How NOT to use voicemail

800 voicemailYears ago having an automated voicemail system made you sound professional and like a larger organization because only the biggest companies could afford large pbx phone systems that were required for these systems. But like any good tool, it can be abused and used incorrectly.

I just called a company and heard one of the worst examples of how not to use voicemail. The ironic part is that it is essentially a voicemail company, although they’re one of the ones that we recommend people avoid, PhonePeople.com. I had to call them to ask a question about a resporg form and literally couldn’t reach a live person until I pressed the option the first four times I called. It keeps dumping you into voicemail no matter what I did until I used the option for sales.

Call 800-510-5500 yourself and try to reach someone for support. It’s like they designed their phone system to discourage people from ever calling them again. It’s even worse when you realize that they are just a small organization with probably only a couple people. I understand having to be on hold at busy times, especially for small companies, but any time you have to tell people in your voicemail message to get a pen and paper so they can write down the buttons they have to press, your voicemail is hurting your organization.

Today answering your phone in person is way more impressive than voicemail. The ironic part it actually takes less time to answer a call because you don’t need to listen to the voicemail, you won’t get their voicemail or have to play phone tag when you try to call back and they won’t want to call your competitors next. Using voicemail as a crutch combined with third world customer service is getting so bad that the definition of good customer service is often just having someone that actually knows what they’re doing answering the phone.

We are working on a list of Enhanced Voicemail Services, which we’ve reviewed including some to avoid. But whatever voicemail service you select don’t use it as a crutch. Use it as a backup that frees you from being chained to the phone and connects callers with live representatives faster and easier.

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    4 Comments »

    Bill Quimby (203 comments.) says:
    April 3, 2008 at 1:07 pm

    The only thing more ironic about a voicemail company making their own voicemail into voicemail hell, is if you realize that the name of their business used to be TollFreeLive.com.

    I used to love to tell people about them, that they were the only phone company that didn’t even have their own phone number, because they didn’t even list it on their website.

    I think they got wind of what I was saying because after a while they added a phone number. But it was still funny because it only went to voicemail. Yes, voicemail for a company called Toll Free Live!!!

      Roman says:
      April 3, 2008 at 9:08 pm

      That’s so funny!!

        rob martin says:
        June 3, 2008 at 3:49 pm

        Hello,

        I would like to get an 800 number but the last time I did it (w/Accudial) when you called the number there was a pause and it sounded like it was being forwarded. How do I get around that. I need it to sound professional?

          Bill Quimby (203 comments.) says:
          June 4, 2008 at 12:50 am

          Hi Rob,

          Regular toll free has no recordings, it just forwards the calls to whatever number you want. If you don’t need the extra features of the enhanced voicemail services that’s not an issue.

          In terms of those voicemail services, I used to use Freedom Voice and now I use Virtual PBX and they both work great. I think that is definitely the exception rather than the rule with most enhanced voicemail services. And it’s certainly not the case at all with regular toll free service.

          I hope that helps. And if you had that number recently you can probably change it to another service if you want too.

          Bill.

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