4 Things 3CX VOIP Can Do That Landlines Cannot
In the current business climate, every office-based company is faced with an important decision: stick with physical landlines or upgrade to VOIP internet phones? While you may have heard that VOIP can do everything that the fanciest TelCo landline package can do, from automated phone trees to access-anywhere voicemail, what you may not have heard about are the things a modern VOIP system can do that your landlines cannot. Landline office phones are limited by the fact that they are on a separate, and much smaller, data connection and integrating them with anything is a huge hassle. Not to mention changing office locations. However, VOIP slices, dices, and offers you a service versatility many businesses with traditional office phones have barely dreamed of. Here are four of the best things that a great 3CX VOIP phone system can do that your landlines simply cannot.
1) Answer From Anywhere
The number one biggest weakness of any landline phone is that you can only make and receive calls at the end of an installed cable. There is only one cable-end per number and if you're not sitting right beside it to pick up the phone, calls get missed. If you're out to lunch, working in the field, or even just caught up in a water-cooler conversation down the hall, you can miss an important business call simply by not being chained to your desk. For colleagues and clients to reach you by phone at all times, you'll have to give out your personal cell. Something not everyone is comfortable with and can put you at risk of harassment or stalking if the number gets into the wrong hands.
VOIP, on the other hand, gives you the option to answer your official work number from any device that can access the internet without giving out a personal number. You can answer from your usual desk handset, cellphone, tablet, work computer, home computer, or laptop based on where you direct the number in your account settings. Even better? You have manual and scheduling control to always decide exactly when and where you can be reached, and when it's most appropriate to let business calls go to voicemail without bothering you as well.
2) Integrate With Your CRM
Traditional landlines are the definition of swivel-chair logistics. You always have to have a note pad or word document open if you need notes on what is said and numbers must be manually programmed into the handset if you don't want to punch in each individual call. Phone logs are also a pain to set up and access in most systems. But this is not so with VOIP.
When your phone calls are coming through your internet connection instead of a separate data line, you can integrate your calling ability with all sorts of existing business software. Most usefully: your company CRM. Having a program already packed with customer, coworker, and business partner contact information was useful enough to begin with, but with 3CX VOIP integration, you can call up anyone with the click of a button and log your calls with each person directly back into the CRM with no hassle or tedious data-entry.
3) Transcribe Phone Calls Automatically
Ever wish you had a word-for-word transcription of a call after a conversation has ended, or wish you had started call-recording before the conversation began? This is an ongoing issue of safety, liability, and simple record-keeping for many professionals, especially if you have to deal with problematic contacts or complex conversations on a regular basis. Call recording was introduced to help businesses keep records and to protect themselves from irate or untrustworthy clients, but VOIP can do you one better.
Because software and extensions can be hooked directly into your phone system, it is possible and, in fact, easy to create automatic transcripts of any or every phone call. We don't have to tell you how useful this is, no doubt you're already imagining a few uses you have for this highly effective feature.
4) Make Calls Without a Phone
Finally, we've all found ourselves stranded without a working phone at least once. Whether your handset broke or you're out in the field with a dead cell, the ability to make calls is vital. With traditional TelCo numbers, even cellphone numbers, you can only make or receive calls with the one designated device. Either you are at the end of a landline or working with a unique SIM card connected to your number.
With VOIP, you have a lot more options. If your computer, laptop, or tablet are available, you have the same access to your work number for outbound and inbound calls as you would sitting at your desk or with a working cell. In fact, you can even plug in a headset and log into a borrowed or public computer in truly dire situations and gain access to your official business phone line.
For more information about what a 3CX VOIP phone system can do for your business, contact us today!