What is the difference between auto attendant and IVR?

An auto attendant can route calls to various employees or departments. Using an auto attendant, you can set different parameters, like day and night mode. You can even have a completely different message go out if the office is closed for a holiday. IVR (or Interactive Voice Response), is a far more advanced version of an auto attendant. It uses the verbal commands that a live person would say to the phone system rather than a keypad. Using an IVR, your automated system can perform more tasks than the simple call routing of an auto attendant. Both Voice over IP ( VoIP ) technologies work together to handle high call volumes and meeting business needs.

Can I save money with an auto attendant?

Yes, not only will you save money using an auto attendant, it will generate revenue for your business. Instead of sending callers to your voicemail when they dial your cell phone, you can handle their call, especially if they want to reach "sales." When someone wants to do business, they don't bother explaining it in a voice mailbox. You can also configure your auto attendant to automatically route calls to a live operator or answering service. When you're back in the office, you can answer calls from your business phone number .

Can auto attendants interact with callers?

In a limited capacity, auto attendants have the ability to converse with callers, but through a series of menus (and submenus) to become interactive. Another way a virtual receptionist interacts with callers is through a dial-by-name directory. Typically, with an auto attendant, you’ll instruct callers such as “Press 1 for sales. Press 2 for customer service.” Only a more advanced model, like an Interactive Voice Response, can listen to the customer’s speech and respond accordingly. Auto attendants on their own are menu services offering choices that the caller can select from.

Should I use an auto attendant or a live receptionist?

Auto attendants provide businesses an affordable and scalable solution to meet your business needs. However, it doesn't have a cheerful, fun personality. You will want to set an auto attendant up with a professional recording for the best possible experience. Receptionists, on the other hand, are friendly and more caring for customers. They might even recognize callers by their caller ID when their phone rings. For urgent matters, you want a live rep to handle the call. There's nothing that stops a business from doing both with their VoIP phone system . Use an auto attendant to greet callers and direct them to the proper virtual phone numbers. Otherwise, provide them the option to speak to an operator by dialing zero.

Hold Music | VoIP Features

How to set up hold music

It's easy to set up your on-hold music in Nextiva's hosted PBX. Business owners enjoy the fine-grained control they have of their hold options.

Access the Nextiva Voice Portal and click on Features located at the top.
From the Voice Admin Dashboard, click on Manage in the Locations tile.
Hover over the desired location and select the pencil icon on the right.
Scroll down and click on Location Features.
Select the pencil icon that is next to Music On Hold.
Choose the default hold music or upload your custom music files. Adjust your settings as desired.
Press the Save button when you're satisfied with your music on hold settings.

For more guidance, including free music files (WAV), please read this support article.

Why businesses choose Nextiva

Features

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Nextiva is HIPAA and SOC-2 compliant, with a multi-million-dollar security budget.

Call Quality

High-performance data centers and HD Voice technology ensure superior voice quality.

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Hold music FAQs

While no one enjoys being on hold, there are times when employees must place a call on hold. Music On Hold informs customers that the call is still active and can be informed with hold messages about products and special officers.

The hold music feature has been proven to decrease hang-up rates. A study conducted by USA Business Telephone Today discovered that a combination of on-hold music and a hold message resulted in 98% of callers staying on the line. The stats also revealed that the perceived hold time was dramatically shorter.

Music on Hold provides customers with something to listen to while they wait. It's not only when you place a caller on hold. Hold music also applies when people wait in a call queue to be answered.

Add a little variety from official music licensing providers. Such service providers will provide approved music on hold files that you can load into your hosted phone system.

Originally created on accident, hold music dates back to 1962. A factory owner and entrepreneur, Alfred Levy, accidentally connected their phone system to the building's metal beam. A neighboring radio station's music played for callers.

Since then, it was patented and an entire industry built on creating the perfect audio file for callers. Such services are dubbed Music On Hold (MOH) and can offer affordable, royalty-free MP3 files for use in a VoIP phone system.

One of the most recognizable hold music tracks is "Opus One" created by hobbyists Darrick Deel and Tim Carleton. Later, Darrick joined Cisco Systems. While there, he included it with Cisco CallManager PBX software.

Yes, you can customize your music on hold settings. Modern cloud PBX systems offer the capability to customize selections based on the time of day or the extension that was dialed. This applies to both music and messaging.

You can also create a longer playlist that consists of a mix of on-hold messages and music.

To improve the hold experience for callers, use a 70/30 blend between music and hold messages. This messaging can include frequently asked questions, news about new services or features of your business, new promotions or marketing messages, or your business' hours or directions. This is sometimes called hold marketing.

For music, opt for royalty-free, licensed music that is approved for playback in PBX systems. Look for music that can be easily looped. Ideally, you want to have people wait on hold for less than one minute.

For optimal customer experience, give them an option to leave a voicemail. Ensure your team reviews and returns voicemail messages in a timely fashion.

When callers are being given information that they find valuable, they're more likely to stay on the line.