The Anatomy Of A Voicemail
Have you ever gotten a weird voicemail that says something like: “To leave a message, press 5," and that's it? You’re not alone.
Not only are voicemails like that annoying, but they're also a waste of time for both the company sending them and the consumer receiving them.
Drips is here to help you break down the anatomy of a voicemail and explain why incomplete or “weird” voicemails happen.
What Causes Incomplete Voicemails
Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology is meant to simplify the way people communicate through phone calls in a cost-efficient and scalable way — on the inbound side, it enables you to route your audience to the correct department, select the right language without the need for an operator, and even leave (or re-record) a message. IVR tends to work great on the inbound side, but when it’s used for outbound calls (also known as Voice Broadcasting), things can get a bit trickier to navigate. Issues could occur when companies attempt to use outbound IVR with, or without answering machine detection (AMD), which detects if a person or a mailbox has “answered” the phone.
Unfortunately, AMD is not without its issues. Even if you successfully implement AMD with one telco provider, you might still stand the chance of leaving partial voicemails with others. That’s because not all providers offer answering machine detection, and it isn't all created equal. Often the AMD will be wrong, and a user answering “Hello” with some music in the background could be determined to be an answering machine and get hung up on!
Ultimately, this can result in a poor user experience, especially if someone gets a 30-second voicemail filled with a partial message. Due to these conflicting technology limits, until relatively recently there wasn't a smart way to leave great voicemails from an outbound call (and ringless voicemails aren’t a great alternative, with their own risks and own technical and regulatory issues).If you decide to leave voicemails, technology aside, you still have to craft a compelling and compliant message. (Spoiler alert — Drips has a better innovative way, read below for more on that!)
What Makes a Good Voicemail?
Because voicemails (like most phone communications) are heavily regulated, we asked Meghan Quinn of Squire Patton Boggs what makes a good voicemail. Here’s what she said:
“The TCPA has a number of critical requirements when it comes to the content of prerecorded calls—including disclosure requirements and the need to use an automatic opt-out functionality for marketing calls (and even for some informational calls). As with other sections of the TCPA, careful attention to the applicable regulations is critical to avoid potential ‘gotcha’ liability.”
Don’t forget — if you’re going to leave an automated voicemail the right way, you have to do so in a way that lets the recipient unsubscribe without having to talk to a human (as Meghan said, an “automatic opt-out functionality”), which is usually accomplished by providing a toll-free call back number so a user can remove themselves easily. In addition, you need to identify yourself when you call. You can't simply say, "We're calling about your mortgage. Call us back at the following number." That's not good enough and creates unnecessary risk.
Speaking of risk, those leaving ringless voicemails (a message that goes straight to voicemail without the phone ringing) may want to exercise even more caution, as there has been some unfavorable court decisions and settlements in recent years. Instead, try sticking to leaving a voicemail following a call — the natural way.
If you really want to leave a solid voicemail, these guidelines are a recommended approach (as always, after getting the appropriate consent to call):
- Identify yourself
- Provide an easy way to contact you?(phone number)
- Disclose the purpose of the message
- Offer an opt-out
- Don't ignore courtesy
- Try to maintain a pleasant tone of voice
The Drips Solution
As we all know, automatic voicemail detection is not foolproof and often means you could be hanging up on real people or leaving a portion of an outbound IVR (Interactive Voice Response) recording in your audience’s mailbox. Fortunately, Drips has built a better way to leave a voicemail!
We developed a proprietary methodology to leave quality voicemails at scale. And in addition, the voicemails we leave are designed and delivered in a way that’s easily transcribed. Because let’s face it — when’s the last time you listened to a voicemail instead of reading the transcription? If your message can't be transcribed, it probably won't be heard.
Drips’ AI technology leaves a voicemail message the way they are intended to be left. Our messages are correctly optimized, especially when it comes to click to call. That means messages have a clickable phone number that can increase existing campaign performance by up to 20%. Instead of listening to an entire message to write down an extension or direct line, the audience can click the number and call instantly.
Want to experience our proprietary voicemail methodology?
Disclaimer: This blog and all information contained in it does not, nor is it intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information and content herein is for educational and informational purposes only. Information in this blog may not constitute the most up-to-date information, and Drips, the writers of this blog, and any contributors or contributing law firms herein disclaim any obligations relating to the timeliness or accuracy of the information contained here. No warranties should be implied. All liability with respect to any actions taken or not based on the contents of this blog is expressly disclaimed. Readers should consult with an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal manner, and no reader should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this blog without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Contact Us.
