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Is Your Voicemail Turning Customers Away?

The Goodzer team has listened to — quite literally — thousands of voicemail recordings.  As a result, we can say with certainty that even small changes in your voicemail set-up can make huge differences when it comes to converting callers into customers.  We’ve identified some of the most important do’s and don’ts of voicemail, as well as some of the best and worst voicemail greetings.

DO’s and DON’Ts

DON’T let calls go to voicemail if you can answer them.  Even if you will need to call the person back for their information, it is always better for callers to talk to a live person than to reach a voicemail.

DO be sure that if you can’t answer your phone, your voicemail picks up after 5 or 6 rings.  The longer it rings, the more likely a caller will become frustrated and hang up.

DON’T let callers hear a personal or generic greeting.  This often happens when calls are being directed to a cell phone.  Instead, identify your business name and the services you provide in your greeting and be sure that it is clear to prospective customers they have called a business.

DO make sure your greeting is cheerful and professional.  You can still “sell” your business through a voicemail greeting if you show prospective customers what a pleasure you are to do business with.

DON’T take too long to return phone calls.  You should always call prospective customers back as soon as possible to be sure that they haven’t had time to choose another company.

DO keep greetings short and to the point – a very long greeting risks prospective customers hanging up before it is finished.

Here are some examples of the best voice mail greetings, and the worst:

The Best Greeting — Example 1:

"Thank you for calling Jack's Plumbing!  Please leave your name, number and a brief description of the work you need done and we will call you right back."

The Best Greeting — Example 2:

"Thank you for calling Bob's Electric, a licensed and bonded company for over 10 years.  Please leave your name and number and we will call you right back."

The Worst — Example 1:

"The phone number you have dialed is unable to answer right now.  Please leave a message after the beep."

The Worst — Example 2:

"Hi, this is Joe.  I can’t get to the phone.  Leave a message."

So, with these tips in mind, we encourage you to call yourself, listen to your voice mail greeting, and make any changes that will help you get more customers!