There are two voice mail greeting options- personal and standard.  The standard greeting inserts your mail box name (which you have prerecorded) into a system-recorded script. Do not select the standard greeting.  You must select a personal greeting. With a personal greeting, the caller hears your voice in a script which you prepare.  A personal greeting is more friendly and projects a more professional tone.  Callers are also more likely to leave a message when you use a personal greeting.

To record a personal greeting do the following:

Sample voice mail greeting scripts and dial zero locations
To prevent callers from becoming trapped in voice mail jail (a situation in which you cannot contact a live person), the system administrator provides each voice mail box with a dial zero destination.  When a caller presses zero during or after your greeting, they are redirected to another location where someone is available to provide assistance.

Department or Administrative Assistant
Where the departments main extension or an administrative assistant's extension is the dial zero location, the caller is provided an additional opportunity to contact a person within your immediate area.  You must identify the dial zero location in your voice mail greeting because it will tell the caller where they are being transferred and who is available to assist them.  A sample script is provided below:

This is (your name).  I am not available to answer your call at this time.  After the tone, please leave a detailed message, including your telephone number, and I will return your call. If you need immediate assistance please, press zero to speak to (e.g., the department receptionist or administrative assistant).  Thank you for calling.

In this example, the department receptionist or administrative assistant would be a person who the caller could speak to if they needed immediate assistance.

Console operator
Where the console operator is the dial zero location, you must include in your personal or department voice mail greeting the following statement: "if this is an emergency, press zero and you will be connected to the console operator." You must emphasize the word emergency because the caller should know that the console operator should only be selected as a last resort, and only if the situation is an emergency!

This is (your name or the name of the department).  I am not available to answer your call at this time.  After the tone, please leave a detailed message, including your telephone number, and I will return your call.  If this is an emergency, please press zero and you will be connected to the console operator.  Thank you for calling.

The console operator is several floors or buildings away from your office, is unfamiliar with your job or the business of your department, and has no information to provide on your whereabouts.  However if it is an emergency, s/he may be able to initiate a search for you or seek some other assistance.