Outside hours you should apologise for missing the call, advise the best course of action and when to call again.
When the office is closed its important not to leave callers hear "hanging" listening to the phone ring-out.It's a sure way to get people off-side and send a poor impression of your company. Don't you care for your customers?
A worse-case scenario is caller's hearing an After Hour's Message that has been smashed together. That's a recording that's been roughly written and read by a total amateur. Not a good look!
Your After Hour's Message should afford you a chance to reinforce your company's image as professional and customer-focussed. An After Hours Message needs to convince callers that your company is serious about its business.
Customers both established and new will appreciate the information included in the message. You want them left with a favourable impression about your business.
They will be even more impressed if your After Hour's Message has been written by a specialist copywriter, spoken by one of our male or female professional voice over artists and recorded in our digital recording studios.
You'll be impressed at how little it costs to sound so business-like
As the telephone is such an essential tool in modern business you need to ensure any impact the phone has is very positive. Remember callers should always hope to enjoy being one of your customers.
The After Hours Message should follow some basic guidelines.It should first and foremost say "thanks" for calling. Then it should include the company's normal trading times. You may have a phone system that permits the caller to record a brief message "after the beep".
Remember if you make the offer to call back, don't forget to do it
To arrange a FREE QUOTE for a professional After Hours Message click here
Sample wording for an After Hours Message: Thank you for calling (add company name here), but unfortunately you have called outside our normal operating hours and we are closed for the day. Please call back during our opening hours which are (list normal opening hours).Alternatively you can leave a brief message with your name and number and we will return your call when the office re-opens. Leave your message after the "beep". Thank you
Example for Medical Services After Hours Message: Thank you for calling (add the name of Doctor or Medical Centre), however you have called outside our normal opening hours. If this call concerns a medical emergency please hang up now and dial 000 to request an ambulance. Otherwise please call back during our opening hours which are (list normal opening hours). If you wish to leave a brief message with your name and number we will return your call during normal opening hours. Please record your message after the tone.