Business phone voicemail: greetings, message handling and when to ask for help

What your team can do themselves

On Panasonic, Avaya IP Office and iPECS systems, voicemail works in much the same way. Staff can usually record their own greeting, check messages and change their PIN from their handset; only the menus differ. We'll send you the exact steps for your system.

Day and night greetings

Your system can switch to the after-hours greeting in two ways: with a button someone presses at closing time, or automatically on a time schedule. We'll set up whichever suits how your office runs, and you can change the greeting wording yourself whenever you need to.

Changing the after-hours or holiday greeting

This is the question we're asked most. The steps depend on your system and on which mailbox answers your main number. Contact us and we'll send step-by-step instructions for your setup, which you can keep for next time.

Voicemail to email

Traditional phone systems can email voicemail messages, but it isn't switched on by default. It needs an email account for the phone system to send from: either one your business provides, or one we set up for you (quoted separately). Tell us which messages should go to which inbox.

The usual voicemail problems

• Forgotten PIN: we can reset it under your support arrangement.
• Mailbox full: old messages need deleting before new ones can be left.
• Holiday or office-closure greeting: record it before you close, and remember to switch back afterwards.

Keep your voicemail secure

Make sure every mailbox, and especially the main or management mailbox, has a PIN that isn't the default. An unprotected mailbox can let outsiders change your greetings.