National Customer Service Week: When was the last time you called your own business?

It's the final day of National Customer Service Week 2026, a week dedicated to recognising the importance of great customer service and the people who deliver it.

We've seen plenty of discussion this week about technology, AI, customer expectations and the importance of looking after the people on the front line.

But there's one part of customer service that often gets overlooked.

What actually happens when someone calls your business?

It sounds like a simple question, but you'd be surprised how many businesses haven't listened to their own telephone system for months, sometimes years.

And when they do, they often discover things that aren't quite right.

Outdated welcome messages, confusing menus, incorrect opening hours, poor-quality recordings and on-hold messages that haven't been updated since the telephone system was installed.

None of these things might seem particularly important on their own, but they all contribute to the experience your customers have when they contact you.

The customer experience starts before you answer the phone

When someone calls your business, they're usually trying to get something done. They have a question, need some help or want to speak to someone.

They don't want to navigate six different menu options, listen to a two-minute welcome message or be transferred between departments.

They just want to get to the right place.

And this is where a well-designed telephone system, supported by clear and professional recordings, can make a real difference.

Your IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is effectively the front door to your business. It should welcome customers, give them clear options and help them get where they need to go.

It doesn't need to be complicated. In fact, the simpler it is, the better.

Five things worth checking on your telephone system

If National Customer Service Week has encouraged you to take another look at how you communicate with customers, your telephone system is a good place to start.

Here are five things I'd recommend checking.

1. Listen to your welcome message

Does it sound professional? Is it friendly? Does it actually sound like your business?

You don't need a lengthy introduction explaining everything your company does.

A simple, welcoming message that confirms who the customer has called is usually all that's needed.

And while AI-generated voices have improved enormously, there are still plenty of occasions where a professional human voice makes for a much more natural and engaging experience.

2. Check your IVR menu

We've all called businesses where the menu seems to go on forever.

Press 1 for sales, 2 for accounts, 3 for customer services, 4 for something else, followed by another five options.

By the time you've reached the end, you've forgotten what the options were.

Try calling your own business and navigating the menu as though you're a customer.

Are the options clear? Do they make sense? Can you get to the right department without having to listen to unnecessary information?

A good IVR menu should make contacting your business easier, not introduce another obstacle.

3. Review your on-hold messages

Nobody particularly enjoys being on hold, but sometimes it's unavoidable.

The question is what customers experience while they're waiting.

Are they listening to the same 15 seconds of music on repeat? Are they being told their call is important every 30 seconds? Or are you using that time to provide genuinely useful information?

On-hold messages can be a great way to answer frequently asked questions, explain alternative ways to access services or provide updates that might save the customer having to wait.

They can also promote products and services, but there's a balance to be struck.

If someone's calling to resolve a problem, they're probably not particularly interested in hearing your latest sales promotion.

Think about why people are calling and what information would actually help them.

4. Make sure everything is up to date

This is a surprisingly common problem.

Businesses change their opening hours, introduce new services, move departments around or update their websites, but forget about the messages on their telephone system.

Before long, customers are being given information that is no longer correct.

It's particularly important to check your out-of-hours messages, bank holiday opening times and any references to websites or other contact channels.

It doesn't take long to review them, but it can prevent unnecessary confusion.

5. Don't forget there's a person on the other end

There's a lot of discussion about using technology and AI to automate customer interactions, and there are some excellent opportunities to make things more efficient.

But it's worth remembering that the person calling your business might already be frustrated, worried or simply short of time.

Your telephone messages need to be clear, easy to understand and helpful.

Avoid complicated language, keep instructions short and make sure customers can reach the right person when they need to.

Sometimes the best customer experience isn't about doing anything particularly clever. It's just about making things easy.

Professional recordings are only part of the solution

At IVR-Recordings.co.uk, we've been producing professional telephone messages for over 15 years, working with businesses and telecoms providers to create welcome greetings, IVR menus, on-hold messages and out-of-hours announcements.

And while having a professional voice representing your business is important, the words being spoken matter just as much.

There's little point having a beautifully recorded message if it's too long, confusing or doesn't help the customer.

That's why we think about how messages sound, how they're written and where they sit within the wider telephone experience.

The aim is to make the experience as straightforward as possible for the person calling.

So, here's a simple thing to do next week

As National Customer Service Week comes to an end, I'd encourage every business to do one thing.

Pick up the phone and call your own business.

Listen to the welcome message, work your way through the IVR menu and, if possible, listen to what happens when you're placed on hold.

Then ask yourself a few simple questions.

Would I find this easy to use? Is the information accurate? Does it sound professional? Am I making it easy for customers to get what they need?

You might find that everything works brilliantly.

But if it doesn't, improving it could be one of the simplest customer service changes you make this year.

And if your telephone messages need updating, we're always happy to help.

Visit IVR-Recordings.co.uk to find out more about our professional IVR and telephone recording services.