How to Record a Professional Voicemail Greeting
When someone wants to reach you, they may not be happy to get your voice mail. It's therefore important that the tone and content of your voice mail greeting is as professional and informative as possible. If you're unsure of your recorded message, ask yourself how you would feel as a customer who heard it. You should hang up feeling satisfied that you've reached someone who can handle your concerns and will call you back.
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Instructions
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State the essential information about who you are and where you work. For example, "You've reached John Smith in the Customer Service Division of XYZ Corp."
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Say the date. This information makes it clear to callers that you are not on vacation or extended leave. Use a phrase such as, "It's the week of May 3rd," or "It's Monday, May 3rd."
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State where you are. For example, "I am currently on another call," or "I am currently away from my desk." Your voice mail system may in fact allow you to record both these messages; one will play when you're speaking on the phone and the other will play when you do not answer your phone.
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Include information about any long periods of time that you will be away from your phone. For example, "I am in meetings starting at 1:00 p.m. for the rest of the afternoon." This lets callers know they will be unlikely to reach you that day. Record a separate greeting for your vacation time or extended company closures.
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Ask callers to leave a message. Since not all voice mail systems allow callers to leave messages, asking callers to do so is quite important. Give specific directions, such as: "Please leave a detailed message, including your name and client number, after the short beep."
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Tell callers when you will return their call. This will dispel any caller's concern that his message will not be retrieved and that his question may not be dealt with. Use a phrase such as "I will endeavor to return your call within the next two business days."
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Provide an alternate contact, especially if you will be away from your phone for an extended period. For example, say: "If you need immediate assistance, please contact Julie Jones at extension 123."
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End your voice mail greeting on a polite note. This can be a simple "Thank you," "Goodbye," or a longer phrase, such as "Thank you for choosing XYZ Corp. Have a good day."
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Tips & Warnings
Write a script for your voice mail greeting before recording it. Practice the greeting and time yourself. The greeting should be about 15 seconds in length.
Speak clearly and enunciate your words so that the greeting is easy to understand.
References
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