The editing bone is connected to the inflection bone.

Voice prompts are tricky beasts. These short, concise audio files can give you relief or a big headache. It all depends on who’s behind the microphone. And you can’t discount the talent of a professional audio engineer. If your IVR sounds bad, people will hang up or they will press 0 and try to get a live agent. It all snowballs into the perfect storm. You frustrate customers or you inflate your payroll. Or, you can just record your system the right away and not worry about it. GM Voices recommends this option.

So, what goes into a good voice prompt? First, you need a voice actor. These people are paid to sound awesome, speak clearly and be professional. GM Voices offers a huge number of people of this trade.

Next, you need the right environment. If you record your accountant over the phone from a noisy cubicle, there will be audio interference, mumbling, sharpness and generalized catastrophe. GM Voices records from state-of-the art studios. High-tech equipment, crystal-clear sound.

You also need a little post-production. After all, nobody is perfect. Even our voice actors stumble. They inhale, exhale and embellish with audible imperfections. Our engineers remove all these extras, resulting in a clean and smooth audio file. Even through the receiver into the ears of your customers, they sound great.

Finally, a word about inflection and concatenation. Most of the time when an automated voice speaks your phone number or account balance, it sounds robotic and unnatural. Sometimes it’s so distracting it’s hard to tell what’s being said. GM Voices strings these numbers and words together (concatenation) so they sound seamless with the other recorded files. It’s about tonal shifts and different inflections. It makes a big difference.

If you record your voice prompts correctly, you’ll increase caller containment and improve your caller experience.

There you have it: The anatomy of a (good) voice prompt.

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GM Voices leads the charge to destroy these customer connection killing machines once and for all.

In the landmark 1984 science fiction movie Terminator, we learned of a dystopian near-future where humans battled the very robots that were meant to make their lives easier. Wow, James Cameron knows his stuff, doesn’t he? BECAUSE THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED. Not robots that killed people literally, just robot voices that alienated and frustrated callers on automated phone systems, killing the overall customer experience. The reality may actually be more dramatic.

Well, GM Voices has decided to go John Connor on these robo reps. We’re leading the resistance. Customers need saving from these unnatural-sounding voices. Businesses need saving from this ill-advised Voice Branding. We can help.

To rally more troops in our fight against robots, we unveil the first episode in a video series meant to raise awareness and incite action. GM Voices presents “Terminate Your Robot Voice” (episode 1).

Watch it and join the fight.

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It means more time for your secretary to file paperwork.

Sometimes I long for the days when calling a business meant being greeted by a live operator. It could go one of two ways. You either spoke to the overly-caffeinated young secretary or the grizzled and jaded 20-year veteran. No middle ground.

What’s that, you say? You still have the same live operator you had in ’65? It’s time to get with the times. Let her retire gracefully.

An automated attendant system is the better option. Auto attendants quickly route calls to the appropriate party. Because it’s automation, you don’t have to worry about Linda going to the bathroom and missing a call.

When GM Voices handles auto attendant recordings, customers are greeted with a brand-consistent sound. Call us if you want to get an idea of how this works – 770.752.4500. (To sample our auto attendant, not to be sold.)

An auto attendant enhanced with our voices gives your business a very professional image at a critical customer touchpoint. The modern day front door is the phone; answer it in style.

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It’s a captive audience. Don’t stop selling them.

I enjoy lite jazz as much as the next person. Maybe more. Getting my local forecast on the Weather Channel with a side of tasteful sax is one of life’s underrated pleasures.

If you’re using this kind of music (or any other) for your call queue, that’s fine. But use it in moderation. When you have a customer on hold, whether for sales, service or miscellaneous, you have a captive audience. It’s the perfect time to hit them for the up sell or to reinforce your branding.

GM Voices specializes in on-hold messaging that keeps your customers’ attention. One phone call doesn’t assure a second buy or continued service. Make the most of your time. Go for the conversion.

From short marketing messages to entertaining, interactive commercials, GM Voices’ on-hold programs can help your company engage your audience. On-hold recordings are a vital part of a unified Voice Brand; combine them with a professional, natural-sounding auto attendant or IVR and voicemail messages for a world-class customer experience.

Too much lite jazz evokes a call to action, sure. Right to the coffee shop to pick up the CD. Make sure your on-hold messaging inspires the right kind of purchase—from you, again and again.

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