How to write a phone messaging script: Step-by-step guide

A clear and professional phone messaging script is essential for every business. Here's how to write and record a script.

In today's fast-paced business world, effective communication is crucial for success. One aspect of this is how businesses manage their phone interactions. A phone messaging script plays a pivotal role here, guiding the dialogue over the phone, offering consistency, and enhancing customer service. Whether it's managing a flood of phone calls in a call center, creating a first impression on new customers, or effectively routing calls in a small business, a well-crafted script can be a game-changer.

Let’s explore the concept of phone messaging scripts, their importance, examples, and top tips to craft a compelling and effective phone messaging script.

What is a phone messaging script?

A phone messaging script is a pre-planned textual guide for the dialogues that take place over a business phone system. These scripts are used for various purposes, from auto-attendant scripts to professional voicemail greeting scripts. They form an essential part of the customer support strategy of many organizations, acting as automated attendants or virtual receptionists, directing callers, and ensuring the phone calls are handled efficiently and professionally.

Why you should have a phone messaging script

Phone messaging scripts play a crucial role in maintaining a positive customer experience. For starters, they ensure consistency and professionalism in the interaction with callers. They create a first impression on new customers and reinforce trust among existing customers. The script's precision helps prevent misunderstandings, promoting clear communication with your callers.

In small businesses or larger corporations with call centers, phone messaging scripts are especially useful. They aid in the routing of calls to the appropriate department or next available agent, be it the sales department, billing department, or technical support. This is done via the main menu of options, the company directory, or a name directory given to the callers.

Moreover, phone messaging scripts help manage calls outside regular business hours. After-hours scripts provide callers with your business hours of operation, allowing them to leave a brief message in a voicemail box or ask for a call back during normal business hours.

Examples of auto-attendant scripts

Auto-attendant scripts, often part of an IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system, are an integral component of a business phone system. They efficiently direct calls, improve customer service, and reduce the need for a full-time receptionist.

Here are a few examples:

Main menu auto-attendant script:

"Thank you for calling [company name]. If you know your party’s extension, please enter it now. For Sales, press 1. For Technical Support, press 2. For Billing, press 3. For Company Directory, press 4."

Business hours auto-attendant script:

"Thank you for calling [company name]. Our regular business hours are from 9 am to 5 pm, Eastern time. Please leave a brief message, and we'll return your call the next business day."

After-hours voicemail script:

"You've reached [company name] after our normal business hours. We’ll be back in the office tomorrow. Please leave a voicemail, and we’ll return your call during our regular business hours. If you're an existing customer and need immediate assistance, please visit our website for FAQs or dial our support team's extension."

Top tips for writing a phone messaging script

A well-crafted phone messaging script can be an effective tool for managing your phone calls, reinforcing your brand, and ensuring your callers have a smooth and positive experience. Whether it's an auto-attendant message, a professional voicemail greeting, or a voicemail message for after-hours, your phone script speaks volumes about your business. So take your time, plan it well, and make every call count.

Creating an effective phone messaging script requires a thoughtful approach. Here are some top tips:

1. Keep it brief and simple

Keep your script concise, focusing on providing necessary information and guiding the caller to the next step.

2. Use a professional tone

Maintain a professional tone throughout the script. It represents your company's image and sets the mood for the conversation.

3. Incorporate essential information

Always include your company name, phone number, and office hours. If you are using an after-hours script, let the caller know when they can expect a call back or give them the option of a voicemail message.

4. Give clear instructions

Make sure your menu options are clear, and give instructions on how callers can reach different departments or how to return to the main menu.

5. Customize for your business

Your script should reflect your business's nature. If you are a new customer-oriented business, include options for pricing, demos, and sales representatives. If you're a technical company, ensure options for technical support are prominent.

6. Use templates and script examples

Using templates or script examples can be helpful, especially if you are writing your first script. You can customize them to fit your business's specific needs.

7. Update regularly

Your phone messaging script should be up-to-date, reflecting changes in your hours of operation, staff, or services.

8. Feedback is essential

Encourage feedback from your callers about your phone system. It can help you identify areas of improvement and enhance the customer experience.

9. Use an AI voice generator

If you want your auto-attendant script to sound professional but don’t want to hire a voiceover artist every time you need to update your script, consider using an AI voice generator. These are much more affordable and easier to customize or change when needed.

Record phone messaging scripts with Speechify Voice Over Studio

Instead of recording your own voice, an employee’s voice, or the voice of an actor, you can use Speechify Voice Over Studio to generate professional-quality audio for your phone messaging system. Speechify Voice Over Studio comes with over 120 natural-sounding voices in more than 20 different languages and accents, and you can fully customize the AI speech for pronunciation, pauses, pitch, and more. Enjoy unlimited uploads and downloads, 100 hours of voice generation per year, commercial usage rights, 24/7 customer support, and many more features.

Try out Speechify Voice Over Studio today for your phone messaging scripts.