Enter the eReceptionist – eVoice’s eReceptionist, to be precise. He or she (you choose the gender) will answer calls for you using a customised greeting and give customers options to choose from – redirecting your 1300 number, 1800 number, local number or 13 number to your mobile, the office, a colleague or any other number you designate.

Perhaps one of the most useful things your eReceptionist can do is direct your calls to a particular location depending on the time of day, or day of the week. In this respect, like a real receptionist, your eReceptionist seems to know where you are and what you’re doing at any given moment, ensuring that customer calls are not missed.

What does eReceptionist sound like?

You need your receptionist to make a professional impression on your customers, and you also want to be able to tailor what they sound like and the way they deliver your greeting. If your business is surf wear for example, you probably don’t want someone sounding like a retired banker answering your customer’s calls. A relaxed, young voice is probably more what your customers will expect.

On the other hand, if you are running a financial consultancy, a retired banker-type voice may be exactly the tone that inspires confidence in potential customers.

eReceptionist messages are recorded by professional voiceover artists, such as you hear on television and radio commercials. You nominate the gender, and there is a range of ages and voice types to choose from – a list will be provided. All you do is provide the script you want them to narrate and you will have your personalised phone greeting read out by exactly the type of person you want to be representing your business to customers.

A closer look at eReceptionist features

Like any good receptionist, eReceptionist not only sounds professional, but works hard behind the scenes to keep your business running smoothly.

Call Overflow means a backup number directs customers to another number when the regular one is busy. Voice-to-Email means you get a short message via email detailing a customer’s call. Call Distribution splits up calls to different locations based on pre-established rules, while Call Announcetells you who is calling and whether it’s a business or a personal call.

Phone answering systems have come a long way from the old cassette tape answering machine. Thanks to digital technology, you can now give that all important first impression a professional edge 24/7 without having to pay someone an hourly wage.