Mayor Fenty DC Guide Residents Business Visitors District of Columbia Government Kids
Customer Service Operations
Customer Service Standards for Voicemail

  • Main and Large/Small Service Greetings – Based upon the requirement that all main numbers are staffed during business hours, the voicemail greeting for all main numbers should be an "after hours" greeting. This greeting should convey the following information:
    • Agency/Department unit Hours of operation Options for caller (e.g., leave a message, web site address, fax number, information about critical services available after normal business hours)
    • Statement on when calls will be returned (i.e. the standard is 24 hours or the next business day)

  • Desk Telephone Standard Greetings – Every telephone equipped with voicemail should have a standard outgoing greeting that is professional, concise, and conveys relevant and useful information to the caller. Each desk phone greeting should include the following information:
    • Name of employee Title of employee Organizational unit of employee Number to dial for immediate assistance, or "0" for operator assistance
    • Statement on when calls will be returned (i.e. the standard is 24 hours or within the next business day)

    Note: The automated greeting option available through the District's voice messaging system does not comply with the standard

  • Extended Absence Greeting – Every employee who will be out of the office for more than two business days (annual/sick leave, training, jury duty) should record an extended absence greeting. In addition to the standards in section B, this greeting should outline the expected date of return or forward all calls to an employee in the office.
  • Returning Phone Calls – Calls made to all numbers at every level of government should be returned within 24 hours or the next business day.

  • Voicemail Boxes – All employee voice mailboxes should be set-up and ready to accept voice messages. Each voice mailbox should never be full and unable to accept new messages.