Need a Phone Greeting Device

[InterCounty1]

I have a small 4 man contracting business that I run from my home.
Of the two phone lines coming into the house, one is used only for business (in & out calls), while the other is our private personal line with blocked call id that I intermittently use for outgoing business calls.

My incoming business calls are answered directly, or just get picked up by the businesses answering machine.

I dont wish to have calls just screened over by a standard answering machine, having callers wait for the beep, and then I pick up.

I am looking for a device that will allow calls to be directed to a pre-recorded greeting prior to ringing though to my phone line. The greeting would be state something like, "Thanks for calling XYZ. Please wait while we attempt to connect you to a representative. While we are forcing you to wait, let me tell why we are the best and why you should use us our company."

At that point a message could be left if no one is available to take the call.

The device doesnt have to be a one that would direct calls to a specific extension or line.
I am hoping it will also help weed out some computerized telemarketing.

Thanks

[huggytree]

why are you screening your calls?

i think its odd to play around to help you screen calls...very odd....

i get sales calls all day long....i typically get rid of them in less then 2 seconds

id quit screening your calls and answer your phone...by making it appear that your putting customers on hold may get you some hangups...i typically dont wait on hold unless its about making ME money....when im giving someone money i dont wait on hold very often


when i pickup the phone and see its not a local call i almost hang up on the spot....i wait a second or two...if i say hello, hello and i hear nothing i hang up before they answer...if they answer right away and i can tell its a sales call i say 'im not interested' click....whats the big deal....sounds like your in an office, so that makes it easier...typically im in the field and up on a ladder working...i have to stop what im doing, climb down off a ladder and get angry it was a telemarketer wasting my time...

are you avoiding anyone else? i dont think changing your whole system is about the telemarketers....there's someone else your avoiding

[InterCounty1]

Thanks for the lecture.
Stick to the topic instead of offering unsolicited advice please.
Im glad you have so much time to deal with telemarketers, but that wasnt the central purpose of the topic.
I was hoping to state my lead time for jobs ahead of time in a greeting, to eliminate an ASAP if need be when Im three weeks out,
or perhaps just quickly state who we are and what makes us unique.

And who stated anything about putting people on hold? I said a greeting.

Please, dont hyjack my thread just so you can tell everyone all about what YOU do.
Go back and read it and comment only if you have and answer for me about a specific electronic device I am looking for.
Thank you

[Spider]

A bit out of line there, old chap! You come into a forum - a DISCUSSION forum, no less - and after one anonymous post want to tell people here how to behave? At a discussion forum, you are likely to find that people like to discuss things. What may sound like lecturing to you sounded just like disussing to me.

[vangogh]

Yes, a bit out of line. huggy wasn't trying to lecture you. He asked a question and offered his opinion based on his own perspective. Like Frederick said this is a discussion forum and people discuss things here. If you spend time here you'll find most of us will share our thoughts and opinions honestly without holding back at times. I understand you didn't get the answer you wanted, but please don't be rude to other members here, especially when you're asking those people for help.

As for your question you can search for PBX or automated call answering systems. If you're technically inclined I think you can install some software on your computer to serve as a PBX, though you likely have to set it all up yourself and connect it to your phone. Your phone company probably has some options.

However I agree with huggy that you're better off just answering the phone if someone is there. An automated message is more likely to frustrate potential customers and get more people to hang up before reaching you. I doubt anyone is going to listen to your sales pitch message while on hold. I think most people tune out whatever is being pumped in while they're on hold.

[Steve B]

Forcing me to listen to your automated message and screening my call before you pick up would encourage me to hang up and call someone else. I think a small business like yours should have a real live person answer the phone as quickly as possible and take advantage of that added bit of personal service versus what so many of the big companies are doing these days.

HT - just be careful you're not screening the out of town calls too quickly. So many people these days have area codes from when they signed up for a cell phone before they moved to your town. Area codes no longer identify where the call is coming from - they now identify where the person lived when they bought their first cell phone.

[huggytree]

HT - just be careful you're not screening the out of town calls too quickly. So many people these days have area codes from when they signed up for a cell phone before they moved to your town. Area codes no longer identify where the call is coming from - they now identify where the person lived when they bought their first cell phone.

yea steve i always say Hello.....Hello.....then hang up....i give them enough time to respond(just incase)...and yes i do get a few customers with different area codes once in a while....i also get calls from property owners from out of state...they never work because i dont work for someone who cant pay me on the spot or sign a contract....getting my money out of people who arent there has proven to always be difficult

there...now i hi- jacked your thread!!!!

[huggytree]

Thanks for the lecture.
Stick to the topic instead of offering unsolicited advice please.
Im glad you have so much time to deal with telemarketers, but that wasnt the central purpose of the topic.
I was hoping to state my lead time for jobs ahead of time in a greeting, to eliminate an ASAP if need be when Im three weeks out,
or perhaps just quickly state who we are and what makes us unique.

And who stated anything about putting people on hold? I said a greeting.

Please, dont hyjack my thread just so you can tell everyone all about what YOU do.
Go back and read it and comment only if you have and answer for me about a specific electronic device I am looking for.
Thank you

i was trying to give you some extra feedback...im not a robot and i dont need to give you the exact solution to your problem....i tried to make you think about things beyond your question.....to question the need....i was trying to help.....help you realize what your trying to do is counter productive.....you'll lose business(possibly) because of your idea......you definitely wont gain any from it...

" Welcome to xyz contractors....we've been in business for 10 years and offer something blah,blah,blah special that no one else offers. We specialize in x, y ,z....we currently have (4) employees, Daryl, his brother Daryl, his other brother Daryl and Bob......We are currently booked up for 3 weeks right now, so if you need us ASAP your out of luck....in a minute or two i may or maynot answer this phone call depending on if your trying to sell me something or not....please wait while i check my called ID"

there i wrote it for you....sounds good eh? id stay on the line just to hear about your great company and how booked up you are.

im always a bit blunt...learning how everyone runs their business can help how you run yours...our businesses are extremely similar....my opinions should matter more than most because of this.......why are you here if not for Advice....whether solicited or not....if you ask your going to get it....i get advice i dont ask for all the time....and i think about it...sometimes the advice you dont want to hear is the most important advice

once again: who are you trying to screen other than telemarketers? how many telemarketer calls do you get a day? (i get 2-3)


everyone in construction uses answering machines...maybe 90%....when i pickup and answer in 2 rings it increases sales....i have won jobs because of it...homeowners have actually told me they hired me because i answer the phone....i tell my customers to call anytime and if im awake i answer...6am to 10pm....they have a question im a phone call away....my repeat and referral rate is really high....................i would continue to answer your phone calls in person without your new screening process/greeting message....you will gain nothing from it

[InterCounty1]

Point taken, and yes it is a *discussion* forum.
However I was taken back by the presumption that "I was hiding from someone", as if I was some kind of hack.
That was not 'discussing' anything, but an accusation.

I believe there are many company's out there that have some type of auto-receptionist that sound professional and that people dont instantly hang up the very second they here a greeting with music in the background.
They listen to a short intro and then are told they are being directed to representative. If no one is available, THEN they can leave a message.

It makes the company sound a bit bigger than it is.
While on the contrary, I believe that if you hear a company answer a call from a cell phone while the guy is 'on a ladder' with noise in the background, it makes him *sound* like a hack with no employees, who is working out of the back of his pickup truck, and cant afford an office, a shop or a secretary.

...not that it would be the case, but it may be presumed so.

And my God man, seriously: "once again: who are you trying to screen other than telemarketers? how many telemarketer calls do you get a day? (i get 2-3)"
Really? Really?! What part of my previous posts were not read?
Once again - It is not about screening, it is about a greeting that will direct someone to a person after it is over.
The subject line was "need a greeting device" guys.

Im sorry I ever wrote "help weed out telemarketers"
I thought the computers they use to call would auto disconnect when they hear a greeting.

Most of those auto greetings would have no way of letting a live person know who has called yet. The only way to screen is for them to SPEAK first.
An auto receptionist greeting is not the same as an answering machine

"why are you here if not for Advice"
I was looking for a DEVICE not for ADVICE.
...but I guess I got roped in :p and the last thing I want is a flame war

[vangogh]

Fair enough and I hope we're all adult enough to consider this a simple misunderstanding. No harm, no foul. I can understand if you felt you were being accused of something, though I don't think that's how huggy intended things. Again no harm, no foul.

As for the question of a device to do what you want I think you want to look into PBX systems and automated phone answering systems. What you want to do is certainly possible. I do think a good place to start is your phone company since they'll likely provide much of the tools and services you need. There may be less expensive of better options, but a call to the phone company will likely fill you in the possibilities and give you the terminology to search out other solutions.

As far as wether or not it's a good idea I think it depends on who your customers are. Sure the kind of system you're after will make you appear like a larger company, but that's not necessarily a good thing. It really does depend on who your customers are and why they're choosing to call you. I know you're not asking for advice so forgive me for sharing a story.

When I first started my business much of my marketing made it look like I was a bigger company than I am. The people who contacted me were looking for a bigger company, but it didn't take long before it was obvious I was a one person business. While appearing larger did help generate more calls it didn't lead to more business. Ultimately I was attracting people who weren't really looking for me and who I wasn't really looking to work with. I could have maintained the pretense on the phone and probably picked up some of the projects, but it still wasn't going to work out because those people were ultimately looking for a business that wasn't my business and their projects required more than my business could realistically do.

Later I changed my marketing so it was obvious that my business is just me. True I didn't get some of the calls I was getting previously, but I did start getting more calls from people who were looking to work with a smaller business and because that matches the reality I'm able to turn more of those leads into clients. The net effect is I make more money now by not trying to appear to be something I'm not.

You know your business better than I do so I can't say with certainty the same thing that happened with me will happen with you. It's something to consider though. Will appearing like a larger company really lead to more business?

Again though I think what you want is a PBX system and it's probably worth a call to your phone company to see what kind of services they offer.

[huggytree]

i agree with you that when i answer the phone and you can hear saws,etc in the background i sound small time.....thats how i want to sound....my current market is for someone who wants an old fashion tradesman....a skilled artisan...the way i answer the phone and handle questions tells people that i know what im doing...ive had many customers tell me they chose me because i was the only one they called who knew what he was talking about...while large companies has a secretary answer who knew nothing...most of my calls are referrals...they know their getting a small, quality shop.....hearing saws in the background shows them their call is important enough for me to stop what im doing and talk with them....small doesnt mean sidejob hack....it means small(quality) to some people......also good service that i take a break anytime just to talk with him...

you want to sound BIG...why? in construction no one is really big...you have (4) employees...thats probably pretty average for anything in construction...why do you want to sound like a 100 man company? from my experience the larger the company is the poorer the quality is(in construction)

to answer your question: sorry i dont know of such a device....and i recommend you dont get one either...it may make you look big, but it will also make you more annoying to customers and less personal



you may be looking at this whole thing all wrong....and thats what im getting at..

get an answering machine and skip the introduction message you want.....on the answering machine say 'we typically return calls within the hour' and do it

i vote against your idea (thats my opinion whether you like it or not!)

[huggytree]

I was looking for a DEVICE not for ADVICE.
...but I guess I got roped in :p and the last thing I want is a flame war

i roped you in and now im trying to spank you

lets make up and hug!

[Diego]

Ok, if you are still into your former request after this discussion, you may try with a ringback system (like this (http://www.ect-ringback.com/Products/Ring_Back_Tone_Service.html) for example). I think it makes a difference on who speaks on the hold on message and the way he/she does. So if you want to keep your business customer near and friendly, but you also want to cause a serious impression, then why don´t you speak the message and underline it with some music? Take a look at it, greets.

[MyITGuy]

Any PBX System should easily be able to accomplish this for you. I personally use PBX in a Flash (Asterisk Based) which cost me about $500 up front (Server and phone) and about $5 a month for usage.

If you don't have the capabilities to run your own server (I.e. Space, Power, Bandwidth or etc), but still want full control then look for something like RentPBX.com

If you don't have the knowledge and/or capabilities to run your own PBX then you could look into a hosted solution such as 8x8 or RingCentral. This will set you back approximately $30/month and will be a bit more limiting in what you can do with it.