Feature Spotlight: Automated Voice Messaging

In our modern times, it is not uncommon to dial a business and receive an automated voice message, or pre-announcement, prior to reaching a live person. Twenty years ago, customers expected their calls to be answered by a live person almost immediately after they dialed – but times have changed.

Northwest Telephone Answering Service can provide live operators to handle your business calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week but we also offer the option to set up automated voice messaging, or a pre-announcement, even if just for certain hours of the day. When you’re feeling particularly overwhelmed, our services can be used as a filter to screen calls so you do not have to deal with all of the calls the moment they come in.

More than anything, customers want to feel taken care of regardless of when they call. But businesses are run by people and people have lives outside of work. If your business operates using a simple land line, once you close for the day, your calls are going unattended. Providing your customers with a simple message that alerts them of important information will increase your customer loyalty and minimize their frustrations.

No matter the business size, an automated voicemail has its benefits. Imagine you own a coffee shop in the downtown area and it’s coming up on the fourth of July. You will answer several calls over the course of the day where customers ask your hours and if you are open for the holiday. This can be a waste of time for your staff. Our live operators could take care of this and other similar issues by answering the calls from your customers when you are too busy to answer them yourself. The University of California, Irvine, found it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to the original task after an interruption. Consider that time multiplied by the number of calls you or your staff may answer on a given day about the same topic. That can be a frightening amount of wasted time.

Now imagine if you had an automated voice message, or a pre-announcement, that alerted callers of key information about your business before they are directed to your staff or one of our live representatives. Customers will get the information they want without having to ask someone and your team can stay on task!

Additionally, customers can be alerted of important dates related to them. For example, each time a nurse confirms an appointment for a patient, the same message is repeated.

“Patients are called and often times, the nurse will leave a voicemail alerting the patient of an upcoming appointment. Patients are asked to call back if they cannot make the appointment, otherwise they will see you on that date!”

Automated messages can be leveraged to alert patients of important dates coming up at the office. Patients can make a selection from the call to be transferred to the nurse or they can confirm their appointment. This saves the nurses time and gives the patient a simplified experience.

Automated voice messages, or pre-announcements, also eliminate human error. Often times when we are leaving voicemails, we are multitasking. Unintentionally misinformation can be left on voicemails without us realizing the mistake we made. An automated voice message can be listened to, reviewed, re-recorded and saved for a later date if needed. This eliminates the concern of making a mistake on a patient’s voicemail.

Still not sure that automated voice messages are right for your business? Here are some more benefits of a pre-announcement regardless of your company size:

• Save Time – This system can provide more customers with an important message in a short amount of time than any individual could. Share your hours, an upcoming promotion, unexpected downtime, or special announcement quickly.
• Fast Message Delivery – When it comes to keeping your customers happy, the speed in which they receive your message can mean everything! If your business is experiencing downtime, an automated message can alert customers of the situation, informing them that you know what is going on and that your team is working on it.
• Look Big When You’re Small – In a lot of ways, perception is everything. When your business phone rings and rings, customers might think that you’re unprofessional. During off hours, an outgoing message can alert customers of important details and provide a time that it’s better to call you back.