It is back to the debate of real operator versus auto attendant. But, if you are a small business owner operating in this current economy, still trying to keep afloat, you’ve probably already cut your staffing levels to the bare bones. Perhaps you’ve laid-off your only receptionist, which means when you’re out on the road there’s no one in the office to handle incoming calls from prospects, existing customers, partners or suppliers. Therefore, there is no debate.
An answering machine or voicemail may have callers leave messages, but customers sorely miss that personable feeling. Plus, who is catching that new prospect and redirecting them to you or a sales associate? Here is where an auto attendant comes in handy, especially today’s next generation auto attendant solutions.
The key? Choose an auto attendant solution provider covering all bases – managed services, pronunciation, updated directories and inviting voices. In today’s world, self-service solutions are being embraced for their ability to speed customer service, and studies show the auto attendant plays a central role in driving customer satisfaction, especially with the right voice.
As I asked last week, how do you select the right voice for your interactive voice response system and auto attendant solution? Aside from determining the right gender, you also have to find the right dialect, the right pitch and even the right tone, ensuring people enjoy listening to that voice. This recent GM Voices (News - Alert) post examined the role of voice in IVR and auto attendant messaging and whether or not a professional is needed to get the job done right.
Something to keep in mind before dismissing an auto attendant solution, today’s auto attendant solution providers work hard to keep the virtual receptionist as personable and humanlike as possible. Give it a shot, auto attendants are people too.
Jaclyn Allard is a TMCnet Web Editor. She most recently worked on the production team at Juran Institute, a quality consulting firm producing its own training and marketing materials. Previously, she interned at Curbstone Press, a nonprofit publishing press in Willimantic, CT, and fulfilled the role of Editor-in-Chief for the literature and arts journal published by the University of Connecticut. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by Janice McDuffee