Just five or six years ago, VoIP was still considered a \u201cdifferent\u201d type of business phone system. One that wasn\u2019t the norm. But the pandemic changed that way of thinking. Now internet-based phone systems aren\u2019t simply the norm. They\u2019re mandatory for business continuity.<\/p>
During the pandemic, VoIP and video conferencing have skyrocketed by over 210%<\/a>. This is largely due to the move to remote work and hybrid offices. Sixty-seven percent of surveyed companies say switching to VoIP helps improve call handling.<\/p> So, no longer is the business phone system tied to a physical location. This enables fluid management of a business with staff spread out over many locations.<\/p> Additionally, VoIP significantly reduces costs for businesses. The technology is much cheaper to use than a traditional landline-based system. Calling plans are also often less expensive, and a company can add new numbers for very little cost.<\/p> VoIP has several helpful features for small businesses. But owners are busy and may not have time to have all of them enabled.<\/p> What are the best features to drive efficiency, productivity, and positive caller experience?<\/em><\/p> Here are some of the best features of cloud-based business phone systems to leverage.<\/p> In many small companies, the person answering the phone also has a lot of other duties. You can free up that person\u2019s time and give the caller a better experience with an automated attendant.<\/p> An auto-attendant acts as a company directory. It will forward calls to the correct department or staff member for you. Record a pleasant greeting and ask the caller a few questions. Such as, \u201cPress or say 1 for sales, 2 for technical support,\u201d etc.<\/p> The caller gets the person they need without having to explain why they\u2019re calling twice. Once to the person that answers the phone and once to the person they\u2019re transferred to.<\/p> What\u2019s the most favorite user feature for VoIP? According to 77% of<\/a> surveyed employees, it\u2019s the Find Me\/Follow Me feature. This includes the ability to use a virtual phone number that is accessible from all devices. Staff can also transfer calls from one device to another with ease.<\/p> Whether you are on a PC, in a conference room, or on your smartphone, you can get your calls. This feature reduces friction and allows people to give out a single phone number. Callers can then use that number to reach the person via mobile, home office, or onsite office.<\/p> Playing pleasant music while your callers are on hold might seem like a small thing. But it can have a big impact on customer satisfaction and lead generation activities.<\/p> We found some eye-opening statistics from a study on hold music versus silence. In the study<\/a>, researchers kept people on hold for 1 minute. Results showed:<\/p> Additionally, 45% of the silent group that did not hang up thought they were on hold for 3-5 minutes. They were on hold for just one minute. While on the music side, 56% of people thought they were on hold for less than one minute.<\/p> So, you can see the power of activating that one simple feature of your VoIP system. You may notice happier customers and fewer leads hanging up before they reach anyone.<\/p> When you\u2019re coming out of a meeting, going through a string of voicemails can be frustrating. You have to listen to each one to figure out the people to call back first.<\/p> Voicemail to email in VoIP services, provides recorded voicemails emailed to you. This also comes with a transcription of the message. You can quickly glance through the emails and scan the text to rank callbacks. No need to listen to every message first.<\/p> Ring groups are an especially helpful feature if you have a small team. It allows a group of numbers to ring simultaneously until one person in the group picks up.<\/p> This means that another staff member may be able to assist a caller, rather than them needing to leave a message. Ring groups are great to set up for sales teams, accounting teams, and customer support teams.<\/p> Another bonus of VoIP phone systems over analog is that you get real-time call reporting. What are your busiest times when you need more staff? Do you have a problem with calls not getting answered fast enough?<\/p> Your call reporting can give you insight into those things and more. Make sure you check out these reports and then automate the ones you like so you\u2019ll see them regularly.<\/p> This isn\u2019t a system feature, but it\u2019s important to have. If you sign up for VoIP from a company halfway around the world, you don\u2019t have any local support when you need it.<\/p> Having someone that can come to your office is important. They can set up VoIP desk phones and help you optimize ring groups, mobile apps, and more. Your business phone system is one of the most important pieces of technology you have. Make sure you have the local support you need to keep it operating reliably.<\/p> Get expert VoIP services and local support. We\u2019ll integrate your cloud-based phone system with your entire technology environment. Contact us today for a free consultation.<\/p> <\/p>Automated Attendant<\/h3>
Find Me\/Follow Me<\/h3>
Hold Music<\/h3>
Voicemail Transcription to Email<\/h3>
Ring Groups<\/h3>
Call Reporting<\/h3>
Local Support<\/h3>
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