Salutations. Start and end your voicemail with a formal greeting of your choosing, typically a friendly thank you.
Personalize it. Try to avoid the standard default greeting for your business. This should certainly be updated. Likewise, don't be overly generic. Remember, this is a touchpoint with a potential customer. What message do you want to send them? All these touchpoints may be considered in their buying decision. People tend to feel that voicemail is already impersonal and cold. A pre-recorded mechanized voice that says, "you have reached (pause), John Doe, (pause) please leave a message," doesn't instill confidence that the call will be returned.
Your greeting should consist of your name, property and your title. This can help the caller know that they have reached the right person.
If you change your voicemail often, indicate how long the voicemail is valid for by referencing the date. This is useful if you are going on vacation and need to manage the caller's expectations if the response time will be delayed. Extended absence greetings can also be used for time of day. For example, if you can't answer the phone between 6:30 am to 8:30 am because you're making your guests breakfast, provide that time window in your voicemail. This is especially helpful for inhouse guests who might be trying to reach you.
Add seasonal specials. Likewise, seasonal properties often change their voicemail greeting based on the time of year. If this is the case at your property, your voicemail might sound something like this:
Thank you for calling (property name), the oldest lighthouse Bed and Breakfast in Maine. You have reached Celeste - owner and operator of (property name). This message is valid for the Summer of 2022. Harbor tours, lodging reservations, and dining cruises are open and we are currently taking reservations. We're sorry we missed you but if you leave your name and phone number we'll call you back just as soon as we can. Feel free to check us out online at CranberryHarborLighthouse.com. We look forward to your stay!
If you need to have your phone tree set up to multiple different voicemails, that is a great option to help route calls. Common voicemail boxes are typically divided up by department. Each Department voicemail box should have its own unique greeting to further advertise and showcase that department's offerings.
Give alternate contact info. If you can't be reached but want to give the caller an option to try another department, most phone systems offer an attendant feature. You will need to leave instructions for the caller to dial a number, like 0, to be brought back to the phone tree where they can choose another department.
Another option is to simply supply a mobile phone number in case of an emergency. Most office phone systems also have a call forwarding feature. These can be useful when you are away for an extended period. They can either allow the call to go straight to voicemail so the caller doesn't have to wait through an entire ringing cycle or they can be sent to your cell phone.
Clean up your voicemail
Manage your voicemail like you manage your bills - don't let them pile up. You don't want to miss an important message or a booking because your mailbox is full.
