Auto attendant greetings may be the first contact a customer has with your company, so it’s important to make a good impression. The best auto attendant scripts sound professional and deliver clear, concise information about your company and how the caller can reach an employee or department for further assistance.
When the time comes to record your greeting for your business phone, you can do it yourself, hire professional voice talent, or use an actual auto attendant phone system. Auto attendant phone systems don’t just record your greeting for you — they greet and route inbound calls automatically to prespecified extensions, phones, or voicemail boxes. Click here to learn which one works best for your business.
Auto Attendant Scripts & When to Use Them
| Auto Attendant Script | When to Use It |
|---|---|
| Temporary Absence | When you’ll be unreachable by phone for a few hours or the day |
| Extended Absence | During vacations, a leave of absence, or sabbatical |
| Department Routing | When offering callers the option to choose their own extension or department |
| Frequently Asked Questions | To answer common questions like hours of operation or address |
| After Hours | For letting callers know when you’ll reopen when your business is closed |
| Emergency Service | To let callers know how to reach you in an emergency |
| Holiday Closure Without Routing | To provide information to callers when you’re closed for the holidays |
| Holiday Closure With Routing | For informing callers in advance you’ll be closed for upcoming holidays |
| Promotional Campaign | To route callers to specific agents while running marketing campaigns |
| Seasonal Campaign | For sharing information about temporary promotional campaigns with callers |
Auto Attendant Scripts for Individuals
Employees, consultants, and freelancers can use an auto attendant script to let callers know if they’re out of the office, how to reach their mobile phone, or who can help them if they need immediate assistance.
Individual Script for Temporary Absence
You’ve reached the office of _[your name]_. I’m sorry I’m not available to take your call. If you need immediate assistance, please call my mobile phone at _[your number]_. Otherwise, please press one to leave me a message. Thanks, and have a great day!
Individual Script for Extended Absence
You’ve reached the office of _[your name]_. I am out of the office until _[date]_. If you need immediate assistance, please contact my colleague at _[phone number or extension]_. Otherwise, please press one to leave me a message, and I’ll call you when I return. Thanks, and have a great day!
Auto Attendant Scripts for General Company Information
Businesses can use the auto attendant greeting to route callers to the right desk or department as well as provide hours of operation, fax number, or how to find the nearest office.
General Company Information Script With Department Routing
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. If you need assistance in Spanish, please press one. Otherwise, remain on the line to direct your call. For billing, press two. For sales, press three. For technical support, press four. For all other matters, remain on the line, and someone will take your call.
General Company Information Script for FAQs
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. For hours of operation, press one. For our fax number, press two. To find an office near you, press three. To speak to an agent, press four or remain on the line, and your call will be transferred automatically.
Auto Attendant Scripts for After-hours Calls
Many organizations use an auto attendant script to let callers know how to reach a company representative outside of business hours or to let people self-select having their calls routed to a live answering service.
After Hours Scripts for Voicemail Forwarding
You have reached _[company name]_. Our offices are currently closed and will reopen on Monday at 9 a.m. If you know the extension of the person you are trying to reach, please dial it now to be transferred to their voicemail. Otherwise, please call back during our regular business hours so that we may assist you. Thank you for calling. Goodbye.
After Hours Scripts for Emergency Service
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. Our offices are currently closed and will reopen on Monday at 9 a.m. If you require immediate assistance, please press one to reach our answering service. If you know your party’s extension, you may dial it at any time. If you need technical assistance, please refer to our website at _[website name]_. Goodbye.
Auto Attendant Scripts for Holiday Closures
Businesses that close for one or more days in observance of a holiday can use auto attendant scripts to let callers know and route them to a voicemail box to leave a message.
General Purpose Holiday Closure Script
You have reached _[company name]_. Our offices are currently closed in observance of _[holiday]_ and will reopen on _[day/date/time]_. To leave a voicemail, please press one. Otherwise, please call back during our regular business hours so we may assist you. Thank you for calling. Goodbye.
Holiday Closure Script With Departmental Routing
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. Please note, our offices will be closed _[days/dates}- in observance of the upcoming holiday. For customer service, press one. For billing, press two. To make an appointment, press three or stay on the line, and someone will assist you shortly.
Auto Attendant Scripts for Marketing Campaigns
While you don’t want to clutter the initial auto attendant scripted greeting with a lot of sales talk, offering a menu option to learn more about current seasonal and promotional campaigns is a great way to give callers the information they want.
Promotional Campaign Auto Attendant Script
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. If you’re calling about our advertised special, please press one. To place an order, press two. To cancel an order, press three. To check the status of your order, visit _[website name]_ or stay on the line for the next available agent.
Seasonal Campaign Auto Attendant Script
Thank you for calling _[company name]_. To celebrate the summer season, we’re offering 50 percent off all account renewals. Ask an agent for details. To speak with customer service, press one. To hear all our current specials, press two. For all other calls, please stay on the line, and someone will be with you shortly.
Who Auto Attendant Scripts Are Right For
An auto attendant script reduces the need for a human receptionist and can serve as an additional customer communication channel making them right for many professionals. For solopreneurs and small business owners, they put a personal touch on an otherwise generic automated greeting. Bigger companies benefit from being able to route a large volume of calls or provide commonly asked information like business hours or store address.
Some of their other role- or industry-based benefits include:
- Solo entrepreneurs, freelancers & consultants: An auto attendant script helps solopreneurs, freelancers, and consultants provide excellent customer service when they can’t answer a call personally
- Small business owners: Auto attendant scripts are a great way for small business owners to minimize or eliminate the cost of a live receptionist by routing calls to the correct employee or team automatically
- Call centers: Auto attendants can answer and route a large volume of calls quickly, minimizing hold times and improving the chances that callers will be connected to the right agent the first time
- Customer support & sales teams: Auto attendant scripts let customer support and sales teams construct menu choices for specific types of issues or products, decreasing the likelihood of being transferred to multiple agents
- Healthcare, financial & legal offices: Businesses that receive calls from industry professionals like doctors, lawyers, and accountants can use a scripted message to separate them from general customer calls and route them to colleagues quickly.
Tips for Creating Professional Auto Attendant Scripts
Companies use auto attendant scripts to create general company greetings heard by every caller. Some auto attendants also allow each employee to record a greeting for their individual phone number or extension. Writing an auto attendant script is a straightforward process, but if you’d like to hire someone to draft it for you Fiverr is a great resource to find talented writers.
When creating your own auto attendant script, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Thank the caller for reaching out: Begin or end and auto attendant script with an expression of appreciation for their call; that sets the tone for good customer experience right from the start
- Respect the caller’s time: Keep your message short and provide only the information the caller needs to reach the employee or team they’re calling for; auto attendant scripts aren’t the right place for long messages or sales pitches
- Let callers know right away if they can skip the greeting: If your auto attendant system allows users to interrupt the greeting dial an extension, say so right away
- Tell callers if your office is closed: Let callers know right away if your office is closed and no one is available to take their call; this gives them the option of hanging up and calling later or listening for a menu selection that lets them leave a message
- List the most commonly called options first: If most of your callers are calling to speak with a service technician or to make an appointment, list those options first to minimize the time it takes for a customer to get assistance
- Don’t offer too many options: Limiting the number of options callers can choose to six or less keeps them from becoming impatient while listening to a long list of choices and improves the customer experience
- Provide self-assist information: Be sure to direct callers to your website if there are self-assist materials customers can use to troubleshoot common issues on their own, like user manuals or instructional videos
- Offer a choice to callers without touchtone phones: Set up your system to route calls to a human when callers don’t select a menu option, then note in your script that callers who don’t choose an option will be connected with someone to take their call
How to Record Auto Attendant Scripts
The idea of recording an auto attendant script can be intimidating but remember, you’re providing a valuable service to callers. If you prefer to have your greeting professionally recorded, VoIP providers like Nextiva include the feature with some service plans. Alternatively, Fiverr is a great place to find voice talent to record the greeting for you.
To record an auto attendant script that leaves the best impression:
- Write it down: Craft your message in writing, either on paper or on the computer, to make sure it includes all the essential information the caller needs and nothing slips through the cracks
- Find a quiet spot: Record your script somewhere quiet with no background noise; you’ll sound professional and ensure callers can hear you without distracting or overpowering ambient noise
- Use the right equipment: You don’t need to splurge on an expensive microphone to record your auto attendant script but do use a quality headset with a good mic to capture the best audio
- Have someone review your script: It’s easy to overlook small errors when you’ve spent a lot of time creating auto attendant scripts so ask a coworker to look it over before you record the final version
- Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse: Read your script out loud several times to become comfortable with it; then, make a trial recording to hear how it flows and catch any last-minute errors
- Speak naturally: Speak as if you were talking to a colleague or friend; avoid rushing or over-enunciating your words
- Test the recording after it’s live: Once your scripted greeting is uploaded and live in the system, call your business line a few times and select each option to make sure calls are routed as you planned
VoIP Providers With Auto Attendants
Many VoIP providers available today offer an auto attendant as part of a complete business phone system. They include features like hold music, dial by name, multilevel call routing to direct calls outside the organization. If you want to set up VoIP service with a solid auto attendant, we’ve done much of the research for you and put together a list of the best auto attendant phone systems.
Nextiva
Nextiva, which ranks as our best auto attendant phone system and best overall phone system for small businesses, includes unlimited domestic calling and short message service (SMS) messaging, voicemail transcription, and professionally recorded greetings. Service plan prices range from $19.95 to $27.95 per user, per month.
Nextiva is the right choice for businesses that want an affordable turnkey phone system with the best combination of features. The company receives high marks from customers who say the service is easy to set up and use. Customers are also happy with the reliability of the platform. Check out Nextiva today for more information and to register for a 30-day trial.
RingCentral
RingCentral, which also ranks high on our list of top auto attendant phone systems, features unlimited domestic calling as well as unlimited audio and video meeting and mobile apps for using the system on the go. Four price plans are available, with prices ranging from $19.99 to $49.99 per user, per month.
RingCentral is best for companies wanting a phone service provider that scales with them as the business grows. The company receives great feedback from customers for its intuitive mobile apps and easy to use features. Customers also say the customer service team is responsive and helpful. Visit RingCentral to sign up for a 15-day trial.
Freshcaller
Freshcaller is a VoIP business phone system with a built-in call center system that includes queue visibility, agent presence status, and customer interaction history. It also features call recording, voicemail, and advanced call metrics. Freshcaller offers a forever free service plan and two paid plans for $25 per user, per month and $49 per user, per month.
Freshcaller is a good match for sales teams and small businesses that need a business phone package with call center tools. Customers are generally happy with Freshcaller, saying its platform is easy to navigate and the call center software can handle a busy call center environment. Visit Freshcaller to sign up for a free account or a 14-day free trial of its paid plans.
Bottom Line
Auto attendant scripts are a key component of a good call routing system that gets callers to the right department or team member quickly. A good script should be concise, give callers a menu of options to choose from, and provide enough information to address the reason they called.
Submit Your Comment
You must be logged in to comment. Click a "Log in" button below to connect instantly and comment.