Excluding the Automated Phone Log program, there are three other main ways of handling phone messages ...

Method One - Paper Messages

In this manual method, someone takes the call and puts the message on a phone message pad.  Then, generally they leave the messages in the staffs box.

The psychology behind this method is the hardest to break ... we're use to finding our phone messages in the box, or, we like seeing them in the box which makes us feel great when we come into the office and see phone messages in our box.

Problem:  The problem with this method is ...

• It's easy to loose the phone message.
• You have to come out and look in your box to see if you have any phone messages
• Can only get your messages during business hours
• You have to come to the office to get your messages
• If you're keeping track of all communications with your customers and/or prospects, you have to re-enter this information into their customer record (which is hopefully an automated system).
• What if you need to find a message from a week ago or more?  Don't loose your phone message note!

With technology available today, talk about an incredibly inefficient way of handling inbound calls.  Having said that, it's still hard to break the habit of coming into the office and looking in your box to see if you have any messages.

Method Two - Instant Messaging

Some businesses are using Instant Messaging to pass phone messages.  Here you enter the information into an instant message to the recipient.  The nice advantage to this method is it's "instantaneous" IF the person's at his computer.

Problem: 

• The recipient has to be at his computer
• The recipient needs to run his Instant Messaging program
• If you close the Instant Message window you loose the information
• If the person isn't at his computer you end up using Method Three
• The recipient will many times copy the message information into an email and email it to him/herself.

Method Three - Sending An Email

In this method, the receptionist sends emails to the recipient with the phone information.   Okay, now we're on the right track because email is ...

• Easier to work with
• You can get your email at your computer, on your phone (depending on your phone's capabilities) or on a PDA. 
• If you're traveling, getting a wireless connection to check your email from your laptop is easy ... hotspots are everywhere!

Problem:

• You have to re-enter return callers information all over again.
• Not a formalized system ... too often the person taking the phone message forgets to collect certain information.
• If you delete the email messages you don't have a backup to retrieving those phone messages.

I wrote this program to take the task of collecting information from an inbound call and for the recipient to handle it, making both much more efficient and to increase the productivity of all in this area.  That's because ...

"The purpose of automation is to cut costs.  You cut costs by increasing productivity.  You increase productivity by being properly automated and having your automation system working for you."

Sincerely,


President
IAMC, LLC
www.PhoneLogSoftware.com