22 September 2007

Telephone Message Tips...

I send telephone messages to my boss by email rather than writing it on a telephone message pad. That way it won't get lost in the pile and saves on paper. You could also open a folder in Outlook for Telephone Messages if that would be useful to refer back to.

Voicemail Tips:

Remember to put an Out-of-Office voicemail message on your telephone when you will not be in the office.

I always identify myself and give my title. For example, "You have reached the voicemail of Patricia Robb, Assistant to [insert your professional's name]". If it is a business call don't assume they will recognize your voice. By leaving your name and title this will give them the assurance that they've called the right number. I let them know when I will be back in the office and the name and contact information of someone to contact if they require immediate assistance. (Of course, be sure to check with your co-worker first before providing his or her information). If they need immediate assistance I also give them the option of pressing '0' to speak to the receptionist.

I take advantage of the temporary voicemail message option and set an expiry date and time so my Out-of-Office message will automatically expire an hour before I am due back in the office. This is just one more thing I don't have to remember to do when I am back from holidays; I know my voicemail will be set back to my original message automatically.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Using email is a far more efficient way to leave telephone messages than paper notes which can easiliy get lost.

Instead of sending plain emails, I use eMercury's Message Pad for Outlook which presents the key information to my boss in an easy and standard format.

It also has the option to auto post messages in a shared folder so when he calls into the office for messages, anyone in the team can access messages left by any team member.

Thanks for your tips
Rachael
PA to the MD

Patricia Robb said...

Thanks for your comment Rachael. I have never heard of eMercury's Message pad for Outlook, but it sounds like a great tool.

Patricia
AA to the LLB :)