What is an auto-attendant?
Auto-attendants, also known as a virtual receptionist, are similar to Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems except that the caller uses their keypad to choose an option rather than their voice. For example, they hear options like "press 1 for sales."
Think of it as virtual answering services for your business like a call center or contact center instead of relying on a live answering service. It's designed to improve the overall customer experience without the cost of hiring a live receptionist to work 24/7.
The advantages of auto-attendants
Efficient Call Management
An auto-attendant feature provides you with a way to greet callers with an automatic greeting. It can also route callers directly to specific employees, departments, extension numbers, or phones (including a remote team or virtual office). You can control call volume and call flow with virtual receptionist services to ensure responsive customer support.
Flexibility and Mobility
Your auto-attendant can forward calls to any extension, an outside line, or directly to voicemail. You can also establish rules about how to handle certain incoming calls with specific caller ID information, for when certain customers or suppliers call. It's also a good way to host promotions for your company; use a special call-in number with a custom greeting and set of options.
Customizable Greetings
Use the automated answering service to welcome callers with a custom company greeting that reflects your brand. Use custom greetings to reflect the time of year (like the holiday season), specific hours of operation, or information about how to reach specific employees or department extensions. Provide multiple languages and various company locations to help callers make the right selection.
No Additional Costs
Auto-attendant is included in the GoToConnect cloud-based PBX solution for all your business communications needs. There is no additional cost along with all the other functionality GoToConnect offers for call center services, including outbound calls, voicemail, call forwarding and more.
Why choose GoToConnect?
Complete Solution
Scalable
Reliable
Unlimited Auto-Attendants
If your main business phone number has a lot of options, the auto-attendant feature delivers the functionality to accommodate them all. An initial auto-attendant can greet callers, giving them options to hear the company directory, dial by extension, or go to different departments.
Use subsequent auto-attendants to greet the caller once they get to their selected extension or department. For example, a caller might select billing in the main auto-attendant, and then hear further options for different individuals or account types in the subsequent auto-attendant.
Visual Dial Plan Editor
Automated Answering and Call Routing
Call routing gets every call connected to the correct endpoint. This feature is also known as the dial plan because it offers a visual dial plan editor: a map of all call paths for your company.
You can set up your business line to automatically answer after one ring and then route calls to an auto-attendant. Control the options you provide and design the best experience for your customer. As part of auto answering, you can use the Find Me/Follow Me feature to route incoming calls to multiple phones in a specific sequence.
Other features
Call Routing
Get your call connected to the correct endpoint.
Virtual Voicemail
Listen to voicemail messages from anywhere – internet, mobile device or outside line.
Call Transfer
Transfer a call to the appropriate person without losing the caller.
Incoming Call Handling
VoIP Calling
All employees can answer a call, place it on hold and have someone else pick it up.
Call Waiting
See when a second call is coming in while on an active call.
Frequently asked questions
- Is auto-attendant included in my GoToConnect?
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Yes, the auto-attendant feature is included in your license at no additional cost.
- Can I record my own sound clips on my auto-attendants?
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Yes, high-quality sound clips are easily configured and recorded by using your business phone system as well as your own phone, laptop, or another device in the GoToConnect portal. This gives you the ability to use a real person from your company or a recording service.
- What if the auto-attendant doesn’t provide an option for the desired department?
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Auto-attendant menu options are unlimited and customizable so you can add that desired department as an option for each phone number. Destinations can include any extension, voicemail, call queue, or dial plan. Options can vary based on a pre-determined schedule, including factors like business hours or holiday hours as well as include sub-menus as part of your menu system.
- What can a customer do if they don't do hear all of the options the auto-attendant provides when they first call in?
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Customers on incoming calls can replay the auto-attendant options if they don't hear all the options on your phone answering services.
- How many options can an auto-attendant supply?
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Our virtual receptionist solution comes with an unlimited number of options for your auto attendant system, including name directory, the ability to expedite important calls, and other sub-menus for your business phone system.
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