As a webmaster with over 15 years of experience, I know how important effective call management is for providing top-notch customer service. But juggling calls across multiple devices can be a hassle.
That‘s where setting up an auto attendant phone system can help.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through the entire process of choosing, setting up, and customizing an auto attendant for your website. Follow along, and you‘ll have a professional phone system greeting callers and routing calls in no time!
Contents
Choose the Right Business Phone Service
The first step is picking the right phone service provider. Here are some key factors to consider:
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Features: Make sure they offer unlimited calling, auto attendants, voicemail, business hours and other options you need.
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Cost: Providers range from $20 to $60+ per month. Balance features with your budget.
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Reputation: Choose an established company with solid reviews and known reliability.
I recommend Nextiva and RingCentral as two of the best and most affordable providers for auto attendant systems.
According to Nextiva, over 100,000 businesses trust them for phone service. Features like intelligent call routing, customizable greetings, and voicemail make them a top choice for auto attendants.
Meanwhile, RingCentral has earned strong reviews on sites like Gartner and G2Crowd. Their automated call handling and unlimited extensions give you flexibility as you grow.
Once you‘ve chosen your provider, you‘ll get much more than just a phone number. You‘ll have enterprise-level call management features packed into an easy-to-use system.
Set Up Your Business Phone Number
After signing up, you can claim a new phone number or transfer an existing one to your account.
I recommend choosing a local phone number to build trust with customers in your region. You can also get a toll-free 800 number to accept calls from anyone nationwide.
If targeting international audiences, be sure to get a phone number with unlimited global calling.
Set up your number to ring across your office phones, mobiles devices, and desktop apps. This ensures you never miss an important customer call, wherever you are.
Now comes the fun part…
Build Your Auto Attendant Call Flow
The call flow is where you design the structured phone menu your callers will hear. This lets you automatically route calls for the smoothest customer experience.
First, log into your account and navigate to the Phone System or Call Flows menu. Here you‘ll configure how incoming calls are handled.
Start a new call flow and give it an easily recognizable name like "Main Auto Attendant."
First, have it ring your primary business number. Then under Actions, select "Phone Menu" to build your auto attendant.
Record a Professional Greeting
Your greeting sets the tone for callers. Script a clear, friendly welcome message introducing your company.
You can record a new greeting right in your call flow settings. For best quality, record locally and upload the audio file.
Consider having custom greetings for holidays, hours of operation, or special promotions.
Design Your Call Menu Options
Now it‘s time to add menu options callers will use to route their calls.
Under the "Phone Menu" section, designate keys like:
- Press 1 for Sales
- Press 2 for Support
- Press 3 for Accounting
- Press 4 for General Inquiries
You can add as many options as needed to direct callers. Just select a number and assign where it routes.
Set Advanced Options
Configure additional settings like:
- Allowing direct extensions for employees
- Timeout length before disconnecting
- Dialing 0 to reach an operator
- Voicemail settings
These extra touches make your auto attendant even more powerful.
Follow the same steps to route the menu options to appropriate departments and individuals. Each one can have customized greetings, business hours, caller ID and more.
Customize Greetings, Hours and Settings
With your call routing configured, it‘s time to customize and test.
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Greetings: Record voice greetings and set a default. Make some seasonal or holiday-specific.
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Hours: Set open hours and after-hours redirects per user.
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Voicemail: Turn on voicemail as a fallback. Record personal mailbox greetings.
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Ring Settings: Choose how calls ring for each person or department.
Take time to get these details right, as they directly impact the caller experience.
Test and Optimize Your Auto Attendant
Don‘t skip this step! Always test calling into your system to confirm:
- Menu options work as expected
- Call routing is correct
- Greetings are clear and professional
- Voicemail functions properly
Listen closely and take notes on any glitches or areas needing improvement. Refine greetings that sound robotic or unclear.
Review analytics on your call traffic and menus. Adjust the structure if data shows patterns.
By regularly testing and optimizing, you can provide an incredible caller experience.
Go Forth and Call Manage!
That covers the complete process of choosing, setting up and customizing an auto attendant system for your website.
With your new phone superpowers, you‘ll project a professional image while efficiently routing calls. Customers will appreciate the effortless experience.
So go grab a business phone number, build that call flow, and let your auto attendant take care of callers for you! Just don‘t forget to test it out.
Let me know if you have any other questions on managing calls for your business. I‘m always happy to help fellow webmasters master the art of call handling.
