Got Voice Mail?
by Lydia Ramsey
Published on this site: February 18th, 2006 - See
more articles from this month
"There's not anybody who really cares about using voice
messaging the way i envisioned it." According to Gordon
Matthews,the inventor of voice mail, he never anticipated
that his automated message system would be used to confuse
and frustrate business callers. He didn't foresee how many
ways businesses could devise to misuse his system.
When asked what aggravates them most about modern phone communication
the majority of people will say that it is voice mail. Pressed
for details, they explain that it is the automated answering
process that companies use to screen and direct calls that
bugs them, not the basic messaging-taking function.
Companies are spending large sums of money to antagonize
their customers and it only seems to get worse. When a person
needs help with a problem and can't reach another human, the
situation deteriorates rapidly. Using the numbers on your
touch tone pad is fine when you want to verify your bank balance,
pay a bill or have a dry newspaper delivered; but when your
pipes are backing up, your new computer just crashed, or a
tree just fell on your brand new SUV, call processing may
not be the answer.
There are advantages to an automated system. It saves money
in salaries and benefits. It prevents old-fashioned phone
tag by allowing people to leave detailed messages in their
own voice with clear and correct information. Voice mail crosses
all time zones so people can leave and retrieve messages at
their convenience.
The disadvantages are that people can hide behind voice mail,
often the prompts are confusing, working through the menu
can be more time-consuming than speaking to a "live"
person, and some people just don't like talking to machines.
If your company uses an automated system to process calls
make sure it provides the best customer service by following
these suggestions:
- Keep your greeting short and sweet. (No one cares that
your menu options have changed. They only want to know what
options they have now.)
- List your menu options according to popular usage.
- Tell callers how to reach another human early in the
process.
- Think twice before using voice mail for customer service
issues.
- Survey your customers from time to time to see how they
feel about your voice mail system.
- Try calling your own system occasionally and find out
first hand what your customers are experiencing.
Voice mail can be either an incredible asset to your business
or an incredible pain for your customers. Don't force innocent
people to spend their valuable time in your voice mail jail.
Lydia Ramsey is a business etiquette expert, professional
speaker, corporate trainer and author of Manners That Sell
- Adding the Polish That Builds Profits. She has been quoted
or featured in The New York Times, Entrepreneur, Inc., Real
Simple and Woman's Day. For information about her programs,
products and services, e-mail her at [email protected]
or
visit :http://www.mannersthatsell.com
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