Many businesses are moving away from expensive PBX based telephone service or limited landline service and making the switch to cloud-based VoIP service. These days, there are many smart reasons to make the move. The low cost and amazing features are the main reasons businesses are making the switch. Businesses will also benefit from improved call quality, increased production, and customer satisfaction.
VoIP business phone service is an upgrade for sure, but just because #VoIP is better, don’t assume that all VoIP service or providers are created equally. In fact, there are many differences out there between providers and service plans. Some offer low upfront bundled packages and then drastically increase rates when the contract ends, leaving their customers feeling stuck. Other companies actually will lock businesses into another long contract without even telling clients who haven’t read the fine print. Some offer fewer features, and others use pricing gimmicks to get you in the door; like saying prices starting at $19.95 per month. The only way you will qualify for that price is if you are switching over more than 100 lines.
There is also a lot of competition in the business telephone marketplace which makes any decision about who you should do business with even tougher. Just in the VoIP space, there are hundreds of options. Most likely your local cable company also has a business phone option. So how do you decide which VoIP company to go with?
One factor you can use to decide is features. After all, features a big part of what makes VoIP service so amazing.
So maybe start by asking yourself a few questions:
· In what ways could you be communicating with your customers more effectively?
· What is your current service unable to do that could increase customer satisfaction?
· What factors are most important, Features, Price, Company Name, a Local Provider, etc?
Let’s focus today on the features you may require to improve customer service and increase business efficiency. Most often, we find that businesses require a lot of things they don’t have access to. But the technology that’s needed is very hard to determine for those new to VoIP because they do not know which features will really improve their business. Sometimes, it is even hard to determine for those who already have a VoIP provider because the service provider hasn’t done a proper job educating customers on features and how to put them into everyday use for their business.
The best place to start is to look for a company transparent about the features they offer. This way you can review all the features and consider which ones would be a good fit for your business and how you might use them to improve customer service.
To help get you started, let’s run through the 10 #features our clients say they find the most useful.
1. Voicemail to Email: Have your voicemails converted to emails so you can quickly read them on your cell phone while on the go. Ex. You miss a call because you are busy at the airport and checking your voicemail is a hassle you hate, anyway. Don’t worry, you just need to open up your inbox and click the link to play a message. It instantly plays.
2. Unlimited Calling: With unlimited calling, you never need to worry about exceeding call limits again. This one might sound obvious; however, some VoIP companies make you pay additional fees if you exceed specified call limits.
3. Find Me/Follow Me: Route your calls to any phone you want so you never miss a call again or set up a series of numbers that will ring to reach you. Perfect for those that are going between offices or always on the go.
4. IVR/Auto Attendant: A computerized PBX (Private Branch Exchange) that answers calls and helps route callers to the proper extension. Example: Greet callers with a customized message and then ask them to press 1 for Sales, etc. Perfect for getting customers where they need to go quickly and not wasting employees' time answering and routing calls.
5. Conference Bridge: Host a conference call with up to ten attendees. You can schedule attendees to join the call or they can join without reservations. Also, record conference calls. When meeting with remote colleagues, conference bridges ease the time, money, and hassle it takes to travel or meet separately.
6. Customized Greetings: Welcome callers with custom greetings. But you can also create a custom message to use at any point in your call. You can play a message to all callers, or those routed to a specific department or even create special messages for VIP callers. You can also add marketing messages quickly and easily.
7. Call Screening: Screen out unwanted calls. This means any number that annoys you. Enter the number one time and you won’t have to worry again.
8. Call Queues: Improve customer service by dropping calls into queues so callers know exactly where they are in line (fourth, third, etc.). Example: Say you have a team of four people assigned to take incoming calls for a special you are running. By placing each of them into the same call queue, as incoming calls come in, it automatically divides them out, ensuring shorter wait times which create satisfied customers and happier staff. The admin can control all the settings, including the duration of wait time between calls.
9. Spy: Listen to in progress phone calls with nobody knowing. Perfect for training staff on proper customer support techniques.
10. FlexVone App/Chrome Extension: Allows you to make calls from your computer or phone just like if you were in the office. If you are on the move often, this is a must-have feature.
Now you are more comfortable with the most used features provided by top #VoIP companies like #FlexVone you can make an informed decision for your business. If you are new to VoIP, ask your provider if they will set up your phones the way you want them from the beginning. Some companies, like ours, will set up your ring groups, music on hold and other features and also train you about others you can implement as your business grows. We understand that all businesses are different and a few of these features may not be right for your particular business but with 60+ features; we offer more than enough features to implement today and immediately improve your customer service.
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