Aside from making sure walk in customers are greeted with courtesy, the No. 1 way most people gain an impression about a business is through telephone conversations. If a telephone system at a business doesn't do its job, the people who make the company tick will never have a chance to do theirs.
There are a number of different telephone systems available for companies of all sizes. From large services that involve separate direct lines for each desk in an office building to more simplistic set ups, the variety runs the gamut. The most important things about any system, however, remain reliability, ability to handle incoming calls, and the quickest and best method for getting people on the other end of the line in contact with actual humans within the company they're calling.
Automated voice systems are the choice of many businesses for helping to funnel calls to the right people. When they work quickly and efficiently, these systems are fantastic. But, when they're so complicated they take minutes and minutes to navigate, the people on the other end of the line get frustrated. The best systems offer simplistic instructions and make sure there's always a "quick out" offered to users so they can directly connect to a human operator when desired.
While phone systems that offer automated routing and message taking can help keep a company efficient, if they don't do their jobs correctly, business can be lost. There's nothing more frustrating for a customer wanting to talk to a specific department than having to sit through a four-minute recording only to be told to press this button and then that. People are still the backbone of business and most customers prefer to talk to the humans who run the show when ever possible.
Despite this, however, automated systems do have their place. Just make certain any set up for your business involves an easy to use system and an out to find that "friendly voice" on the other end of the line.
The advantages to automated phone systems and voice mail systems are many for businesses and they can include:
* Taking some of the burden off of the company's operators. Since routing systems can, when implemented correctly, put callers directly in touch with those with whom they wish to speak, operators are freed up to assist those who are not sure who they need to talk to. This can really help expedite calls and reserve the real "man power" for those calls that need the extra attention.
* Quicker, sometimes, for people to get through. A well created system can oftentimes work better than a "human operator." By allowing clients to cut through the red tape, these systems can put callers directly in touch with what departments they need.
* Easier method of message taking. Recorded voice message systems for individual employees can work very well for ensuring every employee gets his or her messages when he or she needs them. Remote access, too, can even assist employees who are out of work due to illness or vacation to get their calls while they're away.
When combined with good customer service habits, business phone systems that include voice mail and automated routing can really help improve a company's ability to handle client concerns quickly and efficiently. If the system is too cumbersome or doesn't offer a human touch option, however, these systems can discourage clients from following through.
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