Make smarter choices when you set up voicemail
Set up voicemail the right way. Learn the most common mistakes businesses make and how to create a voicemail system that works for your customers and team.
Even in the era of instant messaging and email, voicemail continues to play a crucial role in business communication. A missed call can mean a missed opportunity, unless voicemail is there to catch it. But just having voicemail isn’t enough. How it’s set up determines whether it helps or hurts your customer experience.
Many businesses rush to set up their voicemail and end up with confusing prompts, full inboxes, or worse, no message at all. These mistakes can frustrate callers and reflect poorly on your brand. A well-configured voicemail system makes it easier to serve customers, route important calls, and keep your team informed.
We’ll explore the most common mistakes businesses make when they set up their voicemail and show you how to avoid them. Whether you’re updating your current system or starting from scratch, the right setup can improve communication, reduce friction, and leave a lasting professional impression.
What are the common mistakes to avoid when you set up voicemail?
Using a default or unbranded greeting
Relying on a generic voicemail greeting makes your business sound unprofessional or untrustworthy. Callers may wonder if they’ve reached the right business, or hang up altogether. To make the right impression, record a personalised message with your business name, a warm tone, and helpful guidance, like when you’ll call back or alternative contact options.
Neglecting to check messages frequently
One of the biggest oversights is forgetting to monitor your voicemail. Missed responses can frustrate customers and reflect poorly on your service. A full inbox can also prevent new messages from coming through. Assign responsibility for voicemail checks, set up notifications, or use voicemail-to-email tools to ensure nothing slips through the cracks.
Using the same voicemail for every department or person
Not every caller is looking for the same thing, so a blanket voicemail greeting across your team can be confusing. Tailoring voicemail messages by department or staff member helps ensure callers know they’re in the right place and feel confident their message will be handled correctly. This extra step enhances trust and improves the caller experience.
Forgetting to update voicemail during holidays or outages
Leaving your standard voicemail on during public holidays or when staff are on leave creates frustration for callers. Always update your message to reflect availability and provide alternate contact methods when necessary. Keeping your voicemail timely and relevant shows your business is attentive and keeps communication flowing even during downtime.
Why does voicemail help improve business communication?
Never miss an important call again
Voicemail captures leads, support requests, or customer queries even when your team is unavailable, ensuring opportunities aren't lost.
Maintain professionalism around the clock
A voicemail system leaves a strong first impression, reinforcing your commitment to good communication, even outside business hours.
Speed up your team’s response time
With voicemail transcriptions or alerts, your team can prioritise callbacks based on urgency, saving you time and improving service.
Improve customer trust and confidence
Letting customers leave a voice message reassures them their concerns will be addressed, especially when paired with timely follow-ups.
Support remote or flexible work setups
Voicemail allows staff to stay in the loop. With cloud-based systems, messages can be accessed, shared, or responded to from anywhere.
How Uniden helps you improve business communication
At Uniden, we help Australian businesses simplify and modernise their communications, including how they set up voicemail. Our cloud-based business phone systems are easy to configure, flexible for growing teams, and supported locally to ensure you always have help when you need it. Whether you’re setting up voicemail for the first time or fine-tuning your current setup, we’ll provide the tools and support to help you stay connected and professional.
Ready to avoid voicemail setup mistakes?
The right voicemail setup can improve how your business communicates every day. Let Uniden help you get started with a system that works for your team and your customers.
Frequently asked questions
How do I set up voicemail for my business?
Most cloud-based phone systems include a voicemail setup wizard where you can record greetings, assign inboxes, and activate notifications.
Can voicemail work with cloud phone systems?
Yes, voicemail is fully compatible with cloud-based systems and can be managed from a web portal or through your email.
What makes a good voicemail greeting?
A good greeting is brief, professional, includes your business name, and lets callers know when to expect a return call.
How often should I check business voicemail?
Ideally, voicemail should be checked several times a day or pushed via notification to ensure prompt response.
Can I set up different voicemail boxes for departments?
Absolutely. Most systems support multiple voicemail boxes so you can route messages by department or team member.
