16 Things You Probably Didn’t Know Your VoIP Service Could Do
Part 1
Did you know about all these?
This is Part 1 of two, which will be published next week!
With all the new technology around personal gadgets, other products like VoIP are sometimes overlooked. Chances are, you're familiar with the basics of VoIP, but did you know that most companies use only about 50% of the functionality of their VoIP systems? A highly sophisticated phone system has all the usual functions we think of when it comes to telephone service: call forwarding, voicemail, standard calls and call transfers. You may be screening your calls and using the Do Not Disturb feature, but we bet you don’t know half of what this workhorse of a phone system can really do for you.
Let's dive in...
1) Find Me, Follow Me
Regardless of where your business (or downtime) might take you, you never have to worry about missing a call. More than just call forwarding, the Find Me, Follow Me feature can solve a multitude of issues:
If you have multiple offices or employees who work from home, the system can ring anywhere your team members are:
Have an associate who works in Chicago Monday through Wednesday and in Milwaukee Thursday and Friday? No problem.
Have your main office on the east coast, but do a lot of business on the west coast? Your calls will follow you wherever you are, and it's all seamless for your clients.
If someone is calling your business line, and you pick up on your cell phone, you'll hear a whisper message before the call is connected to tell you it's a business call. This can prevent embarrassing and unprofessional greetings.
Instead of ringing multiple phones at once, the system can also go in sequence. For example, it might ring your office two or three times before it forwards to your cell phone and then to voicemail.
2) Unmatched Connectivity with Clients
If you operate a call center or need an effective way for many clients to contact you, the Omnichannel Contact Center offers traditional calling, texting, video calls, live chat and even screen share all under one umbrella. This way, your clients can reach out to you in whatever manner they feel most comfortable with. This is a boon for your customer service!
3) No Worries about Toll Fraud
No doubt you’ve heard a few of the horror stories of companies that get hit with $50,000 or larger phone bills due to toll fraud. This occurs when hackers take over an IP phone system. (Typically, a non-VoIP system that was manufactured after 2000). Hackers are paid a hefty commission to set up the fraud. They reroute part of your system to make expensive, long distance calls, toll calls, overseas calls, and even those 900 numbers that cost per minute of use.
Unfortunately, your company will have to pay for these calls, and this isn’t covered by your insurance. How can you protect yourself and your business? Transition your business to a VoIP system, where the VoIP carriers bear the hefty burden of keeping the system secure. With VoIP, you would rarely be left “holding the bag.”
4) VIP Numbers
Do you have a big or very important client who expects you to take their call no matter what? You can give them their own VIP phone number to call that provides them with faster service. And you will know who is calling before you answer, so you can be ready with your best, most professional tone.
5) Call Recording and Coaching
Your VoIP system can record calls for later review by management. This can be a very important training and monitoring tool to ensure your customers are receiving the best, most efficient service. Call coaching is also a terrific training tool that works in real time. A sales manager, for example, can listen in on a call and even talk to the salesperson without the customer knowing the manager is on the line. The customer will only hear the salesperson. If the new salesperson gets into unknown territory, the manager can offer answers or advice without the customer knowing.
6) Convenient Conference Calls—No Matter Where Everyone Is
Conference calls aren’t new, but with VoIP, you can say goodbye to the hassle of gathering everyone in the same room at the appointed time to talk to another group that is also gathered in a single location. With VoIP, you can easily conference in multiple people in any number of locations, whether they're on another VoIP line, a cell phone or even the VoIP app on a laptop.
7) Easy Transfers and 'Office' Location No Matter Where You Are
Part of the beauty of VoIP is that it enables you to conduct business professionally from anywhere. You can use your VoIP system's app on your cell phone or laptop to make and receive calls, and it will be just like you're in the office. Answer a call while on the beach or heading into an important lunch? Use the servicing VoIP app to transfer the call to anyone else within the company.
8) The System is Always 'Working'—Even in a Disaster Recovery Situation
It's entertaining to joke about doing business while you lounge on the beach or take a breather at the top of the ski slope. But the reality is that VoIP gives you the ability to conduct business even if there's a major storm, building fire, broken pipe, electrical outage, natural disaster or some other event that prevents you from accessing your company's offices. With a VoIP system and app, you can use laptops and mobile devices to make and receive calls as if everything is business as usual. All of these gems are just the beginning of what your complex and hardworking VoIP system can do for you and your business. Watch our blog for even more information regarding the features of your VoIP system.
Stay tuned for Part 2, coming next Friday, 4/8!
Open One Solutions, Inc. is a Chicago based Business VoIP Provider specializing in both cloud / hosted and premised based IP phone systems or IP-PBX solutions. Open One Solutions brings years of experience in this field. Our company founder has been using and deploying cloud / hosted VoIP since 2004 and deploying IP-PBX solutions since the 90s. For additional information, contact us at 312-780-1010 or email us at info@openonesolutions.com