The Death of Voicemail – Ensure Your Business Doesn’t Get Caught Out
If you own a business that has to field inbound calls it’s likely that at some point in the last decade you will have been exposed to the idea that the traditional voicemail (the act of leaving a voice message for someone who hasn’t picked up their phone) is gradually dying out. In recent years a number of companies, namely Coca-Cola in 2014 and JPMorgan Chase in 2015, have got rid of it completely from their offices, supporting the idea it is on its way out.
Here at Officefront we believe that now is the time to go a step further and declare not only that voicemail is officially dead, but that continuing to use it could actually have negative implications for your business. If you own an organisation that still uses voicemail there is however no reason to panic. Our renowned telephone answering service will ensure every inbound call to your business is answered so voicemail isn’t necessary.
What has caused the death of voicemail?
Over the last 10 years there has been a re-shaping of the way we communicate both personally and professionally. The growth of instant messaging platforms such as ‘Facebook Messenger’, ‘Whatsapp’ and ‘Slack’ has completely transformed how we connect and interact with one another. In the online age where you can access information about almost anything with the click of a button, we now expect answers to our questions immediately and we’re quick to look elsewhere if we don’t get what we want. Unfortunately for voicemail, it just doesn’t fit this mould. People are even put off using the services of a business if they don’t get an instant answer and are instead invited to leave a voicemail.
This is best explained using an example…
You’re looking to buy a bouquet of flowers in your local town and there are certain types of flowers that you would like included. To find out if your nearest florist has the type of flowers you are after you give them a call… no answer and it goes to voicemail. In years gone by, rather than taking on the laborious task of leafing through The Yellow Pages and ringing around other florists, you may have waited for them to call back to give you an answer. Now however, with the touch of a button on your phone, you can contact all the other florists in the area almost instantly. As they may provide you with the information you want you may also then purchase the flowers from one of the other florists. Your local florist will have ultimately lost a sale as they didn’t provide you with an immediate response.
The other issue with voicemail is that it is inefficient when you compare it with the available alternatives. In the world of business where everyone and everything seems to be constantly moving at the speed of light, efficiency is the minimum expectation. Whether a company provides a quick but quality service is often the litmus test when deciding its reputation. The problem with voicemail is that deciphering the information left in a message can often be a timely process. Voice messages may have to be replayed multiple times by the listener so they can understand the key points in the sender’s message. Ultimately this could waste precious time and money, especially when the message could be conveyed far quicker using an instant messaging service or in an email that is far easier to understand. It is also worth noting that when crafting an email or a written message the sender can word the text in a way that encapsulates precisely what they want to say. This can be tricky when leaving a voicemail as often you have to think on the spot.
In recent years the rules on how we should communicate have been completely re-written. Sadly for the traditional voicemail, it just doesn’t adhere to them and that is why it is now time to declare that it is officially dead.
What should you do if your business fields lots of inbound calls
So, you’ve accepted the death of voicemail. But what next if you own a business that takes lots of inbound calls? You can’t possibly answer every call so what should you do? The answer… use a telephone answering service.
At Officefront our telephone answering service gives you access to a team of highly trained, professional receptionists that are experienced in handling phone calls from a wide range of different sectors and industries. They are on hand to ensure that every inbound call to your business gets answered without fail. Whether you’re going on a lunch break, a comfort break, or you’re off on holiday, you can relax safe in the knowledge that no stakeholder, client or prospective customer will be sent to voicemail when they contact your business. It’s really that simple and will have a huge impact on the professional image of your business!
If you’re interested in finding out more about our telephone answering service please get in touch. We will create a bespoke and flexible quote that’s tailored precisely to your business needs and budget. Call us on 020 8906 6666 today – we guarantee you won’t be put through to voicemail!
