Answering telephones and routing calls are certainly tedious jobs, but they are ones that must be done in order for a business to be successful. With a great feature known as an auto attendant available through a virtual phone system, this job can be performed professionally and courteously without the need for a physical assistant or secretary.
Understanding Auto Attendant
When a consumer calls a business to place an order, ask a question, or discuss an issue with a member of the staff, it is imperative that they are greeted pleasantly and that their call is routed to the correct department within a few seconds. An auto attendant is simply a mechanized recording that greets a caller with the business name, thanks them for calling and provides them with call handling options. The caller is asked to press a button for a corresponding department and the call is transferred seamlessly to the selected destination. When combined with other features like voicemail and call forwarding, the service is invaluable to businesses of any size.
Save Money
Many businesses choose to hire an administrative assistant or telephone operator in order to handle incoming calls and end up paying the assistant's salary-usually upwards of $40,000 per year. Also, an actual assistant will likely need sick days, personal days, paid holidays and more, which are things that can deter from the revenue of the business and leave other employees scrambling for alternatives. When a business chooses a virtual telephone system with an auto attendant instead, it is a decision that is both economical and effective under any circumstances.
Increase Productivity
Business owners who choose to forgo an administrative assistant and answer the phones on their own likely feel the frustration associated with doing so on a daily basis. Telephone calls must be accepted during business hours-sometimes even after-in order to promote the business as professional and customer service oriented. By choosing an auto attendant, business owners can use their time for other, more pressing matters and leave answering the phones to the system. This way, calls are automatically routed to the correct department or individual and everyone can focus on their individual roles within the business.
Reduce Caller Frustration
Everyone has had to call a business for some reason in the past and they likely understand the frustration of being placed on hold, incorrectly transferred or dropped during the transfer process. Human error leads to many mistakes, and regardless of whether or not they were intentional, these errors have the potential to put clients off and eventually lead to the loss of their business. By choosing an auto attendant, callers will be greeted promptly and professionally almost immediately and they will never be placed on hold while waiting to be transferred. Each and every transfer is seamless and customers will definitely appreciate the ability to speak with the correct person the first time they call.
There are many ways that a business can save money, increase productivity and handle their calls more effectively, but an auto attendant is virtually a must. A friendly recording is a great way to ensure that each and every caller is treated with the respect and courtesy that they deserve.
Mike Allen is an Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter, a company that provides local numbers, 1800 numbers, and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system to their clients. Services include Call Transfer, Call Forwarding, Auto Attendant, voicemail, send fax online and more.
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