An auto attendant can route calls to various employees or departments. Using an auto attendant, you can set different parameters, like day and night mode. You can even have a completely different message go out if the office is closed for a holiday.

IVR (or Interactive Voice Response), is a far more advanced version of an auto attendant. It uses the verbal commands that a live person would say to the phone system rather than a keypad.

Using an IVR, your automated system can perform more tasks than the simple call routing of an auto attendant.

Both Voice over IP (VoIP) technologies work together to handle high call volumes and meeting business needs.

Yes, not only will you save money using an auto attendant, it will generate revenue for your business. Instead of sending callers to your voicemail when they dial your cell phone, you can handle their call, especially if they want to reach "sales." When someone wants to do business, they don't bother explaining it in a voice mailbox.

You can also configure your auto attendant to automatically route calls to a live operator or answering service. When you're back in the office, you can answer calls from your business phone number.

In a limited capacity, auto attendants have the ability to converse with callers, but through a series of menus (and submenus) to become interactive. Another way a virtual receptionist interacts with callers is through a dial-by-name directory.

Typically, with an auto attendant, you’ll instruct callers such as “Press 1 for sales. Press 2 for customer service.”

Only a more advanced model, like an Interactive Voice Response, can listen to the customer’s speech and respond accordingly. Auto attendants on their own are menu services offering choices that the caller can select from.

Auto attendants provide businesses an affordable and scalable solution to meet your business needs. However, it doesn't have a cheerful, fun personality. You will want to set an auto attendant up with a professional recording for the best possible experience.

Receptionists, on the other hand, are friendly and more caring for customers. They might even recognize callers by their caller ID when their phone rings. For urgent matters, you want a live rep to handle the call.

There's nothing that stops a business from doing both with their VoIP phone system. Use an auto attendant to greet callers and direct them to the proper virtual phone numbers. Otherwise, provide them the option to speak to an operator by dialing zero.