Jill Tarnoff
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Please Please Me

6/27/2016

3 Comments

 
Please please me, oh yeah, like I please you.....

To all of those who have gone the extra step to hire me to record a phone message for their business, I say, "Thank you".  I am glad you realize that the voice on the phone when people call you should be professional, friendly and easy to understand.

Some of you write a script that includes information about your business. It's a good chance to tell potential customers what you can do for them. Some of you get to the point, so that a caller can be quickly connected to the right department. All of you invariably get to a part of the phone message that says something like this, "Thank you for calling _________, for _________ please press 1, for __________ please press 2, for _________ please press 3." 

You're great, you are polite, you thanked the caller for calling. However, when you get to the part that tells them which number to press for each department, it gets too polite. You do not need to keep saying, "please press".

Confession, I'm accusing you of being too polite but I am being self serving. Do you know how challenging it is for a voice artist to keep saying all those "p's" in "please press" without popping them? I know all the tricks. I have a pop filter, I keep the proper distance from the mike, I say it a bit like a "b" sound, but it's still tough.

So, my request is simply this......say, "please press 1", and after that just say, "press 2". You are still the polite and professional proprietor - wow, those "p's are everywhere - and your customer doesn't have to listen to the repetitive instructions.

Please please me, oh yeah, and I will speak for you.


3 Comments
Richard Moncure link
8/1/2016 06:34:08 am

Great points, Jill. The greetings you mention are found in a client's AUTOMATED ATTENDANT. Years ago, it was trendy to have a musical sounder, a branding statement, followed by 'press #' options. Today, the trend is 'economy of word'. Say it nice,.....say it fast, yet with clarity, and put the options in the order of most commonly requested. And for heaven's sake, it is no longer important to remind a caller that their call is important to you (found in ACD call center queues WAY too much). That trend is leftover from a period of time when we all felt the use of technology was a burden to the caller. It is now a part of life and no longer requires an apology. Be nice, but be brief. Great blog item, Jill.

Reply
Jill Tarnoff
8/6/2016 10:01:39 am

Thanks Richard, what about the part that says, "please listen carefully as our options have changed"? Why do they keep announcing that? Does anyone ever remember the original options?

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Inglewood Casual Encounters link
1/26/2025 03:57:53 am

Thanks greatt blog

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    Jill Tarnoff
    ​Grantor of voice over wishes

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