The holiday season is in full swing. For all the small businesses and enterprises out there: It’s time to winterize your VoIP phone system for the holidays.
Today is the day to update your Automated Attendant, sweeten your Customer Greeting, correct those Holiday Hours, and change some individual Voicemail greetings to let customers know when and how you’ll be available in the coming weeks.
This post will lead you through our Dash Business Phone System settings so you can easily make your changes before the customer rush.
Manage Automated Attendant and Customer Greetings
Your Automated Attendant, if you use one, will face your customers before anyone else they encounter in your VoIP phone system. It greets everyone with important information such as your hours of operation and a friendly hello.
In all cases, you will want your Attendant to be personable but brief. When recording its introduction, don’t just launch into “Press 1. for Sales, 2. for….”
Take time to say “happy holidays” so your callers feel welcome. And don’t forget to update your mention of business hours, since they might change for the days surrounding Thanksgiving, Christmas, and any other holidays you celebrate this time of year.
To access your Automated Attendant in Dash:
- Click Main Number in the left-hand menu on your dashboard
- Click the Incoming Call Handling sub-menu
- Select the Virtual Receptionist link in the Open Hours tab
In the new window that pops up, you can change your Text to Speech dialogue, record your own new greeting over the phone, or upload a file from your computer.
This is also the time to change your menu selection where customers can dial to reach specific departments. If you’ve added a temporary department for holiday product returns, for example, you can add a selection for that group.
And if you don’t have an Automated Attendant selection for your holiday hours, this makes a great opportunity to add one.
VoIP Phone System for the Holidays: Hours
Mentioning your abbreviated or extended hours in your Automated Attendant is only the first step. You can use the Holiday Hours feature in Dash to route your callers based on when you’re open or closed.
In your Dashboard:
- Click Main Number in the left-hand menu on your dashboard
- Click the Office Hours Strategy sub-menu
- Select the Custom Office Hours radio button, and update your times
- Click the Office Holidays sub-menu
- Update the days your office is closed
Make sure to also return to your Incoming Call Handling sub-menu where you can select the Open Hours, Lunch Hours, After Hours, and Holidays tabs and tell the system how to route your calls during those times.
During your open hours, for instance, you may want you calls to go directly to a Ring Group. But after hours, you might want to move callers directly to the Automated Attendant.
Individual Voicemail Greetings
All the users in your Dash VoIP phone system have the ability to make their own Voicemail greetings. Your Automated Attendant might only speak for the business as a whole, but your individual employees can give callers a unique message for their statuses.
Any employee can update their voicemail: 1. Dial *97 2. The system will prompt to record a greeting, or the user can press 5 at the main voicemail menu 3. Record a greeting when prompted, then press 1 to save, 2 to listen, or 3 to re-record.
During the next several weeks, employees may be out of the office more than normal. Or their personal schedules might not fit exactly with company hours. A personalized holiday voicemail can clear up any inconsistencies.
Your personal greeting can also be a warm reminder that you will return the caller’s call soon.
Is Your VoIP Phone System for The Holidays Ready?
Changing these Dash settings shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Yet they can offer a host of benefits for your business and your customers.
Updates to your greetings and business hours are essential when customers want to reach you or learn how you’ll function throughout this busy season. Don’t keep them in the dark. Take a few minutes to update your system, and everyone will be happier for it.
