Branding Phone Menu Recordings For Customer Interactions
These days you hear quite often about the importance of “brand consistency” across all channels, online, digital, social, etc. – but what does your phone system menu prompts and automated greetings say about your brand? Are you paying any mind as to whether or not the telephone customer experience properly reflects your brand’s image? Well, if you’re not interested in growing your business? And don’t really want to offer an excellent customer experience? Cool. Just create a laborious, tedious, maze-like automated phone menu that leads callers absolutely nowhere, or at a minimum, tries their patience. Sadly, all of the above happens way too often, plenty of companies do it, and consumers are sick of it.
Ultimately, if a prospect calls but gets frustrated by your automated phone menu recordings, he or she may hang-up and call your competitor next. According to Forbes, 80 percent of callers who end up in voicemail don’t leave a message. Millennials, a demographic growing in economic clout, roll their eyes at voicemail. The idea of leaving a voicemail message is “as obsolete as swing-dancing and playing NHL ’94 on Sega Genesis” to Millennials, The New York Times reports. Additionally, a Consumer Reports survey found that 75 percent of respondents were “highly annoyed” when they couldn’t reach an actual person on the phone. Sending callers to voicemail isn’t the solution, either.
So if you actually want to grow your business, you must provide an excellent telephone customer experience. Here are 5 branding tips to ensure you create a good first impression.
Most Important Options
This might seem obvious, but too many times we see companies create a laundry list of options, which prevent callers from getting the information or option they need quickly. So be sure to place the most frequently selected choices at the beginning of each menu. An obvious rule but often overlooked.
Should I Use A Staff Member’s Voice?
No – never! In most cases, they’ll sound second rate. If (or when) they leave, you’ll need to record all prompts/messages again for consistency – an expensive and time consuming exercise. The delivery must sound warm and friendly. When you use an amateur, you sound like an amateur, it’s just that simple!
Pace The Announcements
Too slow and callers feel like you’re wasting their time. Too fast and they’re likely to select the wrong option. Either way, they get frustrated and zero out. This is another reason we recommend a professional voice over artist who’ll deliver a perfect read at the perfect speed.
Male Or Female Voiceover?
More than 50% of callers prefer a female voice but only by a slim margin so if your brand or products suit a male, by all means use one!
Add Targeted Messages to Brand Your Phone Greeting
Mentioning a point of difference or your company motto in the welcome message/phone greeting has a powerful impact and reinforces your brand. Just remember to keep it short and sharp. You can also insert the occasional subtle marketing message into your menus – again same recommendation, the shorter and more targeted the better.
So, are your phone menu recordings consistent with the brand image you’re trying to portray? If not, it should be! Remember, long before callers ever get the chance to speak with you, their shaping the impression of your brand by the introduction of your company’s phone prompts, ivr and auto attendant recordings. If you sound unprofessional, chances are potential clients will think you’re unprofessional.
Need help? Have a question? Let us know and drop us a line in the comments below or hit us up on facebook, and we’d be happy to answer any questions you have.
