In previous blogs, I’ve mentioned the importance of making a good first impression on a potential client. Most of the time, the first contact will be over the telephone. Since we are often in session, it is very likely that the first time a client hears our voice is on our voicemail greeting. This is why a professional greeting is so important. Identify yourself because you need to reassure the client that they have called the correct number. Clients will be a lot less likely to leave a message if they wonder who will get it. Use a warm friendly voice to say something like, “You have reached xxxx, licensed mental health counselor.” Tell clients what to do if they are in crisis. Although it seems obvious to us, clients may not realize that it could be several hours until we can return their call. I suggest something like, “If you require immediate assistance, please dial 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.” Ask for what information you need. Yes, the obvious name and number, but if it would be helpful to get their insurance information, ask for that, too. Give clients an idea about when you’ll return their call. Common business practice is within 24 business hours. Any extra messages or information you’d like clients to know. For example, if you are no longer accepting a particular insurance plan, the end of your voicemail greeting is a great place to convey that information.
the currently selected Non-Busy Greeting option. For example, if the Non-Busy Option is 0, then callers encountering a busy extension will hear the same greeting heard when the extension is not answering or call forwarded always to voice mail. Conditions and Feature Interactions � For proper operation, the phones should be programmed for Call Forward - No Answer and Call Forward� Busy conditions for both internal and external calls. If programmed for Call Forward - Always, the voicemail system will not know the state of the phone and use the Call Forward � No Answer prompts. � Mailboxes configured not to play a personal greeting still offer the user the option to record one via the User Options menu. The personal greeting, if recorded, will be ignored.
