Out-of-Office Message Protocols for Quality Customer Service

With winter break right on our heels, now is a good time to review the steps staff should take prior to being out of the office. 



Change Gmail Vacation Responder (Out-of-Office message) 

Example: Thank you for contacting Heartland AEA. I will be out of the office until Jan. 3, 2017, as our Heartland AEA offices are closed for winter break. I will return your message as soon as I can upon my return. Thank you. 



General Tip: If you use your out-of-office email reply for every little thing, people might just stop reading it. Use your out-of-office email response only in the instances you’ll truly be unresponsive for an extended period of time—like vacation. The customer will actually read it because they haven’t gotten multiple iterations of your bounce-back email on a continuous basis. Be clear and concise about when you’ll be responding, and leave out the personal information about where you are going and why. 



Change Voicemail Greeting to Unavailable 

Example: Thank you for calling Heartland AEA. You have reached Sally Smith, school psychologist. I am currently out of the office until Jan. 3, 2017, as Heartland AEA offices are closed for winter break. Please leave a message, and I will return your call as soon as I can upon my return. Thank you. 



General Tip: If you want to change your voicemail greeting from your home phone or cell phone, you may do so by calling either (515) 270-0405 or (515) 473-7450 and pressing # when you begin to hear the greeting. This gets you into your voicemail, and you can then follow the prompts to access your messages or change your voicemail greeting. Please be mindful not to refer a customer to another staff member who is also scheduled to be out of the office. Check with that person to make sure he or she will be available and aware that you are forwarding customers and/or staff members to them during your absence.