VOICE MAIL GUIDELINES

Messages: Voice mail should be checked at the earliest convenience upon returning from an absence or upon notification that messages are waiting. For traveling employees, voice mailboxes should be checked a minimum of three times per day. Calls should be returned within the same business day whenever possible; within 24 hours is acceptable when circumstances dictate. Returning calls promptly increases your callers’ willingness to leave a message.

Greetings: Outgoing greetings should be updated to reflect the employee’s current status. Traveling employees may record a weekly greeting describing that week’s activities. Employees on vacation or sick leave may record a message that indicates the planned date of return. Greetings that include a time reference strengthen the credibility of the system and will increase confidence that the call will be returned. Greetings should be professional. Profane or obscene language will not be tolerated. Examples of appropriate greetings are included in this handout.

Mailbox Security (Passwords): Your password was created when you first initialized your mailbox. Your mailbox password can be changed at any time. Keep your password in a safe place and avoid giving it to a co-worker. A password must be between 4 and 16 digits in length. Consecutive numbers, extension numbers or duplicate numbers are not acceptable.(example 1234 or 9999 will not work)

Your mailbox password is used to keep your voice messages private. If someone else knows your password, they can access your mailbox and listen to or delete your messages. They may also be able to access your Voice Mail System and use it fraudulently.

We recommend that you change your mailbox password on a regular basis, for example, every 60 to 90 days. By changing your password regularly, you decrease the likelihood that someone will discover your password and if someone does, that password would only work for a limited period of time.

Mailbox Maintenance: Messages should be deleted as soon as the information is no longer useful. Failure to delete messages timely will result in restrictions as to what you can do while logged in to voice mail. Improper mailbox maintenance could result in loss of use.

SAMPLE VOICE MAIL GREETINGS

Basic Daily Greeting: “Hello, this is (Your Name) with (Your Company Name or Department Name). I am in the office today, however I must be on my phone or away from my desk. At the sound of the tone, please leave your name, number and a brief message and I will return your call as soon as possible. (Optional) – If you need immediate assistance, please press “0” and your call will be directed to someone that can help you. Thank you for calling.”

Temporary Out of the Office Greeting: “Hello, this is (Your Name) with (Your Company Name or Department Name). I will be away from my office this morning from 8:30 until 11:00 to attend a meeting. Please leave your name number and a brief message and I will call you back upon my return. (Optional) – If you need immediate assistance, please press “0” and your call will be directed to someone that can help you. Thank you for calling.”

Out of the Office Greeting: “Hello, this is (Your Name) with (Your Company Name or Department Name). I’ll be out of the office all day on Monday and Tuesday, but will return by noon on Wednesday. I’ll be in the office the remainder of the week. I’ll be checking messages regularly so please leave a brief message and I’ll return your call at my earliest opportunity. (Optional) – If you need immediate assistance, please press “0” and your call will be directed to someone that can help you. Thank you for calling.”

Vacation Greeting: “Vacation Alert. This is (Your Name) with (Your Company Name or Department Name). I will be on vacation from (Month and day) until (Month and day) and will not be checking messages. If your message is of an urgent nature, please press “0” and your call will be directed to someone that can help you. If you prefer to leave me a message, please do so at the sound of the tone and I will return your call on (Month and day).”