Question 1

What is an IVR recording?

Accepted Answer

An IVR (Interactive Voice Response) recording is a professionally voiced audio message used in business phone systems. You might also hear it called an auto attendant, virtual receptionist, phone tree, voice menu, digital receptionist, or automated phone attendant. They all refer to the same thing. It includes welcome greetings, menu options ("Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support"), on-hold messages, voicemail greetings, and out-of-hours announcements.

Question 2

What's the difference between IVR and auto attendant?

Accepted Answer

An auto attendant (also called a virtual receptionist, digital receptionist, or automated receptionist) is a type of IVR that answers calls and routes them to departments or individuals using a voice menu. IVR is the broader category that includes auto attendants plus any other interactive voice prompts. For most small businesses, the terms are interchangeable.

Question 3

What is a phone tree?

Accepted Answer

A phone tree (also called a phone menu system, call routing system, or telephone menu) is a branching menu structure that guides callers through a series of options. For example: "Press 1 for sales, press 2 for support." Lucy records professional phone tree prompts that sound clear and guide callers efficiently to the right person or department.

Question 4

What is a virtual receptionist recording?

Accepted Answer

A virtual receptionist (also known as a digital receptionist, automated receptionist, or automated phone attendant) is a recorded voice that answers your phone and directs callers, just like a real receptionist would. It's the same thing as an auto attendant or IVR greeting. Lucy records virtual receptionist prompts for all major VoIP and phone systems.

Question 5

Do you record auto attendant greetings?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Auto attendant recordings, voice menus, phone tree prompts, virtual receptionist greetings, and all types of automated phone system audio are exactly what Lucy specialises in. Whether your phone system calls it an auto attendant, IVR, digital receptionist, or telephony menu, Lucy delivers broadcast-quality recordings in the exact format your system requires.

Question 6

How many IVR prompts does a typical business need?

Accepted Answer

Most small businesses need 4-8 prompts: a welcome greeting, menu options, on-hold message, out-of-hours message, and voicemail greeting. Larger businesses with multiple departments may need 10-20+ prompts including department-specific greetings and queue messages.

Question 7

How long should an IVR recording be?

Accepted Answer

Welcome greetings should be 15-30 seconds. Menu options should be concise, ideally under 45 seconds total. On-hold messages can run 60-90 seconds per loop. Voicemail greetings should be 15-20 seconds. Shorter is almost always better for caller satisfaction.

Question 8

What should my IVR greeting say?

Accepted Answer

A good IVR greeting includes your business name, a brief welcome, and clear menu options or instructions. Keep it warm but concise. Avoid jargon and always include an option to speak to a person.

Question 9

Can I get a script written for me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Lucy provides complimentary script guidance with every order. Share your business name, departments, and key information, and you'll receive a suggested script to approve before recording.

Question 10

What voice styles are available?

Accepted Answer

Lucy offers a warm, professional British female voice suitable for corporate, friendly, conversational, and authoritative styles. Listen to the samples page to hear the range.

Question 11

Do you offer male voices?

Accepted Answer

Lucy Ernest is a female voice artist. For projects specifically requiring a male voice, Lucy can recommend trusted colleagues. However, research shows that caller preferences are roughly equal between male and female voices for IVR, with warmth and clarity being more important than gender.

Question 12

How do IVR recordings improve my business?

Accepted Answer

Professional IVR recordings reduce caller hang-ups (70% of callers placed on hold will hang up within 60 seconds if met with silence), route calls efficiently to reduce staff workload, and create a professional first impression that builds trust.

Question 13

What is on-hold messaging?

Accepted Answer

On-hold messaging is audio that plays while callers wait to be connected. It typically includes voice messages about your services, special offers, or useful information, often mixed with background music. It replaces silence or generic hold music.

Question 14

What is the difference between on-hold messages and IVR?

Accepted Answer

IVR prompts are interactive: they give callers options and route calls. On-hold messages are passive and simply play while callers wait. Most businesses need both: IVR to direct calls, and on-hold messages to keep waiting callers engaged.

Question 15

Do I need a professional voiceover for my IVR?

Accepted Answer

In most cases, yes. A professional voiceover gives your IVR system a polished, consistent sound that builds caller trust. DIY recordings made on a mobile phone often sound muffled or echoey once compressed to telephony quality. A professional recording is a small, one-time investment that shapes every caller's first impression of your business.

Question 16

Can I record my own IVR messages?

Accepted Answer

You can, but the results are often disappointing. Phone systems compress audio to 8 kHz mono, which makes amateur recordings sound thin and noisy. Background hum, inconsistent volume, and uneven pacing are common problems. Professional studio recordings are engineered specifically for telephony, so they stay clear and warm even after compression. If you want your business to sound credible from the first ring, professional recording is well worth it.

Question 17

Can I hear examples before ordering?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Visit the samples page to hear Lucy's voice across different IVR styles including corporate, friendly, and industry-specific examples.

Question 18

How much does IVR recording cost?

Accepted Answer

Lucy's packages start at £49 for 1-2 prompts (Starter), £149 for 5-10 prompts (Business), and £349 for unlimited prompts (Enterprise). These are one-time fees with no contracts or recurring charges. See the pricing page for full details.

Question 19

Is this a one-off payment or subscription?

Accepted Answer

One-off payment only. You pay once and own the recordings forever. No monthly fees, no licensing costs, no hidden charges.

Question 20

How do I place an order?

Accepted Answer

Visit the order page, select your package, upload your script (or request script help), and submit. You'll receive a confirmation email with estimated delivery time.

Question 21

Do you offer a free quote?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Contact Lucy via the contact page or email for a free, no-obligation quote. Most quotes are returned within 2 hours during business hours.

Question 22

What payment methods do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Credit/debit card payments via Stripe. Payment is due upon order confirmation, before recording begins.

Question 23

Can I add extra prompts later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Additional prompts can be ordered individually or as part of an upgrade to a larger package at any time.

Question 24

Do you offer discounts for large orders?

Accepted Answer

The Enterprise package (£349) offers the best value for larger projects with unlimited prompts. For very large projects (50+ prompts, multi-site rollouts), contact Lucy directly for a custom quote.

Question 25

How does your pricing compare to competitors?

Accepted Answer

Lucy's pricing is transparent and competitive. Many competitors charge 85p per word or require ongoing subscriptions from £29.99/month. Lucy's Business package at £149 for 5-10 prompts offers excellent value for professional, broadcast-quality recordings with no recurring fees.

Question 26

How much does professional voicemail recording cost?

Accepted Answer

A professional voicemail recording with Lucy starts from just £49 as part of the Starter package, which covers 1-2 prompts. If you need a voicemail greeting alongside other prompts such as a welcome message or menu options, the Business package at £149 gives you 5-10 prompts at a lower per-prompt cost.

Question 27

What audio formats do you deliver?

Accepted Answer

Every order includes WAV and MP3 files as standard. Platform-specific formats (µ-Law, A-Law, specific sample rates) are available on request at no extra charge. Just tell Lucy which phone system you use.

Question 28

What format does my phone system need?

Accepted Answer

This varies by platform. Most systems accept WAV at 8 kHz, mono. See the platform-specific pages for exact specs: 3CX requires PCM/16-bit, Gamma Horizon requires µ-Law/8-bit, and Microsoft Teams accepts WAV, MP3, or WMA up to 5 MB.

Question 29

Will my recordings work on 3CX/Teams/Horizon/RingCentral?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Lucy delivers recordings in the exact format your platform requires. Simply specify your phone system when ordering, and the files will be export-ready.

Question 30

Can you convert my old recordings to a new format?

Accepted Answer

Lucy's service focuses on new professional recordings. For format conversion of existing files, free tools like Audacity can help, though quality may be limited by the original recording.

Question 31

Why do my DIY recordings sound bad on my phone system?

Accepted Answer

Phone systems typically use 8 kHz mono audio, a fraction of the quality your phone or computer records at. Consumer recordings at 44.1 kHz stereo sound dramatically worse when compressed to telephony standards. Professional recordings are engineered from the start to sound clear within these constraints.

Question 32

Why does my IVR sound unprofessional?

Accepted Answer

The most common reasons are poor source audio, inconsistent volume levels, and background noise. If you recorded your IVR on a mobile phone or laptop microphone, the audio will lack clarity once compressed to telephony quality. Other culprits include mismatched voice styles across prompts (for example, different people recording different messages), incorrect file formats, and low bitrate encoding. A professional studio recording solves all of these issues in one go.

Question 33

What is G.711 A-Law / µ-Law?

Accepted Answer

G.711 is the standard audio encoding used in telephony. A-Law is the UK/European standard; µ-Law (Mu-Law) is the North American standard. Your phone system platform determines which encoding is required. Lucy delivers in whichever your system needs.

Question 34

How large can the audio files be?

Accepted Answer

File size limits vary by platform: Microsoft Teams allows 5 MB, RingCentral allows 20 MB, and Cisco Webex Calling allows just 2 MB. Lucy ensures all files are within your platform's limits.

Question 35

Do you include background music?

Accepted Answer

Background music for on-hold messages is available. Lucy can mix voice with royalty-free music at no additional licensing cost. Music is not typically used for IVR menu prompts or voicemail greetings.

Question 36

Why should I use a human voice instead of AI text-to-speech?

Accepted Answer

88% of UK callers prefer hearing a real human voice when contacting a business. Human voices convey warmth, empathy, and brand personality that AI cannot replicate. For industries like healthcare, legal, and financial services, the trust deficit of AI voices can actively harm your brand.

Question 37

Is AI voice good enough for IVR?

Accepted Answer

For basic internal systems, AI may suffice. For customer-facing lines, the quality gap remains significant. Approximately 40% of explainer video projects in late 2025 were "re-voices" of previously AI-generated audio. AI voices often mispronounce names, sound robotic under compression, and lack the natural pacing that makes callers feel welcome.

Question 38

Can callers tell the difference between AI and human voices?

Accepted Answer

Yes, especially on phone systems where audio quality is already limited. AI artefacts become more noticeable at low bitrates. A professional human recording retains clarity and warmth even at 8 kHz telephony quality.

Question 39

Should I use text-to-speech or a real voice?

Accepted Answer

For customer-facing phone lines, a real human voice almost always wins. Text-to-speech can sound flat and robotic, particularly after telephony compression strips out the subtle tonal detail that makes speech sound natural. A real voice conveys warmth, professionalism, and brand personality. TTS may be fine for internal test environments, but for callers forming a first impression of your business, professional voiceover makes a noticeable difference.

Question 40

My VoIP platform offers built-in text-to-speech. Should I use it?

Accepted Answer

Built-in TTS is functional for testing but not recommended for live customer-facing systems. It lacks brand personality, sounds generic, and signals to callers that your business hasn't invested in its phone experience. Professional recording is a modest one-time investment that lasts years.

Question 41

What if I want to update my messages frequently? Isn't AI better for that?

Accepted Answer

If you need daily updates, AI may have a role. But most businesses update IVR messages 2-4 times per year (seasonally). For quarterly or less frequent updates, professional re-recording is more cost-effective and sounds dramatically better.

Question 42

Do I need new recordings when switching from PSTN to VoIP?

Accepted Answer

Almost always yes. VoIP platforms require specific digital audio formats (WAV at 8 kHz, specific encoding) that analogue systems didn't need. Even if your old recordings can be converted, the migration is an ideal time to refresh your phone messages with a professional recording.

Question 43

When is the PSTN switch-off?

Accepted Answer

The UK PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) will be fully switched off by 31 January 2027. Stop-sell of new PSTN lines has been active since September 2023. Over two-thirds of UK landlines have already been upgraded.

Question 44

Will my old recordings work on VoIP?

Accepted Answer

Usually not without conversion. Older PSTN recordings were often stored on analogue hardware or in formats that VoIP platforms cannot read directly. Even if you convert the files, the audio quality may be poor compared to a fresh professional recording. Migrating to VoIP is the perfect time to upgrade your phone messages.

Question 45

Will my old on-hold system work with VoIP?

Accepted Answer

It depends. Analogue on-hold units that connected to PSTN lines may not be compatible with VoIP. Most VoIP platforms have built-in on-hold music and messaging features that accept uploaded audio files, making separate hardware unnecessary.

Question 46

Which VoIP platforms do you support?

Accepted Answer

Lucy delivers recordings compatible with every major VoIP platform: 3CX, Microsoft Teams, Gamma Horizon, RingCentral, 8x8, BT Cloud Voice, BT Cloud Work, Mitel, Vonage, Cisco Webex Calling, Avaya, and more.

Question 47

I'm setting up a new VoIP system. What do I need to record?

Accepted Answer

At minimum: a welcome greeting, menu options (if using auto attendant), on-hold message, out-of-hours greeting, and voicemail message. Larger businesses may need department-specific greetings, queue messages, and holiday closures.

Question 48

How quickly will I receive my recordings?

Accepted Answer

Standard turnaround is 24-48 hours from script approval. Same-day rush service is available for urgent requests.

Question 49

What if I don't like the recording?

Accepted Answer

Revisions are included with every package. If the tone, pace, or pronunciation isn't quite right, Lucy will re-record until you're completely satisfied at no extra charge.

Question 50

How do I receive the files?

Accepted Answer

Files are delivered digitally via email or secure download link. You'll receive both WAV and MP3 versions, plus any platform-specific formats requested.

Question 51

Can I use the recordings on multiple phone systems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Once purchased, you own the recordings and can use them across multiple locations, branches, or phone systems within your organisation.

Question 52

Do you provide help uploading recordings to my phone system?

Accepted Answer

Lucy provides platform-specific upload guides for every supported VoIP system. The platform pages include step-by-step instructions for uploading your new recordings.

Frequently Asked Questions About IVR Recordings

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VoIP Migration

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