me.
   Download
7. Hi. I’m probably home. I’m just avoiding someone I don’t like. Leave me a message, and if I don’t call back, it’s you.
   Download
8. Hi, this is [your name]. If you’re part of the problem, hang up now. If you’re part of the solution, leave a message.
   Download
9. Hello, you have reached the number you have dialed. Please leave a message after the beep.
   Download
10. This is you-know who. We are you-know-where. Leave your you-know-what you-know-when.
    Download
11. Hello. I’m not here right now, so leave a message! Make it short, make it sweet, or I’ll have to press delete.
    Download
12. Hi. Now you say something.
    Download
13. You know the drill.
    Download

What you need to record creative and funny voicemail greetings

Creative voicemail greetings are a terrific engagement and personalization tool for business. But to make them work, you need a business phone system that makes recording, tweaking, and uploading voicemail greetings simple.

MightyCall provides such an answer for businesses. With simple, visually-based call flows, adapting your voicemail messages for different seasons, customers, and even different times of day demands no tech knowledge and no hardware.

Creative, engaging voicemail messages may look like a small detail in your overall business image. In fact, they’re the difference between your caller becoming a customer, and a caller permanently hanging up on your business.

The post 20 Creative and Funny Voicemail Greetings first appeared on MightyCall.

So how do you keep that balance between professional and creative, spooky but fun, and make sure your Halloween voicemail greetings stay respectful for your audience?

We asked professionals from various industries to share their favorite tried and tested Halloween voicemail greetings and the impressions their business had from using them.

Here’s how to adapt these Halloween voice greetings to your own business or use them as a jumpstart for personal creativity.

1. Tried and tested by James Pearson

CEO and Small Business Evangelist, eVenturing Enterprises

“Thank you for calling Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We can’t come to the fellytone right now, but we exactly know what you need. We are casting a Patronus charm after this call to bring a messenger right to your doorstep, just please leave your name and number. Happy Halloween!”

Backstage story

“Last year, we have come up with a Harry Potter-inspired voicemail concept. In the movie, Patronus spell is one way of sending a message from wizard to another wizard through a spirit guardian. Since my daily business transaction goes with entrepreneurs and business owners like me, we’ve come up with this idea of manifesting ourselves as Harry’s crew.

“This voicemail made a funny and remarkable impression on our clients, especially for Potterheads like us. Anyway, Halloween is all about fun and creativity, and it comes in many ways. So might as well do something for your business that people will surely remember.”

How to adapt to your business

Do you have a favorite magical hero or story (think Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, the Wizard of Oz, etc.)? Take a page out of your favorite story — quite literally — and adapt your voicemail greeting as in James’ example above. The result will sound magical, fun, and professional.

2. Tried and tested by Dennis Bell

Founder, CEO, Byblos Coffee

“Hello, you have reached the 6th sense analytics. I know who you are and why you’ve called, so at the sound of your tone, say your word, and hang up the phone immediately.”

Backstage story

“[Halloween voicemail greetings are] a fun idea to use in my business as it’s relevant to me as an IT expert. Callers were like, ‘okay, I got to leave a message and hang up right now!’ Their messages were so funny that they also leave their messages the same way.

“My clients had shared their experiences on social media and tagged my business in it. It’s amazing how I got more followers because of that. I was able to build my brand and engage my customers too. I do that to have a twist than the standard voicemail, and it really did make a difference.”

How to adapt to your business

Find a theme that resonates with your industry and do some fun things with it. Metaphors and associations work best with Halloween voicemail greetings. You can see above how “6th sense analytics” worked perfectly for an IT company specializing in analytics but tweak accordingly for your business. For example,  an online pet shop owner can be momentarily out due to a storm of black cats/bats while a bookshop can be stocking up on magic scrolls and spells.

3. Tried and tested by Mason Culligan

Founder and CEO, Mattress Battle Inc.

During a call, put the caller on hold for a minute. For your on-hold greeting, record a spooky voice whispering, “I’m right behind you!” Enjoy callers’ reactions when you get back on the line!

Backstage story

“I called a client of mine, and when we’re talking, he puts me on hold for a minute. Then, I heard a creepy sound of a guy that whispers  – ‘I’m right behind you’. It gives me chills as I automatically look behind me, only to find nothing. I thought someone was watching me from behind. When my client got back, I told him that his on-hold message creeps me out. He apologized, and he confessed that he put me on hold for that reason!

“I had done this to my business too, and my callers’ reaction was the same as what I reacted. They didn’t put the phone down even if they find it weird and creepy! They waited for me to come back in line and check what is that voice all about. It was fun as I get almost all the reactions that I wanted for them to feel.”

How to adapt

If you’re willing to risk to spook your customers out a bit, you can tweak your on-hold message to Halloween-themed. This may not be right for every industry, so keep it short and more on the spooky than the creepy side. Plus, be sure to monitor your customers’ reactions along the way.

4. Tried and teste by Rebecca Adams

Co-Founder, My Alchemy Skin Care

We’re crazy and we’re spooky

Mysterious and kooky

Please leave your name and number

For the Adams Family.

 

After the beep

(snap snap)

You can speak

(snap snap)

da da da da!

da da da da!

da da da da!

(snap snap)

Backstage story

“I recorded a singing Halloween message on my home phone and my piano business line before retiring from teaching. I used a keyboard with an organ sound to accompany. Being the mom in the Adams Family, I just couldn’t resist. My Adams Family message got a lot of laughs from everyone who called. It wasn’t unusual for parents and students to call back several times just to hear the message. We had a lot of fun with it.”

How to adapt to your business

Are you the owner of a “special” name/last name (think magic/spooky movie characters, book characters, cartoon and comics heroes)? Apply it to your Halloween-themed business voicemail greetings — even if you do something less fancy than the Adams family above, just a simple pun will put a smile on your callers’ faces.

5. Tried and testes by Paul Lewis

CEO/Founder, Scrum Explainer

“We’re out digging up customers for the business. Leave a message at the howl.”

Backstage story

“My customers loved it. The moment we gave them a return call, most of them asked – “How’s the digging going?” Then a lot of laughing happens. It makes the bonds and personal connections grow stronger. And the best part is, it gave hype and a good impression to the new customers saying that it’s the first time they heard such spooky and funny Halloween voicemail greetings.

“Business voicemail is one of the prime ways of connecting to your customers. This will do wonders in carving an impeccable impression on them especially when you’re not available to take the call. And tweaking it during holidays will make it more appealing while bringing the holiday spirit as well.”

How to adapt to your business

A Halloween voicemail greeting that says you’re out digging up a grave is kind of …too much. You don’t want to creep people out or worse, inadvertently hurt someone’s feelings. So instead of going for creepy, go for just a bit spooky. A great idea is to use a simple play of words around “hunting for customers”.

6. Tried and tested by Israel Gaudette

Founder, Link Tracker Pro

“This is a very scary place, leave your name and phone number after the scream and we’ll haunt you with a return call.” – with a dog howling before and after the message plus a lot of screams in the background.

Backstage story

This spooky greeting had my voicemail overflowing with messages. It contains a mix of business-related, funny reactions and even blank messages. And when I made several return calls, I found out that those blank ones are made by my loyal customers just having fun listening to the voicemail greeting.

“Voicemail is the first point of contact for every potential customer for your business. Whether or not it will leave a good first impression depends on the content and tone of your voicemail greetings. Always remember that a good voicemail does not depend only on what you say but also on how you say it. Make sure to put a personal touch on it, and you’ll be off to a good start.”

How to adapt to your business

If you’d like to spice up your business voicemail greetings but don’t know how to start, doing something simple can already make you stand out. Remember it’s not so much about what you say as how you say it!

Key takeaways for recording custom Halloween voicemail greetings for your business

• Use your favorite book, movie, or song as inspiration for Halloween voicemail greetings!
• Stay close to your industry and think of a theme that resonates with it. For example, if you’re an educational organization for kids, think of a magic cartoon/show that kids love.
• Go for magic (slightly spooky is fine) over creepy. No one wants to be scared out of their wits by your business phone or think you’re some kind of creep. Keep it magic and fun, and you’ll always be in good taste.
• Relax and be creative. If you don’t feel like doing a whole lot, just using music can be a great way to add a bit of seasonal spirit to your business voicemail or on-hold message. Record a slightly tweaked Halloween voicemail/on-hold message (a few “magic” words should be enough) over a Halloween soundtrack or song, and your callers will be sure to never hang up without a voicemail.

Discover more

Have you picked your favorite Halloween voicemail greeting yet?

If that’s a yes, save and complement this post with a fantastic guide to crafting perfect business voicemail greetings for every occasion.

And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ve got some spooky good deals going on right now!

Take a look below or learn more about how VoIP works!

The post 6 Spooktacular Halloween Voicemail Greetings for Your Business  first appeared on MightyCall.

Sure! But don’t forget — it’s the “little things” that create emotional rapport.  And it’s the way a business builds emotional rapport, including something as “small” as the voicemail greetings on your business phone line, that inspires customers to connect in big ways.

Thanksgiving is a perfect time to personalize your voicemail greetings because voicemail is often the first point of contact you have with customers. Remember that as a business, you can make call waiting anything from a generic or frustrating, to fun and proactive experience.

Personalizing your Thanksgiving voicemail greetings takes just a few minutes but goes a long way! If you aren’t sure how to start, just use these examples, recommended by small business owners just like you.

1.

Recommended by

Lucas Robinson,

CMO, Crediful

This year, our thanksgiving voicemail will feature all of us singing Amazing Grace, while thanking the person for waiting for the call.

Background story:

We have just completed our Halloween voicemail and we are planning to record our thanksgiving voicemail this week. We love personalizing our voicemail machine as a lot of people hear it throughout the day as phone lines get busy with other calls. Our clients love it, and they say it helps them to feel calm once they have been waiting on the phone.”

How to adapt to your business:

Do you have a favorite song that’s about gratitude and sending back positive vibes? How about playing it for your Thanksgiving voicemail greetings this year? If you’re into karaoke, you can record that yourself – adding an extra special touch. Otherwise, use a stock music file of your fave gratitude song.

2.

Recommended by:

Ethan Taub

CEO, Goalry 

We like to have a thanksgiving voicemail greeting for our phones, as it helps people get into the festivities, without even actually talking to someone. Our Thanksgiving voice message usually entails a holiday poem relating to the time of year, as well as a thank you for waiting.

Background story:

“We have done this for a couple of years and are still planning to do it this year. I think it gives your company that personal touch that people are looking for, clients love to hear from the employees personally and hearing a friendly voice is something that a lot of people admire during this time of year.”

How to adapt to your business:

Thanksgiving Day poems are a great way to personalize your business voicemail greetings to thanksgiving day without breaking your head. Just google “Thanksgiving Day poems” and find the best fit for your audience. We’d say short and sweet wins the day.

3.

Recommended by:

Dennis Bell

Founder, CEO, Byblos Coffee

Every holiday, we customize our voicemail for relevance to the theme and season. This Thanksgiving, the message is this: “Thank you for calling. We are currently closed in observance of Thanksgiving. We’re unable to attend your call today, but we promise to get back to you if you would kindly leave your name and contact details on record. We also wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and we apologize for any inconvenience caused.”

Background story:

Using seasonal voicemails is an effective way to make your callers happy. It’s more personal and will give your customers relevant information about why they’re in your voicemail. Upon leaving their messages, [my callers] wished me the same on Thanksgiving, too. They say they appreciate that I have a voicemail so they can leave any important messages for me. Hearing their voices, I can sense they are happy that they’re able to connect to me through it.

How to adapt to your business:

If you’re a local business that will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving Day, an appropriate voice greeting is absolutely necessary to notify your customers. A good idea is to notify your callers a week in advance of any holiday changes in working hours. Voicemail greetings are a great way to do this, because they can discreetly notify your callers of any changes due to holidays in advance.

4.

Recommended by:

Dan Bailey

President, WikiLawn

Last year we had a voicemail message that was recorded by my son. We recorded him wishing our customers a Happy Thanksgiving and saying when we’d all be back in the office. Then he, unprompted, decided to make turkey noises at the end of it. We obviously kept that in!

Background story:

“I did it on a whim after asking [my son]  if he wanted to …and talking to my wife about whether or not having his voice on a recording was a good idea. We agreed that if it was just being used for this and he wanted to do it, there was no harm. We had several customers contact us later saying how adorable it was.”

How to adapt to your business:

Actors say that you can’t outplay kids and pets. If you have a family-friendly business, adding your kids’ voices to your seasonal business greetings is incredibly cute. The simplest thanksgiving voice greeting recorded by a pre-schooler is sure to bring many smiles to your callers. And smiles are always good for business.

5.

Recommended by:

Rex Freiberger

Co-CEO, Gadget Review

In our Thanksgiving voicemail greetings, we wish everyone a happy holiday, hoping they’re able to take time to give thanks, and then letting them know crucial information about our business like our holiday hours.

Background story:

We haven’t recorded a Thanksgiving voicemail before, but we’d like to do one this year. We were actually just discussing it last week. The idea behind it is that this year has been so crazy and human connection feels at an all-time low, so having that element of human contact on our voicemail message could help our customers see us as real people. If this works out we’ll likely use customized voicemails in the future, too.

How to adapt to your business:

If you don’t have the time to do record special Thanksgiving voice greetings or your business is on the formal side, go for simplicity and professionalism. Something as simple as remembering the occasion with a “Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours” and notifying your callers of any holiday business hours changes is a great way to start.

Final word

Whether it’s “Turkey Day” and food, football, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday, deep down, Thanksgiving Day is still about gratitude. Gratitude to our family and the abundance at our tables, a moment to pause, a moment to give back the gratitude.

This Thanksgiving Day, in light of circumstances that show us how much the human touch is welcome, let’s also give back to those who make it possible for a business to operate and create that abundance: our customers.

Because gratitude is the small seed that grows a big harvest in people’s hearts.

Have you picked your favorite Thanksgiving voicemail greeting yet?

The post 5 Thanksgiving Voicemail Greetings for Business first appeared on MightyCall.

Though the basics — such as polite language, smiles, and a calm attitude — are the raw part of telephone etiquette in customer service, there’s a lot more to a positive calling experience. Today, we’ll be exploring some game-changing aspects like the impression your business makes before you even pick up the phone to answer a call, methods for active listening, the technology that ensures your business gets the best reputation in town, and more.

Looking at proper telephone etiquette from several angles will help your team navigate the world of business communication with deeper peace of mind, greater resilience, and a growing bunch of smiling clients.

Navigate:

• Phone etiquette before you pick up the telephone
• Preparing your mobile phone for talking business from home
• Phone scripts: dos and don’ts
• Taking notes during important calls
• Being kind is your responsibility
• Delegating follow up tasks with digital tools

1. Telephone etiquette starts before you pick up the phone

Everyone who’s on the business end of the phone deals with a fair amount of incoming calls: callers ask about hours, services, pricing, stock, issues, you name it. And to make handling those calls easier, you’ve probably got a business phone system in place with auto greetings or a voice menu.

Unfortunately, all-purpose voice greetings do little to improve on phone etiquette. If your automated messages are generic (“Hi, and thanks for calling”) or long-winded (“Press 10 for order information or stay on the line”), you’ve got a problem with phone etiquette even though you haven’t said a word yet. And that problem is costing your business thousands of lost leads per year.

How personal are your automated greetings?

Step outside your shoes for a moment and imagine you’re a customer. Now, have a detailed listen of your current greetings, voicemail, and voice menu (if applicable). As you listen, ask yourself these questions:

• Do these messages reflect my company, or can they be just as well applied to X down the street?
• Do I have a voice menu? Is it professional, informative, and brief?
• How many seconds does it take to speak to a human?
• If I could make one guess about this company just from its voice greetings, what adjective would I use? (e.g. fun, creative, intelligent, professional, etc.) If the answer is an adjective that’s definitely “not you” or plain “none”, something’s got to change.

Given some personalized attention to, voicemail, greetings, and auto-attendants can transform into a powerful lead-generating tool for your business. Need help? Here’s how to create business voice greetings for impeccable phone etiquette.

2. Prepare your mobile phone for talking business from home

With so many businesses unexpectedly working from home in the midst of the pandemic and its aftermath, routing business calls to mobile phones has become essential. Many phone companies, like MightyCall, allow you to port in an existing business number, so you can keep your number but make and receive business calls on any mobile device like a smartphone, iPad, tablet, or laptop.

In the absence of office phones, this is super convenient, but it also means it’s also vital to differentiate between business calls and regular calls on personal devices. Sure, you’ve got your clients’ contacts saved, but what about new contacts and leads? How do you know if it’s a potential client calling, a new friend or date, or perhaps, an annoying robocall?

Caller ID

A simple way to be prepared for every call is having a business phone system with Caller ID in place. Nope, this isn’t the regular caller ID you’re used to seeing. This is a very special feature that makes it plain whether that caller is dialing your business phone number that routes to your cell phone, or your cell number (the one on your SIM card). This information lets you respond to the call accordingly (e.g. official tone, down to earth, or just skip the call altogether)

This is how Caller ID from MightyCall looks like:

3. Personalized phone scripts: dos and don’ts

Calling a lead/customer or answering an incoming business call, you should sound confident, polite, and respectful of the other person’s time. To facilitate this, many customer service phone scripts are readily available online, promising a novice to become a customer service pro in no time. Problematically though, these scripts are filled with standardized phrases bound to act as a hang-up trigger to real customers.

That said, we’ve got nothing against personalized phone call scripts, especially if you’re new to making customer calls or are feeling nervous otherwise. It’s absolutely OK to jot down a custom call script before making that important call, as long as each one is made for the person and occasion — not copied from the internet!

Here are several phone etiquette rules to remember when jotting down a script.

Dos of phone etiquette

• State purpose of call — to avoid being taken for spam, state the purpose of your call within the first few seconds, right after the greeting and business name.
• Ask questions — whether you’re calling to notify about service changes, gathering feedback, or taking to an incoming call, questions create rapport and a human connection between you and the caller.
• Get confirmation — always confirm important details of the call by restating them and asking if that is correct, or if the information has been understood.
• Explain follow-up plans — if applicable, let your caller know when you’ll be following up or what you’ll do to take care of the problem. Just like in the dentist’s chair, knowing what comes next brings peace of mind.

Don’ts of phone etiquette

• Talk in long monologues and corporate phrasing — just think of the last time you got a call like that. How did it make you feel?
• Use generic words and phrases — replace generic customer service words like “good”, “glad”, “apologies” etc. with emotionally positive synonyms. I don’t know about you, but to my ears, “have an awesome day” generates sunny vibes, while “have a nice day” just feels … grey.
• Season the conversation with inappropriate humor — salt and pepper are vital (as mentioned above), but moderation and politeness are still key
• Go on hold without notification — always notify the person on the other end of the line how long they should stay on the line and the reason for the wait.

4. Taking notes during important calls ensures best phone etiquette

Proper phone etiquette involves active listening and making customers feel that you’re hearing them.

69% of consumers want sales and other customer service representives to “listen to my needs”, a HubSpot survey reveals.

As we said above, being a good listener, asking questions, and confirming your caller’s words are important in bringing across your care and concern for the person and matter at hand. Yet anyone who’s conducted a business conversation knows how often we forget the questions that come into mind while the other person is busy explaining something. When that happens, it doesn’t mean you’re forgetful, it just means you weren’t prepared for the conversation.

A simple and effective solution is taking notes. While you don’t need this for regular calls, manual note-taking is essential for any important calls you plan to follow up on. A regular notepad and pen are your best helpers during the call while right after, you may use digital tools (read on just below) to delegate tasks.

A note on call recording

Call recording is an effective practice for managers and employees. It allows to monitor customer service, take note of problems, remember information without keeping (or losing) it in writing, and even resolve disputes.

To legally record phone calls, you will need to know the laws in your particular state/country and usually gain legal consent from the other party, for example, through an automated message. Find the answers to all your questions about call recording apps and laws here.

5. Being extra kind and patient is your responsibility, not your option

As customer service memes all over the internet stand witness to, a cool head may the toughest part of the phone etiquette conversation. Even if you’re not in sales though, a business gets all sorts of callers– frustrated, annoyed, angry, and the worst kinds, those who don’t know what they want. And while we can’t influence the circumstances influencing the people on the other end of the phone (or set their minds straight), proper phone etiquette does imply being at the steering wheel of the conversation.

The problem with emotional customers is that emotions make people stray from the point and lose the thread of the conversation. If your customers are getting emotional (either positive or negative) and straying far from the point, politely but firmly bring them back to the main topic of the conversation. Remember that customer service etiquette isn’t about tolerating rude behavior, but about steering the conversation towards the best resolution for both parties.

6. Delegate follow up tasks with digital tools

With so many things to do around your business, it’s easy to forget a follow-up call or task in the midst of a full schedule. To keep yourself up to date, it’s best to use the notes taken during the call and transfer those onto digital tools shared with your team, as soon as possible.

Phone etiquette is simple with MightyCall’s Business Contact Book which comes with mini-CRM features. This basically means that you can save each new lead or contact to the contact book and add notes about the contact.

The notes can be anything to help you remember this contact, any information you’ve jotted down during the conversation, or a reminder for your team.

As soon as one team member adds a new contact and note, this info instantly pops up in the MightyCall contact books of all team members, visible in the MightyCall app on their mobile devices.

Another piece of cool technology to help with follow-up phone etiquette is Journal. Teams can use this unique feature to assign calling tasks to each other and view the task status in their MightyCall profile. It’s best to assign tasks right after each important call, since later you may forget or miss essential information. Use both Contact Book and Journal for maximum effectiveness.

Discover more

Have you picked your favorite phone etiquette strategy yet?

If that’s a yes, save and complement this guide with these phone call routing features to make your small business look bigger.

And check out our out-of-this-world fast, mobile, and budget-friendly phone system for small business. We’ll help your team talk anytime, anywhere, and about anything, at a stunning price.

The post Telephone Etiquette for Customer Service: 6 Golden Rules first appeared on MightyCall.

Odds are, they’re rather negative. Maybe the music is annoying. While you are listening to the slow, robotic voice slowly taking its time to talk to you, maybe the tone just gets a little…grating. And when you briefly get distracted and miss an option, you realize you have to go back through the entire menu to find out where it was- and you probably will have to end up speaking to an employee anyway.

The fact is, auto attendants do not have to be this way. All of those genuine, real and serious concerns—boring music, human contact, poorly laid out options—can be solved with newer, up-to-date answering service technologies, like the one offered by MightyCall.

In this article, we will be going over some of the features that put MightyCall’s technologies a cut above the rest. Features that solve the aforementioned issues and solve problems you did not even realize you had. Read on to find out more!

Navigate:

• What is an automatic answering service?
• How does an answering service help the client?
• Is it easy to set up an auto answering service with MightyCall?
• Eliminate the drawbacks of  “robotic” greetings

The Basics: What is an automatic answering service?

Answering services are not difficult to understand, seeing as you have probably encountered one (after all, we started off this article talking about what you think of when you encounter an automatic answering service). Press one for this, two for that, etc, etc. You know it, we know it.

What you probably do not know is all the good they do for a business. They help save you big money; it may not be fun to read and may sound a little brutal and capitalist-y, but let’s be honest, saving the salary costs on not needing a secretary is pretty nice. For the employees you do need to hire, it ensures that they will only need to spend their time answering calls which are supposed to go to them. No need to play hot potato with phone calls and waste everyone’s time.

They also ensure some level of stability for a business. And let’s be honest: the most important thing for a business is stability. Knowing what will happen on any given day is critical for success. An answering service ensures this stability because a business owner knows that their computer program will never get sick or need days off. They know that, if someone calls at 9:30 AM on a Thursday, the answering service will direct them to, say, Jim in sales. If they call at 6:01 PM on a Saturday after closing, the business owner knows that this potential client will at least know their hours or what special offers are currently being pushed.

How does an answering service help the client?

This, of course, leads us to the next thing. Since sure, it’s great that a business can be helped, but a lot of things that may help a business may not necessarily help the client. After all, you have to cut costs, but not so much that your clients are not getting what they need.

And again, a LOT of people have negative views of answering services. So how can you alter those views and help yourself while also providing a genuine service to callers?

Using music and audio files

Firstly, let’s talk about the music. With a lot of answering services, the music is the music the provider gives you. If it sounds like you’re stuck in an elevator while on hold for five minutes, well…too bad. But with MightyCall, you can use any sound file you want.

Now, to be clear, you are responsible if you use something copyrighted, but if you want to use your own sound file that you create (or use music or tunes from a free use source- there are tons of them around the internet), then you can- that’s your call (pun very much intended). You can make your business stick out- even make it FUN (or at least tolerable) to be on hold.

And how about the robotic voice? Yeah, that can be annoying, especially since it reinforces the fact that the caller is speaking to a robot. But once again, MightyCall allows you to put whatever sound file you want in there- so you can even record yourself talking through the options, but in any way you want. It can be funny, unique, just…different from the rest. Not one of those robotic voices which are supposed to sound human (but just end up dropping you into the uncanny valley). A real, actual human voice.

Flexible call flow

The third annoying aspect we mentioned was the order of things. Oftentimes it feels like what you want to get to is in the very end. But as a business owner (or, hopefully, as a human being) you know what order is best for the customer. If you realize over time that a different order is better, you can change it with a couple clicks on the MightyCall web panel. No difficulty involved, no need to talk to an IT guy.

Now, that said, you will never please everybody. You are going to occasionally get some annoyed caller who is salty that they had to talk to an answering service. Having worked phones before, I can also confidently say you will get some annoyed caller who wants to complain about the weather. By and large, most people are going to be happy that they can immediately be directed to where they need to go instead of having to hop around or wait in some long call queue while a single secretary deals with the five people ahead of them.

Is an auto answering service easy to set up with MightyCall?

It’s insanely easy. On the MightyCall web panel, just go to the Call Flow section, where you will see your Call Tree. You see “Hello, and thank you for calling”? You can change that to your own voice.

If you click the gear (the expanded menu option) on the block after “Thank you for calling,” and you select “Voice menu”- BLAMO, you can customize that too, just with a few clicks. Every single aspect of this was designed with simplicity. The idea that anyone can run their own business is important- and folks being able to run their own answering system is important too.

Just be sure to click save, of course.

Any drawbacks?

While it is not a drawback of the system per se, one of the issues that can come up with businesses which heavily rely on answering services is just that: they heavily rely on them.

An answering service which is designed to give the answers your client needs is one thing. It is super helpful for them to be able to find out when you are open from a machine (with a human voice!) very quickly. It is not helpful to them to be thrown into a maze of “Press 2, Press 5, Press 8, Press 2, etc.”

And this is where a lot of businesses run afoul of what is otherwise a really wonderful system. An answering system is a tool, and just like any other tool it has applications which it is made for and applications which it can be used for in unintended but clever ways. What it is NOT is a tool which can be used in all situations- it just simply is not a catch-all. A hammer is a phenomenal tool. It has a lot of uses. If you use it to bash in a screw, all you are going to end up doing is destroying your wood.

So stay away from the mistake many businesses make: don’t get too clever by half with your answering service. Use it in the way that you would want to encounter it if you were a caller. Make it fun, make it unique, make it tolerable. Do not make it boring, dull, and annoying. The first three are words you want associated with your business. The last three are not.

Press 3 to speak to a sales rep…

So hopefully by now, you are sold on MightyCall’s automatic answering service. A system designed with small businesses in mind, you will be able to move yourself, your business, and your callers forward. MightyCall’s answering service answers the call (again, pun intended) and solves all of those annoying aspects of answering services which you have come to know and hate.

Put on some music or other hold sounds which actually don’t end up putting your callers to sleep, replace that dull robotic voice with your own or something else pleasant to listen to (if yours doesn’t do the job), and put the options in an order that actually makes sense as opposed to one which some IT guy decided to throw together when he put together your current answering service for you three years ago.

The post No More Having to Answer for a Poor Answering Service: New Auto Attendants are Changing the Game first appeared on MightyCall.

What is Visual Voicemail?

Visual voicemail is a section or feature in a phone or phone system that stores voicemails in an advanced and visual interface. Instead of simply seeing that a caller left a voicemail message, all of the call’s information will be displayed, oftentimes including a transcript of the message (voice-to-text transcription is available on MightyCall’s Standard & Ultimate plans).

A brief history

It feels like it’s been around forever, but visual voicemail wasn’t implemented into mainstream technology until the release of the first iphone in the summer of 2007. The iphone’s visual voicemail was revolutionary and spurred competitors to promote the feature as well.

Later in 2007 YouMail became the first third-party system to offer visual voicemail for cell phones, and through advances in their cloud technology they’ve held their share of the market since. Nowadays YouMail offers the popular Straight Talk Visual Voicemail app for both IOS and Android.

How It Can Help You

To keep things concise: visual voicemail saves you time.

The organization of your inbox alone is worthwhile (and a necessity for phone technology in 2018), but when combined with audio transcripts you’ll no longer be bothered by having to listen to voicemails to see if they’re important. Taking 20 seconds to glance at the text instead of 2 minutes to hear the message through to the end is a small victory, but one that gets bigger and bigger with every voicemail you get.

If your business has a high call volume, then presumably you have a lot of voicemails to respond to as well, so do yourself a favour and handle things in a timely manner.

Visual Voicemail in MightyCall

With MightyCall, you have access to visual voicemail through either your desktop or on the mobile app. Every time you get a voicemail, you even have the option for it to be automatically emailed to you, with both the audio and transcript included.

You can find visual voicemail by clicking ‘History’ on the dashboard on the left side of the screen, and then clicking the ‘Voicemails’ tab.

It is a passive feature—meaning it doesn’t require any set-up or upkeep. If you want to keep your voicemail records tidy, feel free to delete any unnecessary ones. Otherwise, there is a search function to help save time when looking for a specific call.

Visual Voicemail on the Mobile App

MightyCall endeavors to be as flexible as you need it to be. While many users rely on the web panel, lots of MightyCall users are on-the-go, and rely heavily on the mobile app. MightyCall knows this, and we also know that sometimes, you can’t just wait until you get home to check your voicemails.

That’s why MightyCall made sure to feature Visual Voicemail on the MightyCall app. With this feature, you have constant access to your voicemails, in whatever form you need. On a loud metro, or in a place where you can’t listen to your phone? With Visual Voicemail on the MightyCall app, you’ll be able to just pull it up and read it off your screen.

The post To keep things concise: visual voicemail saves you time first appeared on MightyCall.

Since the advent of cloud technology, virtual phone systems have created the possibility to run your company’s communications straight from any phone or computer. However, you do still need to convert callers and leads to customers, and so far no technical advancement has overtaken the tried and true method of seeming completely competent.

When you use a virtual phone system, the first interaction callers have with your company is a custom voicemail greeting. An auto-attendant (also known as Interactive Voice Response) automatically coded with the various call routing rules you’ve put in place plays the greeting before redirecting the call, giving you a brief window to distinguish your company as capable and trustworthy.

Customer trust matters; small businesses have an inherent disadvantage here, so they need to do twice as much to earn that trust.

Your greetings help your company project a professional image.

If you don’t trust yourself to make a great recording, you can even use a professionally-recorded greeting from a company.

Think about it from a customer’s perspective: if you called a business, doesn’t matter what kind, and something felt “off” or low-budget about their greeting, what would you assume about the rest of the company? Would you be quick to give them your money?

If you’re looking for some help to avoid that nightmare scenario, check out this article on business voicemail greetings. You can either keep it straight and simple or go for a splash of creativity (although be careful with this, you don’t want to offend anyone or appear to be trying too hard to be clever).

Either way, using great voice greetings together with a virtual phone system will create the kind of customer experience that people will remember for the right reasons. Your phone system will work great and sound great too.

The post Why Voice Greetings are Useful first appeared on MightyCall.

• why caller retention is a problem;
• how to cut the number of customers hanging-up;
• how to benefit from virtual phone number systems in terms of caller retention;
• what to consider when choosing music on hold;
• how to use on-hold time to your advantage.

6 Tips to make your callers hold the line

Customer interaction is essential to almost any owner of a small or medium business. Therefore, the main thrust of customer interaction should be a dedicated support team whose main goal is to provide an instant response to callers and to assist with callers’ requests.

To achieve this goal, a business owner is willing to establish sophisticated support models and hire professional phone support staff. With hard-working experts on the line everything should work marvelously. However sometimes revenue statistics show a lacking in the anticipated growth. In fact, analysts suggest the existence of growing customer dissatisfaction, and suddenly the company experiences loss of clientele. What could possibly have gone wrong?

Why caller retention is a problem

One of the possible culprits of the aforementioned situation is negligence of caller retention. While an average company allocates roughly 90% of its marketing budget on enticing people to make a call, only about 4% is spent on preventing people from abandoning their calls while awaiting a response.

Waiting on hold is considered unavoidable and, therefore, is widely neglected by businesses. Indeed, according to AT&T statistics, 7 out if 10 business calls are put on hold with an average time of 55 seconds (for companies with more than 2 lines).

Everyone waits, so what’s the big deal?

Well, the problem is that 30% of callers who hang up during their initial call will never call you back.

They would rather dial the next number on the list ― your competitor’s. Providing an instant response all the time is virtually impossible, so dealing with this problem is beyond our powers. Let’s just accept the loss, right?

Wrong!

While you can’t eliminate waiting altogether, you can at least minimize this time and make it more comfortable for callers. Improve user experience and reduce the loss of clientele due to premature hang-ups with the following six tips.

1. Minimize time on hold

A Google survey showed that 32% of callers expect to be answered at once, 27% are willing to wait for 1 minute, while 30% will wait for up to five minutes. Therefore, failure to pick up a phone within the first 5 minutes translates to about a 90% loss of calls. The faster you answer, the fewer callers you lose.

To speed up the response, its necessary to establish an efficient call management model.

Small and medium businesses obviously can’t afford an “industrial-sized” call center. Plus, it would mostly be useless except for the really busy hours. Outsourcing is a more feasible option, but outsourcers are notorious for their lack of commitment and personal touch. What’s more, it’s quite problematic to check the quality of the setup or to control them directly. An even better choice is a virtual phone number with a service like MightyCall.

Services like these have features including customizable forwarding, on-the-fly task assignment, and improved call management effectively reduce response times. Additionally, there will be no need to rebuild your existing telecom infrastructure or to inflate your support team. In terms of yield and cost-efficiency, quality usually wins over sheer quantity.

2. Keep callers busy

Make a simple observation of your own: while waiting for a bus at a stop, look at the people around you. You’ll surely notice that many of them fiddle with their phones or listen to devices. Those without gadgets will instinctively study the nearby adverts, banners and whatever readable material they can find ― even graffiti!

Why? Well, being occupied helps to fight boredom.

It’s pretty similar with waiting on hold. A Teleconnect Magazine research discovered that 93% of callers exposed to silence while calling perceived their on-hold time to be 2.5 times longer than the real figure. The North American Telecommunications Association found out that 55% of people put on “silent” hold hung up in less than 1 minute. When music was played, an average caller held the line for about 60 seconds longer, while playing informational messages during the pause prolonged this time threefold.

Furthermore, the majority of callers actually prefer messages to silence or radio recordings while business owners reported they got up to 20% more questions about services advertised in this manner.

Another option to consider is to treat your callers with a quick survey. Not only it will keep them busy, but you will benefit from useful feedback and statistics for free. Just don’t be too intrusive and make your polls really short.

3. Show that you care

There is one more reason to why companies avoid “silent” holds. Silence induces the feeling of being neglected, which ― naturally ― leads to annoyance and abandoning the call. On the other hand, music on hold assures the customer that his/her call is not ignored and the connection is intact.

Depending on the theme choice, music can relax, calm a caller down and improve his/her mood. Needless to say, it only works if callers are pleased with what they hear. That is partly why large call-centers prefer classical themes: they are universally recognized as good.

Another widely-used choice is muzak: light versions of familiar music usually played in trade centers. It is, however, often associated with bad taste.

A small/medium business owner has a far better alternative. With a comparatively narrow target audience it is possible to create a fairly precise “buyer persona”.

Study your typical customers: determine their gender, age, lifestyle, preferences, etc. to create a generalized image. This information will be useful for choosing a proper on-hold music and actually priceless for devising your general marketing policy.

Another thing to keep in mind is variety. People feel neglected if made to listen to a single looping track again and again. Ensure that you have different on hold themes for different forwarding levels (e.g. one for initial incoming call to receptionist, one for sales department, yet another for customer support and so on) and between different team members on the same level. If needed, use audio editors ― there are free easy-to-use programs like Audacity ― to crop your tracks or create a seamless sequence of recordings.

Don’t forget to normalize the volume!

Luckily, many virtual phone systems provide a way to manage your on-hold themes. For instance, MightyCall allows to upload your own music to all redirection levels through an intuitive flow-chart customization.

4. Consider adding on-hold messages

According to Western Communications, a major US-based communication company, providing useful information during hold pauses reduces the number of hang-ups by nearly half. A recent survey claims that up to 20% of clients amend their purchase decisions based on information heard while holding the line.

And yes, 76% of callers would prefer to hear something other than music while waiting for a response.

In case you have informational messages, pay attention to their variety: it’s always bad to subject your callers to monotonous repetition of the same info. Special packages, discounts, new products and services ― make this information useful and diverse. Of course, you should keep an eye on what you are playing: regularly remove outdated messages and substitute them with relevant ones. Nowadays getting a potential customer’s attention is a rare commodity, so why ignore it? Use it to your advantage ― it’s not that hard.

You can even offer discounts if your operator is unable to respond for, say, more than five minutes: if an incentive is big enough you can actually make the callers crave for additional waiting time.

5. Test everything!

Before making any permanent changes to your call management system, spare some time on testing. If you are using a virtual phone system, you can carry out a simple A/B experiment.

Just upload music theme A to one of your numbers and music theme B to another one. After some time you will be able to analyze the statistics of hang-ups, call backs and on hold times via integrated analytics tools.

Another important point to consider is sound quality. Even before a caller has a chance to reach your operator, he/she typically hears a voice menu or a greeting ― it’s like your company’s face. Therefore, no matter how good your on-hold fillers are, poor quality of communication lines can mess it up to the level of incomprehensible gurgling. If that’s the case, music won’t fulfill its role of calming and entertaining an annoyed caller. On the contrary, it will give birth to irritation and stimulate a prompt hang-up, thus severely affecting the image of your business.

Inability to establish a proper communication quality is actually one of the few cases when “silent” hold is more preferable. What is more, a track which is great on your hi-fi home sound system may actually sound gross when played through standard phone dynamic or laptop speakers, so again ― just check it out. More than once.

All in all, it is crucial that you ensure a high quality of sound transmission before attempting to introduce any on-hold fillers. Sound quality varies from provider to provider: choose your mobile service or virtual phone number system carefully.

6. Don’t make copyright owners angry

This point is not directly associated with retaining customer attention, but it can save you a lot of trouble in the future.

In terms of copyright legislation, music played on hold is regarded as having been broadcast.

Thus, playing a track from your rightfully-owned CD or a recording purchased via iTunes is not a good idea without obtaining a proper license ― which may turn out to be quite costly. Some music-on-hold service providers incorporate broadcast rights into their monthly rates, but some of them don’t ― look for an explicit statement. Occasionally, when dialing certain not-so-big companies, you can hear internet- or conventional-radio broadcast on hold.  Again, this is illegal without a proper license.

For those wishing to play music without having to think about copyright issues or paying anyone, there are thousands of royalty free tracks available for download on the internet. They are mainly classics, but you can come across something rather unexpected ― some famous bands are known to render their tracks free to listen and broadcast.

While all the tips mentioned above are extremely useful when dealing with the retention problem, the most convenient way to use them is through a professional virtual phone system. One of the best options to consider is MightyCall. Combining user-friendliness, versatility, excellent customer support and affordable rates makes for a balanced solution that can help small/medium businesses manage incoming calls from phones or website widgets with ease.

Photo by Gavin Whitner

The post Music on hold: 6 Tips to make your callers hold the line first appeared on MightyCall.

It’s an important question to consider, and here’s why: Up to 82 percent of people calling businesses will hang up instead of dealing with a phone tree or voicemail, according to an often-cited virtual office study. Every hang-up is a lost opportunity for your business.

Here are seven tips for engaging your customers and prospects with professional voicemail greetings.

1. Keep professional voicemail greetings brief but useful.
   Convey whatever information or menu options you want to give callers as succinctly as possible. You might also consider telling callers at the end of your message how they can bypass it in the future. Remember: Your customers and prospects are busy people, too.
2. Record customized greetings for different times of day.
   You might have one greeting to play during business hours and another one for after hours. Each could convey different information relevant to the time period.
3. Give callers the option to get more information.
   Sometimes, callers simply want to know your operating hours, location, or other information. Giving callers a voicemail menu to get the information they need saves everyone time.
4. Ask for feedback.
   Do you have lots of satisfied customers? Give them a voicemail option to record a brief testimonial about why they love your product or service. With their permission, you could use some of the best testimonials in your marketing or advertising, as The Men’s Wearhouse did several years ago. You might also provide a voicemail menu option enabling callers to hear your best testimonials. If nothing else, constructive feedback, whether positive and negative, can help you improve the customer experience.
5. Use humor (cautiously).
   If you can make your outgoing message funny in some way, all the better. The humor should be tasteful and in alignment with your brand. And it shouldn’t get in the way of enabling customers and prospects to satisfy the reason for their call. For example, you might provide a voicemail menu option to hear “the joke of the day.”
6. Tell callers about your current promotion.
   Are you offering a sale on your product or service? Tell callers about the promotion and how they can take advantage of it.
7. Ask callers to leave detailed messages.
   To minimize calling back and forth, encourage callers to be as specific as possible about why they’re calling. Also ask them to tell you the best time(s) to receive a call back.

Making a positive first impression

Always remember that your voicemail greeting may be a prospect’s first interaction with your company. If you’re unsure of your greeting, ask trusted friends, family or colleagues to listen and give you feedback.

Finally, consider upgrading your phone system if necessary to give you more voicemail greeting options. MightyCall works with several partners that make it easy for you to record a variety of interesting, cool, funny, and engaging professional voicemail greetings and automate when they’re played. You can change the greetings as needed and easily create new ones for specific extensions, days, and time periods.

Click for more information on voicemail greetings or check out MightyCall Voice Features.

The post Seven Ways to Enhance Your Professional Voicemail Greeting first appeared on MightyCall.