Have you ever called a company’s support line just to be confronted with an unsympathetic and confusing attendant menu? Or tried to reach a representative, but pressing the “0” key does nothing?
You may not think it, but an auto-attendant is an important part of your business. It is typically the first point of contact with your customers, as they will call your main number with sales inquiries, troubleshooting questions, etc.
"[Auto-attendants] assist a business of any size in presenting a more organized, efficient, and, if necessary, more robust picture of itself,” points out Brandi Armstrong, Co-Founder of Telecentrex and blogger on evancarmichael.com. The right greeting can make the difference between a frustrated customer or a satisfied one.
To ensure that you keep customers happy and present a professional image, make your auto-attendant easy to navigate. Your hosted VoIP service will let you customize your menu greeting. We’ve compiled some sample call center greeting scripts that can be used in different situations, whether your company has a small customer support team or a massive call center with hundreds of people.
The attendant menu for your main contact number may be the first form of contact that a customer has with your business. Make sure your greeting is clearly articulated. Provide an option to speak with an operator if the caller has a question that is not addressed by the menu options.
Hello and thank you for calling, [Company Name], where [state your short company slogan]. If you know the extension of the party you are trying to reach, you may dial it at any time.
- To speak with a Sales representative, press 1.
- To reach a Customer Support agent, press 2.
- To reach our Billing department, press 3.
- If you would like to know our regular business hours and location, press 4.
- If you would like to speak with an Operator, press 0, or press 9 to repeat the available options.
Thank you for calling [Company Name]. If you know your party’s extension, please dial it at any time.
- To reach our company directory, press 1.
- For more information about [Company Name], press 2.
- If you are an existing customer, please press 3.
- For billing questions, press 4.
- To repeat menu options, press 9.
- For all other inquiries, press 0.
Hello, you have reached [Company Name]. To continue in English, press 1, for Spanish, press 2. (Wait for customer to enter an option.)
- You’ve reached the main menu. To reach a staff member by name, please press 1.
- For sales inquiries, press 2.
- For technical support, press 3.
- To place a purchase order, press 4.
- For accounting, press 5.
- To find a store location near you, please press 6.
- Press 0 to speak with a representative.
Thanks for calling [Company Name].For more information about our products, press 1.
- If you have troubleshooting questions, press 2.
- For billing questions, press 3.
- For a Dial by Name directory, press 4.
- For our regular business hours, press 5.
- If you know your party’s extension, please dial it now.
- For all other inquiries, please stay on the line, and a representative will be happy to assist you.
You’ve reached [Company Name], the [company’s slogan]. Please choose from the following menu options:
- To speak with the operator, press 0.
- For customer support, press 1.
- For troubleshooting questions, press 2.
- For accounting questions, press 3.
- For a list of our staff members, press 4.
- To leave us a message, press 5.
- To repeat these options, press 6.
A separate after-hours attendant menu can inform callers that your office is closed, state your business’ operating hours, and provide options that callers can immediately act upon. For example, you can direct them to your website for FAQs. If your business provides an account login page, remind your customers that they can login at any time to get general account information. In this situation, be proactive.
Thanks for calling [Company Name]. Our offices are currently closed. Our business hours are from Monday to Friday 9 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time, and Saturday 9 AM to 12 PM Eastern.
- If you would like to leave a message in our general voice mailbox, press 1. A representative will contact you the following business day.
- To reach our company directory, press 2.
- For business hours and directions to our office, press 3.
- You may also email us at [company email].
- For more information about our products and services, please visit us at [website].
- To repeat this message, press the * key.
Thank you for calling [Company Name]. Our offices are currently closed for the day. Standard office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM Eastern Time.
- Did you know that you can check your account status with us 24 hours a day / 7 days a week by visiting [account login webpage]? Here you can view information about your account, as well as answers to general questions you may have.
- Otherwise, please call back during standard office hours, and we will be happy to assist you. To repeat this message, press the # key.
Auto-attendants with a customized holiday greeting can be a festive way to mark the occasion. If you have a retail business, create a holiday greeting to inform customers of any limited-time sales you are offering. If your office is closed for the holiday, be sure you state this in your message.
Thank you for calling [Company Name]. To celebrate the holiday season, we are offering limited-time discounts on all purchases. Please ask your account representative about them today!
- To place an order, press 1.
- To follow up on an existing order, press 2.
- To speak with a representative about our products, press 3.
- If you have a billing question, press 4.
- To repeat the menu options, please press the * key.
Thank you for calling [Company Name]; we are currently closed in observance of [holiday name]. We will return on [Date] at 8 AM Eastern Time.
- If you would like to reach our Dial by Name Directory, please press 1.
- To leave a voicemail, please press 2. A representative will contact you upon our return.
- To repeat this menu, please press the # key.
- [If no response after a few seconds] Goodbye.
Many companies offer an escape option so that if a caller ends up in a staff member’s voice mailbox, he or she can “escape” out of the mailbox and go back to the attendant menu. Use a customized auto-attendant for this situation.
You have reached the voicemail of [person’s name].
- If you would like to leave a voicemail, please press 1 and leave your name, number, and a brief message.
- If you would like to return to the main menu, please press the # key.
Like this blog? You may be interested in our blog on integrated telephone system features.