Five Most Frustrating Voice Mail Phrases
- I'm not at my desk right now. Duh? What a boring statement. Live a
little. Let your callers know where you ARE. Not where you're not. Tell
them, "I AM in the office all this week" or "I'm in a sales meeting until 3
pm."
- Your call is very important to me. What a waste of time to even say this
one. The caller is thinking, "Well, if I'm so darn important, where the heck
are you?" And then again, think about it. Maybe the call isn't so important
to you. You just don't need this one.
- I'm sorry I missed your call. Dumb. Of course you are. Although, there
are probably some that you're not sorry to have missed. Leave this one out!
It's a given. Use the time and space for something else.
- I'll call you back as soon as possible. Not fun. Based on Telephone
Doctor surveys, most people aren't returning their phone calls in a timely
fashion. If you're telling your callers you'll call them back, then do it.
If you may not return the call... then try this:
"Go ahead and leave your phone number and I'll decide if I'll call you back
or not." JUST KIDDING! Unreturned phone calls rank high on the frustration
list.
- No escape. Remember to at least tell the callers to hit ZERO for the
operator should you need more information. The best would be to give a name
and extension. Although for the most part, that voice mail come on also. And
then you're into Voice Mail Jail!
Remember voice mail has three parts:
- the automated attendant
- the greeting for your callers
- the message you leave
Your greeting needs to tell where you are. not where you're not. Leave an
escape for the caller. Some place they can get information if needed. And
the message that YOU leave for someone else is your electronic business
card. It needs to be GREAT.
There are three kinds of messages to leave - a poor, an average and a great.
For example:
- POOR: Hi, this is Bob. Gimme a call.
- AVERAGE: Hi, this is Bob at Acme Widgets. Call me at 333-9999.
- GREAT: Hi Nancy. This is Bob Smith at Acme Widgets. I'd like to get with you
to talk about the plan for the meeting on the 27th. Let me know if you'd
like it at your office or ours. I'll plan on having lunch brought in at
either place. I'm excited to get with you on this. I'm at 314 - that's
Central Time in St. Louis, Missouri - 314-291-1012. Again, 314-291-1012.
Look forward to it, Nancy. If I'm not in, ask for Judy at extension 42 and
leave a message for me there. Thanks.
Let's not make it any more difficult that it really is. Voice mail is a
productivity enhancer. The automated attendant was not installed to replace
people. It was installed to 1. answer on the first ring and 2. expedite a
phone call. The being said, it's still a big frustration for the American
public.
Bonus Voice Mail Tips
- Expect to encounter voice mail. Be prepared. Today, only 30 percent of all
calls are completed on the first try.
- Don't wing a message. Know what you're going to say. Messages without
thought can sound amateurish.
- Return all calls - or have them returned on your behalf. There's little
value in having voice mail unless a message is returned.
- Avoid leaving bad news messages on the machine.
- Ask for a call back time when leaving messages. A simple need to hear from
you by . helps. Not foolproof, but it can make a difference.
Reprinted with permission of Telephone DoctorŽ, an international customer
service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing
in customer service and telephone skills. Nancy Friedman, president, is a
KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is
the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more
information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com.
