Professional Auto Attendant Recordings for VOIP Phones
The impression a potential customer forms in the first seconds after calling your business will play a major role in your ability to close a deal or land a sale. With more transactions taking place online, the phone has become the most direct form of communication small businesses have with their customers. How a caller is greeted and the ease with which they can access the information they need influences their impression of your operation.
A professionally recorded auto attendant greeting starts any interaction off on the right foot. If you’re a small, growing business, a professional auto attendant recording makes you seem larger and more established than you may yet be. If you’re a larger operation, a professional auto attendant recording can streamline your processes and help you manage a large volume of incoming calls more effectively.
Since its introduction in the market, more and more companies have switched from using regular phone lines to this method of communication. There are several good reasons why many businesses choose to use VoIP including: lower software and hardware costs, lower communication costs, advanced features such auto attendant, findme/followme, call recording, etc.
With Professional Auto Attendant Greetings:
- You get a professional auto attendant recording custom-made for your business, giving callers the impression of a large office – even if you’re working out of your home
- Your callers are routed where they need to go faster, so you can serve them better and be more prepared with the right information
- Nuisance calls can be weeded out ahead of time, freeing up your admin staff to provide direct service to your customers
- You start off on the right foot when speaking with a new client – no dropped calls, busy signals or reception issues to prejudice them against you.
Audio File Types and Other Need to Know Items
Your phone systems auto attendant menu serves as your virtual receptionist, greeting your callers and routing them directly to employees, departments. What most providers don’t tell you is the required format that their VOIP platfor requires. Yes, it’s not as simple as uploading and .mp3 audio file. In fact, with most voip systems mp3 audio is not a compatible format.
Most VOIP systems only support certain audio encoding methods, and the encoding methods may be distinguished by different formatting standards. In fact, almost all voip platforms require a low resolution format (disucseed below). The file resolutions are very low resolution formats that my sound “thin” or “tinny” when compared to the original file. But when you load them into your VOIP system, they will sound clear.
PCM (or “Pulse Code Modulation”), is a very common digital audio compression method, particularly commonplace in telephony environments.
Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) is an audio encoding method that adapts the size of the compression sampling, which results in a smaller file size with acceptable quality in many types of call environments.
ULAW is a file extension for an audio file that uses the CCITT standard G.711 codec. ULaw. files comply to an audio compression scheme and international standard used in telephony applications.
Final Thoughts…
We’ve all heard the cliché that you only get one chance at a first impression. However, just because a phrase has become trite does not mean it has lost its truth. When you’re meeting customers face-to-face, it’s much easier to engage with them and see how your pitch is coming across. But when they’re calling in to your business, you lose the ability to read their body language – and they lose the ability to read yours.
That’s why the recorded greeting that your callers hear should present your company in the best possible way. Think of your phone greeting as the voice of your business. After all, it’s the first thing your current and potential customers hear when they call in. As such it should be worded succinctly and get your callers to the person or department they need to speak with quickly and correctly. And above all, the tone should be professional, friendly, and welcoming.
Contact Original On Hold today to find out how we can make your company sound more professional!
