The days of having to call into your voicemail and enter a password to retrieve messages can become things of the past with voicemail transcription. With this handy feature, voicemails become immediately accessible by your staff, so they don’t waste time responding to them. It’s a key feature that any organization will want in their cloud-based phone system.
If you’re considering updating or upgrading your business phones, you’ll want to know all about this functionality.
What Is Voicemail Transcription?
Voicemail transcription describes the process of transcribing audio messages into text form. After completion, the system sends the transcribed messages to the user via email or text message.
The transcription can happen in one of two ways. A third party could transcribe them manually, which can cause delays and be expensive. Most systems now do it automatically using technology to decipher the audio.
So, why is it important to have this feature?
Does Voicemail Still Matter in the 21st Century?
In the modern business world, there are so many ways for customers, partners, co-workers, and others to get in touch — phone, email, text, chat, etc. You may think that phone calls and voicemail are obsolete. However, it’s still a channel that many customers prefer, as 62 percent said it was their choice for dealing with issues.
Phone calls are an immediate connection, even if the caller has to leave a voicemail. The expectation is that whomever they are trying to contact will quickly see the voicemail and get back in touch. Voicemail transcription makes this possible. You don’t want high-touch customers to feel they aren’t getting the attention they need. Transcriptions can shorten the response time and may be more effective than emails that might get overlooked in the inbox.
This is just one of the advantages of having instant access to voicemails. Let’s look at a few more.
The Business Benefits of Voicemail Transcription
Transcribed voicemails are convenient and easy to access. They can be very useful to your employees, informing them who needs to contact them and why. Here are some more advantages you can realize with this feature.
Get Back to Potential New Customers Fast
Did you know that 60 percent of consumers call local businesses after finding them online? Ideally, you want to pick up when they call, but that’s not always possible. Typically, these calls may be for urgent needs, from needing a plumber to an attorney. Your employees can quickly see the potential for a new customer and get back in touch before they find another company to help.
Reduce Frustration for Customers
Your customers can become frustrated easily when they can’t get in touch with their account executive or client success manager. They need answers that are keeping them from completing a project. So, they pick up the phone, leave a voicemail, and then wait.
In this scenario, your employees will see the message, no matter if they are on the go or at their desk, since they can use apps for mobile or desktop. It’s another way to keep customers happy and confident in your company’s ability to take care of their needs.
Ensure Employees Actually Check Voicemail
When it’s a challenge to check voicemail, some of your employees might not do it or simply forget they have messages waiting. These voicemails could be highly important but never reach the person’s ear. As a result, you may miss out on opportunities or end up with annoyed customers. Accessibility is critical if you want your employees to connect to voicemails.
Improve Comprehension with Transcriptions
Have you ever listened to a voicemail repeatedly because you couldn’t decipher what the person was saying? It can be a real problem that you can eliminate with transcription. Automatic transcribing may not get every word right, but it’s usually more effective than what our ears hear. It can be a helpful feature for users when they need to do some investigation and work to find the answer.
Search and Filter Messages for Key Data Points
Sometimes a voicemail can be lengthy, and not all the information is necessary for context. Often, you need the name, company, and phone number. Since transcriptions are text, you can effortlessly search and filter to find the pieces you need to respond to the caller.
Voicemail Transcription Joins Other Handy Features
As part of your unified communications (UC) platform, you will have access to many different voicemail features. Transcriptions are only one of many. Other features include:
- The ability to check voicemails when offline
- Forwarding voicemails
- Delete, skip, or save messages
- Voicemails sent to emails as WAV files
- Auto-deleting of voicemails after 90 days
- Playback control when receiving the messages
- Changing personal greetings in seconds
A complete portfolio of voicemail features is necessary for improving communications within your organization. It shouldn’t be difficult to access, read, send, or save these messages. Providing your staff with these technology tools can make their everyday work easier, so they can be more productive and efficient.
Virtual Voicemail from Intermedia
As part of our UC solution Intermedia Unite, you’ll have virtual voicemail capabilities. You can access voicemail through your mobile or desktop app. Transcribed voicemails also route to a user’s email or via texting. Learn more about these options and all the features of Unite today.
Mariel Santos
Mariel Santos is the Director of Marketing Communications at Intermedia
November 17, 2022
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