Would you use a professional VO answerphone message?

[www.sitepal.co.uk]

Would you use a professional voice-over answerphone message for when your out the office.

Thinking of starting up a New business offering professional voice-over recordings for small business.

Do you record your own message?

Would you use a professional message that no only tells the caller your out but also gives the caller info on your company.

Really like your feedback on this

Thanks

Tony

[Jayne]

Hi,

I just use the one that came with the phone, I use my number for work and home, so wouldn't use a pro' one on this number :D

Claire on here has a good posh phone voice if you need anyone.

Jayne

[seabro]

Hi Tony,

I definately would. A professional VO on the PBX gives such an imprved perception of your company.

Where I have installed Asterisk PBX for clients I have suggested it but they have as good as laughed at me.

I dont have one - but definately would, it just hasn't made it to the top of my priority list yet!

Good luck.

[creospace]

I think Jayne is offering a similar service?

[Astaroth]

I have to say that a lot of companies do have very unprofessional messages for IVR, voicemail etc but I am not sure that an external VO is required rather than just more consideration being given to it internally.

[cjd]

We use this Lady for all Voipfone's voice files

http://www.sarahparnell.com/

She's excellent but for one-off messages Voice Artists are quite expensive because there's a big difference between a professional recording and an amatuer one - you need a studio and various mikes etc......

[UK2004]

This is something that sprung to ind here, I recorded a voicemail for when we are on the phones or awy from desks and it sounded crap! You get background noise and everything, want one of those nice bubbly sweet ladies to do mine so it sounds welcoming to customers.

[Lloyd Morgan Productions]

As an upcoming company this is something I am really keen to use. Recording a voice mail message yourself, does not make the best first impression to potential customers. Unfortunately the cost for these services are rather dear.

A good cheap alternative is to record your message under a duvet. This sounds a little silly, and you might feel a little silly doing it, but it cuts out the background noise, and allows for a better quality sound.

Saying that i will be looking to get a professional voice over message made up in the near future.

[business-lists]

If the price was under 100 pounds I think it would work.

[Dawn Lane]

If I was away from my desk a lot of the time and not able to answer the phone, I would be more worried about missed business than what my voice sounded like.

I would use a call answering service of which there are many but my preferred one is Virtual Receptionist (based in Plymouth)

Dawn

[Officebird]

Obviously since I run a call answering service I would recommend that so that callers speak to a real person and you don't lose a potential lead, however.. If using an answerphone I think a preofessionally recorded one would provide a more professional image than one recorded in a busy office.

A lot of people don't leave answerphone messages anyway (70-80%) but this must go up for the businesses that use a generic BT answerphone message. The number of businesses that don't even record a message with a company name on it is suprising. When I have done follow up calls and I get the BT call minder message I'm always shocked as a potential client wouldn't even know if they'd rang the right number.:rolleyes: