Voice-over-IP (VoIP) features like "auto-attendants" let you connect incoming calls to the right person or area without requiring a phone operator. This voice menu technology enables businesses to reduce wait times and handle large-scale call volumes. Touch-tone dialing enables customers to access the support they require via self-service functions, allowing agents to allocate more time to handle complicated tasks and requests.

In this post, we'll explain automated phone calls and discuss how to handle them, along with guidance for implementing them in your business.

Automated Phone Call Systems

In business environments, an automated phone call is a feature of a telecommunications system that answers and greets. It handles incoming calls according to the caller's preferences from a self-service menu.

 Automated call systems are a new type of business software that makes phone calls automatic. This saves time and money because no contact center workers are required to answer incoming or outgoing calls. As a flexible business communication tool, it sends audio messages, customizes caller ID and company greetings, records calls, schedules conversations, creates video conferences, and more.

For lead qualification or sales, businesses can use an automated calling service to reach thousands of potential customers with a prerecorded audio message. They can send event reminders or emergency messages to all their contacts, including team members.

Moreover, automated phone systems aid businesses provide appropriate answering machine messages for client support calls. Auto-attendants can do the following with pre-set IVR call flows:

Assist callers in identifying the proper department.Prevent incoming callers from disconnecting.Calls that need to be answered will be forwarded to voicemail or another representative.Route and automatically transfer incoming callsGive callers important information such as hours, location, and weather/COVID updates.Hold calls until an agent responds.

Setting Up an Automated Phone Call

Using a system specializing in phone calls together with a headset is the easiest approach for setting up an automated call. These platforms give comprehensive products and free trials that enable you to establish your campaign and continue making calls in just a few minutes.

 Although the procedure for configuring automated phone calls may differ among service providers, it generally comprises the following steps:

Give menu options: Assign a specific destination for each keypad number (1-9) in your phone system's auto-attendant settings. Calls can be routed to an agent, a department, a voicemail, an audio announcement, or a ring group.Make a note of the greeting and menu options to choose from: You can record audio or implement text-to-talk to make a menu that shows incoming calls how to connect. Add announcements or more than one set of menu choices.Set up lists or call groups: You can set up your phone system to make call groups or queues to get several adults to share responsibility.Specify the business hours: You can modify your menus, announcements, and routes based on agent availability or business hours.Establish timeout setups: If a call goes unanswered for a specific time, you can configure it to begin with a greeting, send the caller to voicemail, or hang up the call.Test after saving settings: Make sure the menu for your auto attendant works properly by testing it out.Modify the menu as time goes on: Use any data you can get, like queue volume statistics and customer comments, to keep improving your automated attendant to make customers satisfied.

What Should You Avoid When Using Automated Phone Calls?

An automated phone system's worst problem is an inadequate menu. It can upset each caller to the point where they must switch to an alternative service provider.

Your menu needs to be clear and provide options that may be used in different scenarios. Avoid lengthy greetings, incorrect options, and a lot of choices that may need clarification among customers.

A complicated user interface and muffled audio can also detract from the overall experience. Your callers should not be required to run through hoops to get assistance, nor should they be required to pay attention to the same song repeatedly while on hold. If you prefer to play music, give callers the option to select their favorites.

The Working Procedure of Automated Phone Systems

An automated phone call system is a call management system for incoming and outgoing calls. By allowing you to record a customized audio message for each customer pain point, inbound call systems enable each caller to select from a menu of options and fix a specific problem.

If a message doesn't work, they can route calls to accessible agents. Some systems also have an automatic callback feature that lets customers ask an individual to call them back later. These automatic call dialers can also send a recorded message to your contacts without the agents calling them.

Automated phone call menu systems function as follows:

When a customer dials a business's local or toll-free number, they hear a prerecorded message.The consumer can resolve the issue or get live agent support by picking a relevant menu item and dialing the appropriate number.Some voice-activated tools let customers discuss the problem instead of pressing a button.Outbound calls work in the opposite direction. When the automatic messaging system picks up the phone, it plays an audio message and lets the individual chat with a real person. Otherwise, the "Auto leave message on voicemail" feature is used.

Third-party interactions are available with these customized phone menus. Integrating yours with CRM software lets you segment, score, and monitor leads.

Calling Automation: How to Boost Your Phone System

1) Virtual queue

A virtual queue lets you set up and handle call lists for your contact center agents. Callers will be routed via a virtual queue until they are answered, at which point the phone system will automatically route the call to a different representative. You can make and receive calls with it.

2. Customer Onboarding

Customer onboarding, an additional method of automating outbound contacts, involves inquiring about experiences and providing assistance. IVR or off-site lead creation solutions can qualify clients and queue them for live engagement. The system calls the customer to connect them to an agent.

3. Proactive aid to customers

Your organization can automated outbound calls for proactive customer support. It's preferable to call clients before they contact you about an issue. This method can assist consumers with billing questions, service modifications, and technical problems.

4. Client feedback

Automated phone calls can be used for gathering client feedback. Respondents receive a survey notification and are asked to provide feedback. It ensures that everyone, even if they don't phone your contact center, gets questioned about their experience.

5. Automated customer retention

Automating processes is the key to customer retention. After a sale, the contact center can automatically handle service calls to keep in touch with clients. Agents can check in with clients and proactively resolve issues.

6. Universally available services

You will probably have people who don't like ways of interacting, like the web or digital chat. People in this group may only buy sometimes, but they are important to your business. Effective communication channels are necessary, yet outbound calls may only address some issues.

Conclusion:

VoIP and CTI make automated outgoing calls easy. You should select a system that lets you customize your dialing parameters and create call lists. Implementing an automated phone call system is simple; it reduces customer waiting times and routes calls to the appropriate department. Small businesses that don't require elaborate menus for their clientele may also benefit from them.