Customer service improvements do more than only keep existing customers happy; they can also help to boost the income generated by a business.
In this aspect, Business VoIP services such as auto attendants assist callers in acquiring the information they need without waiting hours on hold or having their calls transferred, which improves the customer experience and, consequently, the business income.
A Voice over IP (VoIP) Auto Attendant is a virtual receptionist who never misses a call, unlike a human operator who may leave their desk or be on another call. With an Auto Attendant, you will never miss a customer service contact or a sales opportunity with the option to tailor your virtual answering service to route calls to the appropriate department, extension, or voicemail, even outside of office hours.
This article will explore everything there is to know about Auto Attendants.
What is an Auto Attendant?
As the caller responds to the automated greeting or menu system, the business phone system feature known as an “Auto Attendant” will answer and direct the call based on how the caller responds.
An Auto Attendant is a telephony voice menu system also referred to as an automated attendant, auto-receptionist, or virtual receptionist. Forwarding callers to the correct extension or department eliminates the need for human intermediaries, such as a receptionist or telephone operator.
Auto Attendants not only assist agents during peak call volumes but also give a high level of customer self-service, allowing customers to avoid having to speak with a live agent entirely.
This feature frees up agents to make more outbound sales calls or help consumers with more complex problems. Moreover, Auto Attendants, by following predetermined call patterns, can:
- Inbound calls get transferred automatically.
- Maintain call hold times until a live agent is available to help callers reach the department or individual to assist them best.
- Prevent inbound callers from hanging up and redialing numbers.
- Provide essential information to callers, such as hours, location, weather, and current COVID updates.
Auto Attendant vs. IVR
Although often confused as one being the other, Auto Attendants and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems differ.
IVRs typically provide a higher level of client self-service through the more complex setup and input possibilities than Auto Attendants.
Advanced call routing techniques, intelligent assistants, ring tactics, and streamlined drag-and-drop call flow design tools may be available in IVRs. Still, Auto Attendants are useful; they are a far easier approach to automating call routing and take less time to set up.
Businesses that do not require automatic speech recognition, Natural Language Processing, or other conversational AI features can use Auto Attendants.
An Auto Attendant offers characteristics including day and night mode. When setting up day and night mode, your company may have all calls ring four times before going to the Auto Attendant. Because no agents are accessible beyond a particular hour, calls get automatically routed to the Auto Attendant.
Setting Up an Auto Attendant
Setting up an Auto Attendant differs depending on the service provider. Some allow you to record greetings using text-to-voice, while others need you to develop your scripts and audio files from the start.
The last thing you want is a bad Auto Attendant flow that irritates customers when they get routed.
With that, here is a broad step-by-step approach for setting up your Auto Attendant software:
- Choose your preferred call management mechanism.
- Assign business phone numbers to departments, individual agents, and other numbers for call forwarding.
- Write and record greetings for the phone system, call menu options, and voicemail messages.
- Make a call group.
- Whether or not to have an operator is up to you.
- Set up working hours and day and night modes.
- Make arrangements for holiday greetings and scheduling.
- If calls go unanswered for a while, specify timeout settings to return callers to the main menu, send them to voicemail, or hang up.
- Save all of your auto attendant preferences.
The Advantages of an Automated Attendant
As a critical component of a business phone system, automated phone systems have various benefits.
Here are a few of the most compelling reasons to add an Auto Attendant to your phone system:
- Never miss a phone call again. Auto Attendants assist in reducing the number of missed calls by picking up calls even when no person is present to respond or when the office is closed.
- Always make contact with the appropriate individual. You will not have to be concerned about accidentally transferring the call to the wrong person or fumbling around for a telephone extension list. An Auto Attendant makes it simple to update the direct and ensures that the call always gets routed to the correct person on the other end.
- Make your company appear more professional. An auto attendant lends legitimacy and professionalism to your organization’s image. When a potential customer makes an inbound call, the Auto Attendant has the opportunity to provide a positive first impression.
- It is impossible to reach the same person on the other end of the phone line. Even in the presence of a professional receptionist, the call may still get routed to voicemail. Alternatively, you may not answer in the same manner or tone. An attendant ensures callers receive a consistent experience every time.
- Cut back on spending. Auto attendants can help your company save money by reducing the need for a receptionist or phone center. Alternatively, you will not have to worry about removing someone from their actual work to answer the phone, which will result in a loss of productivity.
Conclusion
In the end, businesses cannot afford to make mistakes when managing phone calls. This solution is critical not just for conducting business but also for drawing new clients and customers.
Auto Attendants provide a valuable layer of efficiency to your current customer service infrastructure. You may be sure that your firm will gain long-term clients and increase revenue if you have a solid design and a commitment to outstanding Auto Attendant implementation.
To start experiencing the benefits of VoIP integrated with AI, contact us at VoIP First Media today to get started today.
