Almost 70% of Americans say that it’s their general practice to not answer the phone. At some point or another, you’re going to have no choice but to leave a voicemail for your clients. Here’s how to do it in a HIPAA compliant way.
To help you remember the important elements of your message we’ve put together an infographic with 5 tips to remember when leaving a professional voicemail message.
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Using studio-grade audio recording equipment helps ensure the audio for your business voicemail greeting is clear and easy to understand, minimizing the risk of misunderstandings.
If you are going to use your own phone to record your greeting, be sure to use a land line. Cell phones can’t always be trusted to produce a high quality sound and often the callers will hear distortion, static, or flight information in the background because you decided to record a new message while waiting for your plane at the airport. Always use a land line in a quiet setting to make your recording.
For many of us, our professional voicemail greeting is a crucial first impression. For others, it might be something that our clients and partners hear over and over again. An unprofessional voicemail greeting reflects poorly on you, and while it’s easy to overlook, it’s just as easy to fix. Script it out beforehand. Make sure information is specific and up-to-date. Keep it short. Use a quality recording. Smile when you speak. Script your voicemail message
You don’t have to spell out every single thing that you think they might want to know. Have some faith that your callers will be able to figure things out on their own. Be natural but informative.
45. Hi, this is [X department] at [X company]. We’re not able to take your call right now, but if you leave a quick message after the tone, our next available representative will call you back shortly.
If you have a main business phone number that’s shared with the customers or publicly listed, you’ll want to make sure it has a professional voicemail message to greet callers. Here are sample greetings you can use to help you craft your own.
Hi, thank you for calling me. I apologize for not answering the phone at the moment. Please leave your name, number and message, and I will call …
Practice makes perfect when it comes to mastering confidence in your voice, so practice on a friend, colleague, or family member to make sure when it’s time do it in real life it feels like second nature.
35. Hello, we’re wishing you all a happy [X holiday]. Our office is currently closed so our employees can celebrate with their loved ones. Please leave your name, number, and reason for calling and a member of our team will return your call when we reopen on [X date].
Your customers might need you on the holidays. If you’re a business owner, you know this already. 🙂 Manage customer expectations and let them know how to get assistance.
You don’t need to have your whole life story in your voicemail greeting, you just basically need them to know that they reached the right person and that you will be getting back to them as soon as you can. This is the part where people like to get funny, maybe by saying, “hey, I’m out and definitely avoiding you,” which is funny if your friends are calling, but not if someone you want to work for is trying to reach you.
The bottom line is that a business’s situation is likely to change often and rapidly, each of which need a unique and applicable voicemail greeting to cover the circumstances and timeline. For example, callers shouldn’t reach a business-as-usual voicemail, and therefore expect a return call within the business day, if the subject they’re calling is out on vacation for two weeks. Such a lack of communication is a recipe to lose that caller’s trust and tarnish the brand’s reputation.
3.) Bonjour et bienvenue. Veuillez ne pas raccrocher. Vous serez rapidement mis en relation avec quelqu’un.
21. "Hello, you've reached [your name, the office of X company]. The team is currently out of the office, but we'll be back on [date] stuffed with good food and eager to speak with you. Leave your name, number, and — if you're so inclined — your favorite [holiday dish, Thanksgiving tradition, etc.]"
08You’ve reached the voicemail of [your business/company]. We are under new management and will be hosting a re-opening on [dates] where you can come and meet the team and have a chance to learn more about our enhanced services and new products. To leave a voicemail message, press the # key and someone from our team will call you back within 24 hours. This voicemail greeting is used to communicate information regarding changes to any business activities. It specifies how customers can communicate and do business with you, during any transition time.