3 Auto-Attendant Best Practices

Having an Auto-Attendant allows your business to be available to your customers at all times. It not only serves as a virtual receptionist, but it helps your business maintain a sense of professionalism. Here are 3 best practices when handling your Auto-Attendant service. 

1. Keep your Greetings Short and Direct 

According to studies, the average person has an attention span of only 8 seconds. When a potential or current customer calls into your business they need a clear and direct way to reach a representative. Greetings that are too long can be frustrating for customers so keeping your initial call greeting concise can help reduce call turnovers. Avoiding unnecessary phrases will also help maintain short and direct greetings for the ultimate call experience your customers will thank you for. 

2. Have a Clear Path to a Representative 

Optimizing your call directory will ensure that your callers have a clear path to reach a representative. For example, you can start by charting out your call directory on a piece of paper prior to setting up your auto-attendant. This will give your business a visual path of each department from the caller’s point of view. Whether the caller needs to speak to a Spanish-speaking representative or they want to know your business hours, mapping out a clear path will help reduce call times and help internal departments. Minimizing the number of departments to less than 5 for each call menu is also a good rule of thumb that will help business callers navigate appropriately. 

3. Periodically Update Your Messaging

Businesses now more than ever need to be clear about their most recent business information during the pandemic. Updated hours and other operational changes should be changed frequently to inform callers of the latest news. Promotional offers and seasonal changes should also be reflected in your call greetings. This will help push current business information that can benefit both you and your callers. 

If you’re looking for an Answering Service that will fit your business needs, we offer a top of the line service that combines speed and ease of receiving your calls with the security of live operator monitoring.  Learn more and speak to a live operator today for a quote by calling 310.789.7900!