When calling a business, you just want to be able to talk to the right person as quickly as possible. Well, this is what auto-attendant phone systems are all about. Also called virtual receptionists or automated virtual assistants, they are the cornerstone of modern customer service. Even for small businesses.
Take a moment to explore everything you need to know about auto-attendant phone systems—how they work, what to expect from your provider, and how they can be set up.
Auto-attendants are not just for established MNCs and their call centers, they can be beneficial to businesses of all sizes. When calling a customer care number, you've probably heard an auto-attendant say something along the lines:
Thank you for calling (Company Name). We're happy to help you. For Product Information, press 1. For Customer Support, press 2. For Accounts and Financing, press 3. To speak to an operator, press 0.Press star to hear the menu again.
The idea here is quite simple – to shorten the time you spend waiting on a call and connect you to the right person.
An auto-attendant can be defined as a phone system that routes incoming calls to various extensions as specified by caller interaction with a recorded menu. As the name suggests, an auto-attendant is an automated version of a person attending incoming calls.
Incoming calls are answered by the auto-attendant with a welcome message and a call routing menu. Depending on the caller's inputs, the call is routed to the concerned department or the menu is repeated. Informational messages about office locations, business hours, new launches, etc. may also be played.
Auto-attendants help manage incoming calls efficiently and play an important role in improving customer experiences.
Business phone systems can be puzzling at times. Auto-attendants, IVR and ACD may sound similar but they have different functions. Let's find out more.
A multi-level auto-attendant takes the virtual receptionist a step further. This allows you to have the auto-attendant answer calls differently based on predetermined rules.
For example, a different menu may be played during business hours and after business hours. Caller greetings can also be customized to the location, time, holidays, etc.
Auto-attendants are a necessity today for any business that fields a large number of incoming calls. Truly, it is the modern version of a switchboard operator.
Unlike having a person answer calls, using an auto-attendant ensures a consistent message is played for all callers and calls are routed with minimal risk of error.
As technology evolves so will the service offered by auto-attendants. The aim is to move towards giving callers a seamless experience. AI and voice recognition will play a crucial role here.
The system is moving away from depending on DTMF tones for caller input and shifting to recognizing voice commands. So, instead of pressing 1 for Order Status, the caller can simply say the words and have the call directed to the concerned department. This can help deliver faster responses and increase customer satisfaction.
An auto-attendant eliminates the need for a dedicated phone receptionist and gives your callers a quick way to connect with people from different departments. Let's look at some of the features of auto-attendants.
People can have bad days and sore throats that affect the way they answer a call. Having an auto-attendant eliminates this issue. Custom greetings can be recorded and configured to calls depending on time location etc. Every call is answered with a message that is current and relevant in a welcoming tone.
For example, calls to different branches can be answered with a customized greeting such as, “Thank you for calling the New York offices of Company A”. Similarly, greetings can be customized as per seasonal holidays to include wishes for the same.
Modern auto-attendant softwares like Quicktalk let you personalize your custom greeting messages online in a few clicks with no limits.
Auto-attendants can be used to deliver important messages and announcements. For example, the welcome message could include a note about a shift in office locations or timings. It can also be used to announce and introduce new product launches.
The phone menu is the core feature of an auto-attendant. There are typically three key elements. Firstly, the menu lists departments with the number to be dialed for each extension. This menu may have sub-menus. For example, if the caller enters 1 for Order related queries from the primary menu, a sub-menu could continue as follows;
"For order status press 1To cancel an order, press 2To place a return request, press 3"
In addition, at every level, menus also give the caller an option to repeat the menu or connect directly with an operator.
Auto-attendants allow calls to be routed in many different ways. Depending on the size of your team and the number of calls handled, calls can be routed to the next available person or on the basis of their skills. Call transfer to mobile is a great option to never miss an important call.
Calls can also be transferred to voicemail for callers to leave a message. This is very useful in the case of large call volumes when agents may not be available to answer a call.
Auto-attendant menus can also be replaced by a Custom call Routing (CCR) tree. This is a system that designates departments and extensions for call routing. At each stage, they are prompted by a recorded menu. These menus and sub-menus allow them to get specific information.
For example, travel agencies may direct a caller who has selected the option for domestic flights to choose between making a new booking, modifying existing bookings, etc. If they choose to make a new booking, they may be directed to choose their mode of travel and then transferred to a call agent.
The agent will have this information available when he/she speaks to the caller and hence can offer better services.
It is important to plan a CCR tree well or the caller may be trapped in a loop. Along with the length of voice prompts, the most-frequently-used pathways must also be considered.
Having an Auto-attendant reduces the number of calls that are missed and unanswered. Though it allows calls to be answered 24x7, your call agents may be available only during business hours. These hours can be used to customize the greeting and menu. You may have a different menu between 9 am and 5 pm and for non-business hours.
Rather than have the caller listen to a buzzing silence while the call is being transferred, soothing music can be played. On-hold music can be customized. It might be a song or the brand's jingle or a recorded message giving additional information.
Auto-attendants are beneficial for businesses of all sizes. Some of the key benefits offered are:
Automating the simple task of answering incoming calls can help businesses lower their operational costs. Firstly, the need of hiring a full-time receptionist is reduced. Hence, the costs of recruitment, training and salaries are reduced. The system is good to go from the moment it is configured and can work 24 x 7 x 365.
The trouble with having a person answer all calls is that some calls may get missed while some may be transferred to the wrong department. An auto-attendant addresses both these issues.
Fewer calls are missed and all calls are answered with consistent messaging that directs the caller to choose the appropriate department for their query. Calls can also be transferred to the right department faster. This improves the overall customer experience.
In addition to routing callers faster to the concerned departments, auto-attendants minimize the chances of misdirected calls. For example, the product team will not get calls related to order cancellations.
Employees only pick up those calls that are relevant to them. They also need to spend less time understanding what the customer needs. This allows them to be more productive.
Auto-attendants give your calls a uniform experience every time they call. Each call is greeted with a warm message and handled in the same way. This helps improve the brand image and pleases callers. Even if a call comes in after hours, the caller is greeted warmly and can be directed to leave a voicemail rather than let the call go unanswered. This is especially helpful for businesses operating internationally.
Auto-attendant greetings and hold music can be customized. Thus, it becomes an ideal way to inform customers about new policies and changes. For example, you may want to announce new store timings or inform customers about a new collection online. Providing information in this way makes wait time productive and makes customers more aware.
For growing businesses, first impressions matter. When a prospective customer calls the office, the way in which their call is answered sets the tone for their expectations from the brand. An auto-attendant will always leave a favorable impression – there's no risk of the call being answered by someone who doesn't know how to transfer a call. In the case of small businesses, it gives the impression of a larger more structured team and professional operating procedures.
Lastly, an auto-attendant reduces the number of spam calls received. Bots cannot respond to auto-attendant menus and hence the calls cannot be routed to call agents. Thus, every call that is answered by a human call agent is relevant to the business.
Set up weekly business hours online. You can decide when calls will be redirected to you or your team according to what time it is. In this way, you can create a specific scenario corresponding to when your customer service is open: welcome message, call distribution, call menu… and another scenario corresponding to when you're closed, with a “leave a message” option for example.
Use Quicktalk online studio to personalize your welcome message:
Define who is going to take the call. Quicktalk allows you to use 3 types of redirections:
Quicktalk allows you to set up a call menu, such as “Press 1 to talk to the customer service, Press 2 to talk to a sales rep, Press 3 for opening hours”. For each option, you can distribute the call to the corresponding person on your team, plan an announcement, or give users the option to leave a message.
When a customer calls outside of your opening hours, you can play a message and allow the user to leave a message or call back later.
All your auto-attendant settings can be changed at any time, with no limits and at no cost. Just connect to app.quicktalk.com, go to settings, and save your changes.
Once you're set up, enjoy unlimited calling and call transfer to mobile for $19 (up to 3 users included).
Also check out these great tips to avoid common mistakes when setting up your attendant system.
Paul is a tech and business phone system enthusiast always open to discuss ideas. If you’re interested in collaborating on content projects or getting a product listed on our blog, don’t hesitate and reach out to us: [email protected].
