5 Easy Tips to Good Voicemail

Just because you have it, doesn't mean you know how to use it. Oh, no you don't


Voicemail is another one of those necessarily evils (or blessings) of modern communication. Know how to use it properly so not to annoy your callers.

When recording your outgoing voicemail (vm) greeting...

1. Keep it short: Your name, company if need be, and any pertinent instructions (ex: "please leave your claim number" if you're an insurance adjuster; "please leave a callback number, even if you think I have it," if you travel and check vm frequently). 
2. Resist the urge to add unneccessary blather, such as, "Thank you for calling, I appreciate your call," etc.
3. Only use "vacation setting" (the feature that does not allow callers to bypass your greeting) if you truly are out of the office for an extended period of time. After 5 on Friday does not count; we don't expect you to be in until Monday. And no one likes to be forced to listen to your whole greeting if you didn't follow tip # 1.
4. Give the caller a "zero-out" option to reach a live person, or an alternate number they can call for help in case you're trapped under a large piece of furniture.
5. Don't leave your whole schedule on your greeting; we don't care. That's why voice mail exists -- so you know to return the call later.

When I worked in telecom, I would often phone my colleagues only to be forced (via "vacation" setting) to listen to voicemail greetings like this: "Hi, this is Dave, the executive administrative assistant in the real estate department of X Telecom, at extension 789. Today is Wednesday, August 5. I am in the office all day today, but I will be in meetings from 10-12 and 2-4. I will be taking lunch from 12-1. If this is urgent, please contact Stacey at extension 123. Otherwise, please leave your name and contact information, including your phone number and email, and I will respond within 24 hours. Thank you and have a [insert religious or happy word] day."

Keep it short, tell us how else we can reach a person, and beep. That's all we need...we know why voicemail exists.