Design an Auto-attendant

A well-designed auto-attendant helps callers reach the right person quickly and efficiently. Rather than waiting for a live receptionist or navigating long hold times, callers can route themselves directly to the department or extension they need. A clear, friendly auto-attendant improves the caller experience while reducing workload for your staff.

Below are some recommended best practices and common mistakes to avoid when designing your auto-attendant.

---

Recommended Practices

• Make “0” connect to a live person so callers never feel stuck.

“To speak to a human being, press 0 at any time.”

• Present the option first, then the action.

“For Help, press 2.”

• Provide department-level choices (e.g., “For Sales”) instead of listing individual employees.
• Allow direct extension dialing so callers can route themselves quickly.
• Offer a way to repeat the menu.

“To repeat these options, press #.”

---

What to Avoid — and What to Do Instead

• DON’T use individual extension numbers for departments.

_Not: “For sales, dial Fred at 101 or Sarah at 201.”_
Instead: Use a single, clear option for the department.
_“For Sales, press 1.”_

• DON’T apologize in your auto-attendant greeting. It’s not an answering machine.

_Not: “We’re sorry we missed your call.”_
Instead: Start with a confident, welcoming greeting.
“Thank you for calling ABC Company.”

• DON’T tell callers to hang up and dial a new number.

_Not: “For tech support, hang up and dial 555-5555.”_
Instead: Route them automatically or give them a menu option.
“For Technical Support, press 2.”

---

Examples of Well-written Auto-attendant Menus

Example 1: ABC Company

Thank you for calling ABC Company
If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now.
For sales, press 1.
For technical support, press 2.
For a directory of extensions, press 3.
To speak to the receptionist, press 0.
To repeat these options, press #.

---

Example 2: XYZ Company

Thank you for calling XYZ Company
If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now.
Otherwise, please hold while we connect your call to a representative who can assist you.

---

Example 3: JKL Company

Office Hours:

Thank you for calling JKL Company
If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now.
To speak to a real person, dial zero at any time.
For sales, press 1. (Rings extensions 111 and 211)
For support, press 2. (Forwards to outside contractor number)
For a directory, press
To repeat these options, press #

After Hours:

Thank you for calling JKL Company
Our office is now closed. Office hours are from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday.
For sales, press 1. (Goes to a sales rep voicemail)
For support, press 2. (Goes to tech support voicemail)
For a directory, press
To repeat these options, press #

---

Next Steps

Once your script is written, the following pages will help you configure the system:

• Simple Call Flow Menu Setup
• Text to Speech
• Menus & Options