The Benefits of Automated Attendant

If your business receives a significant number of telephone calls, an automated attendant (AA) is one of the most important features you should look for in a business telephone system. Automated attendant will automatically transfer your callers to an appropriate agent, thereby eliminating the need for an operator or receptionist. In this article, we will consider how an automated attendant could benefit your business.

Many businesses use an automated attendant to manage incoming calls. You will probably be familiar with it, at least on a personal level, from times when you have called various organisations. Most automated attendants have a menu system that requests callers to press a specific number for the department they require. For example, a recorded voice may say something like “press one for customer services, press two for sales”, and so on. Sometimes, there will also be an option to speak to an agent or dial by extension or name etc. Many modern automated attendants are able to route calls to mobiles, VoIP phones, landlines in other locations and other automated attendants. This can prove extremely beneficial to your callers and to your business.

Professional image

An automated attendant can help you to portray a professional image of your company to callers. Because callers are so often greeted with an automated attendant when they call large companies and organisations, it has become a service that is increasingly expected by consumers. Because automated attendant will deal with all of your calls in an efficient manner, it gives a professional image of your business.

The great thing about automated attendant is that it can usually be customised to offer personalised messages to your callers. This can include useful information that is specific to your business such as your opening hours, the hours your office is normally closed and any upcoming events or holidays. Your callers will appreciate this information, as they will know when to call rather than getting frustrated trying to call out of opening hours.

Reduce costs

Many modern business telephone systems come with the option of an automated attendant. The fact that this feature can eliminate the need for an operator or receptionist means that it can save you a significant sum of money on staffing costs. Because an automated attendant will streamline the flow of calls through your organisation, it will increase efficiency and cut the cost of additional staff hours. The larger your business is, the greater the savings that can be made – particularly if your business operates across multiple sites or remote locations. Cutting the cost of your operations is a great way to increase profits and facilitate expansion.

Improve customer service

As you will probably know from personal experience, being constantly put on hold and transferred between agents is an incredibly frustrating experience. This scenario can run the risk of portraying an image of incompetence, as customers wonder why nobody seems capable of assisting them. Automated attendant minimises this by enabling calls to be routed to an appropriate agent in the first instance. This means that customer satisfaction will increase, as their call will be handled much more efficiently.

Increase efficiency and productivity

Automated attendant is, ultimately, an efficient call management solution. Its ability to direct calls to the appropriate agent works to effortlessly streamline the flow of communications to your business. Because callers go directly through to the correct department, overall call time will be reduced and agents will be freed up to deal with other calls instead of acting as an unnecessary mediator. This means that your call centre will run much more efficiently and overall productivity will increase.

With automated attendant, your business can be managed effectively. It’s of great benefit to multi-site businesses and those with remote workers, as calls can easily be routed to alternative numbers such as mobile phones and landlines in other offices.

So, if you are looking for useful features to compliment your business telephone system then automated attendant should be at the top of your list. The benefits it offers are clear, and the great news is that many modern business telephone systems come with this feature as standard. A hosted phone system, for example, is a great way to benefit from automated attendant without the initial capital outlay of a high-end and feature-rich telephone system.