If you’re unfamiliar with “auto-attendant menus,” we hear you. Typically used for a business greeting such as “Press 1 for Sales, Press 2 for Support, etc.,” auto-attendant menus give your call routing a world of possibilities. Also sometimes known as digital/virtual receptionists or automated call menus, auto-attendant menus offer your customers multiple ways to reach you and your team.

Combine auto-attendant menus with your call routing to streamline your call handling solutions and quickly direct callers to the appropriate person or department.

With NumberGarage, your business calls can route to any landline or cell phone assigned to your auto-attendant menu. Need an option to direct calls with urgent priority? Send calls to user groups to route a call to multiple team members at the same time. Set a schedule to direct calls to certain numbers or users during or after business hours. NumberGarage gives you the tools to make even the most complex call systems simple and straightforward for your callers.

Benefits of automated call menus

And the benefits to maximizing your auto-attendant menu opportunities are numerous. Adding an auto-attendant menu to your business call system lets you “optimize call handling…which is useful for managing periods of high call volumes and increasing customer satisfaction.” To further summarize a more in-depth discussion on auto-attendant menus from Fit Small Business, call menus not only convey a sense of professionalism to your customers, but they also help keep your company efficient. And of course, auto-attendant menus offer your customers greater accessibility to you and your company by serving as an around-the-clock avenue to get your callers where they need to go. 

Tips for setting up your call menu

NumberGarage gives your greetings and menus countless ways to direct your callers. Upload your own pre-recorded voice menu to make your call greetings more personal or friendly. For a few tips on setting up a basic call menu, we recommend that you:

1. Script out your greeting before you record it. For your convenience, check out some script samples to get you started.
2. Record your greeting, ensuring you are free from distractions, interruptions and background noise like dogs barking, etc. 
3. Verify that your greeting key-press options correspond to your auto-attendant menu configurations.
4. Always test your menu prior to launching to make sure you’ve set your calls to route to the correct options and that the order of your options move in a logical flow for your caller. 

Don’t love the sound of your voice on a recording? You’re not alone. Since many of us don’t really care for our “phone voice” we also recommend using an easy and free text-to-speech generator like Wideo, with multiple types of voices and accents to choose from. Simply type your message with the corresponding key prompts into the text generator, select a “voice” and easily download your audio file. 

How to route your auto-attendant menu

When configuring your menu, after you’ve uploaded your audio file, with each enabled key-press number you then have the option to send calls to a User, Group, Message, Voicemail, or to Repeat the Message (menu greeting).

By selecting User, calls will forward to a specific user in your account.

Selecting Group will send a call to a group of users, ringing them simultaneously until the call is answered.

If the Message option is selected, the caller will hear an audio message that you’ve uploaded for that specific key-press option.

Selecting Voicemail for a key-press option will send the user directly to your primary NumberGarage voicemail for that phone number where the caller can leave a voicemail message.

To give the caller the option to hear the entire menu greeting again, make sure to include a key-press option that has selected the Repeat Message option. 

Branch out with clever menus

Key-press options don’t have to only forward calls to specific phone numbers or departments. Did you know that you can send callers to important pre-recorded messages, or directly to a voicemail? By using a schedule, you can also create an “after-hours” menu that gives callers a completely different set of menu options.

Not only do businesses use call menus to forward to different phone users and departments, companies like Polyvinyl Records are defying tradition and using their call menus in compelling and unique new ways. They’ve “reinvented the hotline,” reframing their auto-attendant menus as a customer engagement channel. Polyvinyl’s clever, captivating and humorous marketing hotlines cultivate a sense of mystique and nostalgia, solidifying a connection between artists and their audiences. 

Don’t limit yourself. Capture your callers’ attention with entertaining and interesting call menus or hotlines.

Whatever your auto-attendant menu needs, we’ve got you covered. Just getting started in the world of virtual phone systems for your business? Get an auto-attendant menu and other features essential for your business phone system today!