Best auto attendant phone system for small businesses

Auto attendant has become an important feature in business phone systems these days.

Keeping customers engages is key for business and they expect smooth communication across channels. Auto attendants enhance customer service by answering calls and inquiries faster, improving productivity, and adding a touch of professionalism to your business.

You’ll never miss another customer service call or sales opportunity. You can customize your virtual answering service to route calls to the right department, extension or voicemail.

Keep reading to know more about – what is an auto attendant, benefits of auto attendants for businesses and the best auto attendant phone systems for small businesses.

What is an auto attendant?

An auto attendant is like a virtual receptionist that helps manage your company’s phone calls. Instead of having a live person answer and direct calls, it uses an automated system to connect callers with the right person or department.

These systems guide callers through menu options using recorded messages. For example, a typical message might say, “Press 1 for support, press 2 for sales.” This way, callers can easily choose where they want to go. Auto attendants are especially important for contact and call centers, as they help manage a high volume of incoming calls efficiently.

Auto attendant phone system

An auto attendant phone system, like iTeleCenter’s, is a smart feature that automatically answers and directs incoming calls to the right person or dept. Think of it as someone who’s always on duty, answering calls and directing them properly.

With iTeleCenter’s auto attendant, you can streamline your call management, no matter how many calls you get – no live receptionist needed. Plus, it’s included in every plan.

How to set up auto attendant with iTeleCenter

Setting up an auto-attendant with iTeleCenter is super simple! Just follow these four easy steps:

1. Go to your phone number settings: Login to iTeleCenter backoffice and navigate to the settings for your phone

2. Select a phone number: Choose any phone number you own to set up the phone menu or auto attendant / virtual receptionist feature.

3. Set your business hours: If you haven’t done this yet, please make sure to specify the business hours for your phone number.

4. Add menu options: Finally, customize your phone menu options. This includes recording custom greetings, choosing where calls should go, etc. Need help setting up? Reach out to our support team and we’ll get you set up right away.

And you’re all set! Your auto attendant is now ready to help manage calls.

Benefits of auto attendants for businesses

There’s a reason most companies and businesses use auto attendants. They’re simple, efficient and keep your communication flowing smoothly. Listed below are some of the benefits of auto attendants for businesses.

Cut down on spam calls

If your business is dealing with spam calls, an auto attendant can be such a handy tool. It can block a significant number of these unwanted calls without any extra effort on your part. How?

Many spam calls are generated by bots that can’t exactly interact with automated systems the way a real person can. They can’t press options like 1 or 2 to navigate through your call menu, which means they often get stuck and hang up.

This also means your team can focus on what’s really matters while saving time and resources.

Customize as per your needs

Personalize every part of your phone menu, from the greeting your callers hear to the system prompts.

You can also set it up to work differently depending on the time of day or the caller’s number. This lets you make the call flow as simple or detailed as you want.

More budget friendly

One of the biggest benefits of using an auto attendants is that, unlike human operators, virtual receptionists don’t require any payments, breaks or time off.

With iTeleCenter, auto attendants come included with your business phone system and is there for you to use whenever you want, with no additional fees. So, as your business grows, you can easily upgrade your auto attendant without spending any extra $$$.

Handle more calls without extra staff

If your business is growing quickly, there’s a good chance you will see an increase in phone calls and inquiries from potential customers eager to learn more.

Auto attendants can help you manage those higher call volumes without the need to hire extra staff right away.

Route to any device

Route to just about any device – including non-virtual phone numbers.

This means you can forward calls to team members using mobile apps, laptops, PBX systems, tablets and more. It’s all about staying connected no matter where your team is.

Phone menu options with iTeleCenter’s auto attendant feature

iTeleCenter provides several helpful destination options for your auto-attendant:

Forward to an iTeleCenter phone number

Send calls to another iTeleCenter number within your organization, whether it’s a direct number for a colleague or a department.

Forward it to an outside phone number

Direct calls to any phone number in the US or Canada.

Share the call load

Allow calls to ring through to all members associated with the phone number. And, if you’re the only one with access, you’ll get the calls.

Send to a member of the phone number

Route calls directly to a colleague, even if they don’t have their own iTeleCenter phone number.

Send to voicemail

Callers can leave a message for you right after hearing your voicemail greeting.

Play an audio message

Share important information with callers, like your business hours or address, through a recorded message.

What to look for in an auto attendant phone system

If you’re planning on choosing from different phone platforms with auto attendants, keep a few important factors in mind,

The pricing

Make sure you the costs upfront, especially for the auto attendant feature. If a provider isn’t clear about their pricing or tries to hide additional fees, it might be a RED flag.

You can out iTeleCenter’s pricing plans and additional costs whenever you want.

Flow customizations

Your phone system should route calls exactly how you need it to. Look for customizable menu systems and tools for VoIP call forwarding.

This makes sure calls go to the right team member at the right time, enhancing customer satisfaction.

The setup

Setting up an auto attendant should be quick and easy. You don’t want a clunky and complicated system, trust us on that

Before you choose a provider, consider how simple it is to implement and customize their features. For instance, iTeleCenter’s auto attendant requires about four to five minutes to set up, that’s about it.

Call recordings

It’s important to keep track of calls for future reference. Look for a system that allows call recordings. With iTeleCenter, call recordings are available on all plans.

Save time with automation

Auto-attendants should help automate repetitive tasks, but a good platform will go even further. Also, look for features like text automation, where you can set up auto-replies to customer inquiries, even when you’re unavailable or busy.

By keeping these factors in mind, you can choose the best auto-attendant phone system for your needs.

iTeleCenter: The best auto attendant phone system

iTeleCenter is more than just an auto-attendant system. Whether you’re looking for a simple auto attendant for your phones or something a bit more advanced that can manage sub menus and complex routing, we’ve got you covered.

Save time managing calls with an auto attendant phone system built for small businesses.

Try it out for yourself with a fourteen-day free trial and see why so many businesses choose us.