Phonemail Greeting Tips

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General Information
Faculty & Staff
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The regular greeting in your phonemail box is made up of 2 separate greetings. One is a greeting that people hear when calling you from off-campus (external). The other is a greeting given to people who call from on-campus extensions (internal). Think about the type of person that is calling your line. What do you want callers to know if you are not available to answer your phone? Refer to the example greetings listed below.

Information To Include in Your Greeting
Setting Up a Personal Referral Greeting
Recording a New Personal Greeting
Example greetings

Information you may wish to include in your greeting:

  • Your name.
  • What office (e.g., Development Office at Bowdoin College).
  • Your telephone number - including prefix (e.g. 721 or 725), and 207 for off-campus greetings.
  • Hours of operation or when you can be reached.
  • Stick to the facts. It is reasonable to assume that since phonemail is answering your phone, you are away from your desk or unavailable, there is no need to explain that to callers.
  • Try not to use abbreviations - Assume a caller does not know anything about your department.
  • Try not to "dead end" a caller. Provide the caller with another contact. Is there someone else that can answer your calls? You will need to set up a referral line in your phonemail box. This is a system transfer that allows callers to transfer to another line that you designate within your phonemail box. Make callers aware of this option in your greeting.

Setting up a personal referral extension in your phonemail box:

  1. "Login" to your phonemail box. (Pick up handset, dial 5000)
  2. Select "Option 8" from Home State (Answering Options).
  3. Select "Option 3" (Personal Referral Extension).
  4. Follow recorded prompts to select the extension desired.
  5. Hang up handset.
  6. Record a new greeting instructing callers to use the "0 THEN #" option to transfer to another extension. (See example greeting below.)

Recording a new personal greeting:

  1. "Login" to your phonemail box. (Pick up handset, dial 5000, press #, enter password, press #)
  2. Select "Option 8" from Home State (Answering Options).
  3. Select "Option 1" (Personal Greetings)
  4. Select "Option1" (Change Regular Greeting)
  5. Follow the recorded prompts to record your internal and/ or external greetings.

Example Greeting with Referral Message (Internal):

"Hello, you have reached Jill Jones at ext. 7500 in Dining Services. My office hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please leave a message at the tone or if you would like to reach my Assistant, Jim Johnson at ext. 3112, press 0 then # now"

Example Greeting with Referral Message (External):

"Hello, you have reached Jill Jones at (207) 798-7500 in Dining Services at Bowdoin College. My office hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please leave a message at the tone or if you would like to reach my Assistant, Jim Johnson at ext. 3112, please press 0 then # now"

Example Greeting (Internal):

"Hello, you have reached Jill Jones at ext. 7500 in Dining Services. My office hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please leave a detailed message and I will return your call as soon as possible."

Example Greeting (External):

"Hello, you have reached Jill Jones at (207) 721-7500 in Dining Services at Bowdoin College. My office hours are 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Please leave a detailed message with your telephone number at the tone. I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you."