Every company has (or should have) one. It’s not your on-call I.T. guy. It’s not your C.E.O. This employee never leaves the office, and when you can’t, they always answer the phone. It’s your voicemail! That’s right, the time for voicemail is now.
While you’re asleep in bed, enjoying time with family, or binge-watching the latest true-crime documentary, your answering machine is hard at work, chatting with your customers. So, what is this front-line customer service representative saying? In most cases, it’s something along these lines:
“You’ve reached [robotically-read phone number]. Please call back later. Goodbye.”
Hopefully not. Because an after-hours message with no information or interaction means you’re missing out on new clients, while disappointing your current ones. When confronted with a message like this one, a potential customer is much more likely to give your competitor a call instead of waiting for your next business day to call again. A current customer is likely to feel snubbed and discouraged by being told so blithely to try again another time.
Instead of letting callers hang up with a sour taste in their mouth, put your 24/7 employee to work by turning them into a friendly salesperson! Make sure they’re friendly, informational, and helpful, so your company looks great even when you aren’t around.
Step #1: Get a system that allows callers to leave a message
This may sound like a basic upgrade, but simply allowing customers to let you know what they’re after makes a world of a difference. Many businesses already have this capability – if you do too, great! If not, Messages On Hold will provide you with a quick and easy solution, like this example below:
“Hey, you’ve reached Company X. Please leave us a detailed message, and we’ll call you back as soon as possible. Thank you!”
Already so much better than our first voicemail message. But we’re not done!
Step #2: Include subtle (or not-so-subtle) marketing in your voicemail
Now we’re truly using our all-day, all-night employee’s skills! Since your customer’s already on the line, why not remind them why they called in the first place?
“Hey, you’ve reached Company X – the best ____ in the _____ region! Please leave us a detailed message, and we’ll call you back as soon as possible. Thank you!”
In this marketing tag, you could include awards you’ve won, products you’d like to push, or simply let the caller know what you do best. Now, let’s get ready for…
Step #3: Update your voicemail messages regularly
Now, even if you follow the first two steps, your 24/7 employee, like any employee, will start to get a bit tired. Messages On Hold offers a variety of rental agreements which allow clients to change their Interactive Voice Recordings, or IVRs, as often as they like. This is where you can really get creative and impress callers with your voicemail message!
For example, imagine it’s the holiday season. Let your festive spirit shine through in your voicemail!
Open with the sound of jingle bells, then ease into your voicemail with a “Ho, ho, ho… Thanks for calling Company X! We’re off enjoying time with our family, but we’ll be back after the holidays. Please leave us a message, and one of our little elves will return your call as soon as possible!”
Or during an awesome sale, get your caller’s attention with something like this: “Thank you for calling Company X – until April 30, we’re offering 10% off our bestselling product, _________! Please leave a message, or simply hop in the car and see us in store tomorrow – these prices won’t last long.” The possibilities are endless, and the Messages On Hold team is only too happy to make your 24/7 employee one of your best. Get started today with a free demo.