You’ve had it happen to you: your phone is by your side, it never rang, yet a new voicemail miraculously pops up in notifications.
Ringless voicemail drops is a tactic that allows companies to deliver a pre-recorded message into a voicemail without the phone ringing. And while ringless voicemail drops might sound like a convenient way to leave a message, here is why this practice can hurt you and your agency, and what you should do instead.
Customers notice that you avoided talking to them directly
If you start leaving messages on your clients’ phones without their phone ringing, they will catch on. They'll notice that you avoid talking to them directly and will feel less valued. This can hurt your client satisfaction and retention long term.
Ringless voicemails are perceived as spam or telemarketing
What would you think if you saw you had a new voicemail, but your phone never rang? You’d probably assume it was a call from a telemarketer or another spam call, not that your insurance company called about something important. Clients may not see these messages as relevant and will disregard the voicemails as spam—something you don’t want to happen.
Some people don’t check their voicemail at all
Many people don’t regularly check their voicemail, even when they get missed call notifications. If they don’t get a missed call notification, there is even less of a chance they notice they have a voicemail. You will keep leaving voicemails, and they will keep not listening to them. And what if their voicemail is full? They won’t get any notifications and will never get your message.
It can feel like a violation
To clients, it can feel like a violation of privacy when they receive ringless voicemails. If they receive a message without any choice of answering or declining the call, they lose trust.
If you don’t have time to wait for the phone to ring, there are other ways to contact your clients.
Send a text
Many consumers prefer texting to other means of communication. You never know when someone is busy. Sending a quick text is an easy way to communicate with people and it allows them to respond on their time. Just remember to secure opt-ins before sending texts.
Send an email
Send a simple email that will get your customers’ attention. Almost everyone has an email address, and if your note looks and feels personalized, clients are more likely to notice it and respond.
Be available via online chat platforms
Customers will often try and contact you through web chat on your website or via other third-party platforms like Facebook Messenger or your Google My Business page chat. Make sure you’re available to chat and answer questions when your clients and prospects need you.