Voice Mail Etiquette

When To Use Voice Mail

• You need a confirmation that the recipient recieved the message
• You need a written record of the communication, such as in most business communications
• The message will be referred to often or may be forwarded to others
• The information is technical in nature and contains numbers or formulae
• You want to deal with several topics
• Your information is sensitive or highly confidential or of a legal nature

Message Content

• Don’t send junk mail: unnecessary messages waste everyone’s time and take up valuable storage space on the voice mail server.
• Keep messages short: make it twenty seconds to three minutes, otherwise you’ll lose your listener.
• Speak clearly — and evenly, and keep your voice volume up.
• Leave your full name and telephone extension number or other contact information such as email address.
• Not all recipients will recognise your voice or understand you, so be sure to leave your name and contact information twice, to improve the chances of the recording coming out clear and understandable.
• Make it easy for the recipient to return your call by including your phone extension number.
• Voice mail systems usually put the time and date on a message from your voice mailbox, so you do not need to give that information in your message.
• State the purpose of your call: don’t just say “Please call me.” The power of voice mail is that you can leave complete and detailed information about the agenda of your call. The recipient then knows why you called and can take action immediately, or be better prepared when he or she calls you back.
• One topic per message: cover one single topic in one message to make it easier for the recipient to respond. If you bundle several items in one message, the recipient may wait until he or she can respond to all of the topics before answering. Single topic messages are also much easier to forward.
• Use the urgent classification sparingly: the urgent classification becomes meaningless when every message is marked urgent.
• Stay focussed: if you are leaving a message on voice mail, it is a good idea to make a note beforehand of the points you want to cover. Be succinct: long, rambling messages can be confusing and irritating to the recipient.
• Tell the recipient how you expect him or her to reply: be specific about how you want the matter handled. Do you want the recipient to:
• Acknowledge receipt of the message?
• Tell you what they are going to do about it?
• Take action within a certain time period?
• Act on it urgently

Retrieving Messages

• Check frequently for messages: check for messages at least as frequently as your greeting implies. It is a good idea to check for messages every time you come back into the office — at least twice a day. Do not let your messages stack up; they are as important as the mail in your in-tray, or the email on your computer, and probably more urgent.
• Act on each message immediately: prompt response to messages is a key to the success of voice mail.
• Follow the “in-tray” rule — either:
• Reply to the message;
• Forward it to someone else for action;
• Save it for later action; or
• Delete it.
• If you need to spend more time on the item, let the sender know your action plan. If your callers do not receive prompt responses, they might not leave messages in the future, or they may conclude that the voice mail system is not effective.
• If you forward a message, add explanatory comments: always add your comments when forwarding a message to a third person for their information or action. Tell the new recipient:
• When the message was originally left;
• Why you are forwarding the message;
• What action (if any) you want the new recipient to take.
• If you want a response or a status report, say so.

Answering Calls

• Answer your phone whenever you are available:  if callers are constantly answered by voice mail, they will suspect that you are avoiding your calls. When you are legitimately unavailable, follow the call diversion procedure for your work area.
• When you answer a call, provide the caller with your full name.  This shows that you and SciEssence take responsibility for what you say and makes the caller more comfortable with the call and SciEssence.

Call Diversion

• If you are expecting important calls, tell the call coverage team in your work area how to handle them.
• Call your own extension from another phone to verify that the voice mail system handles your call as it should.

Security

• Use between 5 and 10 digits for your security code: the more digits you use, the harder it will be to crack your security code.
• Avoid simple or easily guessable security codes: security codes such as 123456 or the same number as your mailbox number, are easy to crack. Choose a security code that is less obvious.
• Memorise your security code.
• Change your security code frequently.
• Do not allow anyone else to access your mailbox: if you need to provide someone with voice mail facilities, arrange a guest mailbox. If you must have someone else pick up your messages for you, use the Change Automatic Message Forwarding feature to automatically forward a copy of your messages on to another mailbox.

Distriubution Lists

• To create a voice mail distribution list, call Computing Services Communications Admin
• Use the distribution list only for messages that are of value to the group as a whole.
• State that the message is a group message, and name the specific group.

Greetings That Work

• Encourage the caller to also EMail you and give your email address:  Suggest to the caller that EMails will get a timelier and more detailed respose than Voice Mail messages
• Encourage the caller to leave a private, detailed message.
• Tell callers why you can’t take calls: say whether you are in a meeting, away from your desk, or out of the office. For your own security, do not give callers any information that could result in harm to yourself or your property, e.g. that you will be out of town, implying that your home or your office will therefore be open to burglars.
• Assure callers that you will respond to their message.State when you will check and reply to messages, and make sure you respond to messages when you say you will. If there will be a delay in responding to messages, say so.
• Keep it short (no longer than 25 seconds).
• Tell callers how to reach a real live person they can speak with. Let them know whom to contact for help if you are not available, and how to reach a receptionist.

Sample Greetings

• Call forward no answer (standard greeting): “This is [first name, surname]. I’m not available right now. If your call is urgent, please call [phone number], or press zero now to speak with my receptionist. Otherwise, you can best reach me via email at [email address]  or leave your name, phone number, email address and a detailed message after the tone, and I’ll return your call as soon as I can. Thanks for calling.”
• Call forward busy (busy greeting): “This is [first name, surname], [title] in [faculty or division]. I’m on the phone right now. If you need immediate help, press zero and you will be transferred to my receptionist. Or, you can best reach me via email at [email address]  or leave your name, phone number, and a detailed message after the tone, and I’ll return your email or call as soon as I can. Thank you.”
• Longer message: “Hello. This is [first name, surname]. As of [date], I am no longer in charge of the space station project. If you’re calling about that project, please email [email address] or dial [phone number] to reach [first name, surname], who now manages it. If you are calling for me, please leave your name, email address, telephone number, and a detailed message after the tone, and I’ll return your call as soon as I can. If you want to reach my receptionist, press zero now. Thanks for calling.”
• Extended absence: “This is [first name, surname], [title] of [faculty or division]. I’m currently on leave or sabbatical from [start date] till [return date]. Please either email me at [email address] for the fastest reply or leave your name, email address, phone number, and a detailed message after the tone, so I can return your call. If it’s urgent, please call [ext. number]. Thank you.”
• Extended absence with bypass instructions: “Hi, this is [first name, surname]. I’ll be out of the country for three months, returning to the office on [date]. I can best be reached by EMail at [email address].  To bypass the rest of this greeting and leave a message, press the pound  key now. If you need immediate help, please call my research assistant or colleague [first name, surname] on [phone number]. To reach my receptionist, press 0. Thanks for calling.”

Enquires and Feedback

• If callers ask you about the voice mail services at SciEssence, especially when the system is first implemented, respond from their point of view, by emphasising the benefits to them and suggest EMail as a more efficient way to communicate.
• If you receive any complaints or questions from callers about the voice mail system, report them immediately to Computing Services Communications Admin