How to Get the Most From Your Business VOIP System (Part 2)
Welcome back to the second half of this two-part article on optimizing your business VOIP system. For the last few years, businesses across the globe have been quietly making the switch from costly wired business phone systems and package mobile plans to the new VOIP reality. This transition makes a lot of good business sense because, after all, every other aspect of communication is through high-speed internet now and available from every mobile device so why shouldn't your business phone numbers be as well? Last time we talked about preparing your office for better VOIP with bandwidth, preventing packet loss, and making sure you're using a business grade router even if you've only got a small office. we also talked about the importance of testing your VOIP reception from multiple call sources to ensure both clarity and consistency. Let's pick up where we left off at how to make VOIP work better for your team and current workflow.
Making it Work For You
Once your VOIP is set up and working smoothly for the office in general, it's time to think about what the system can actually do for your business. Telco phones were exactly what they seem to be, a simple way to call in and out from a wired landline, but VOIP is something entirely new and different.
BYOD With Employee Phones
BYOD stands for Bring Your Own Device and is a hotly debated topic in modern business, especially in industries where a mobile device is incredibly helpful. Whether your employees are on the road a lot or you simply want to stay in contact when they're out of the office, they will be able to install the VOIP software on their phones and tablets, effectively turning personal devices into another extension of their official office number. This allows your employees to answer business calls from anywhere at any time.
"Find Me, Follow Me" Desk and Mobile Features
Speaking of location flexibility, one of the best features of VOIP is the ability to adapt to modern life in which a single person can be contacted through a variety of devices depending on their current situation. the "Find Me, Follow Me" feature set includes the ability to build a schedule for which device rings, to ring every device to see which one is answered or to manually set which device you're able to answer at present.
Include in Disaster Recovery Plans
It's important to remember that your phone system is no longer entirely separate from the rest of your network. While natural disasters and malware attacks can't do anything to harm a cloud-based phone system, you will need to re-install and re-configure your VOIP software on any computers that go through disaster recovery. Be sure to include your new phone system in the plans.
Transcripts, Emails, and Business Software
Finally, VOIP has an incredible variety of applications to be used with existing software solutions. One incredibly convenient feature is the translation of voicemails to transcript emails so that you can quickly and easily check your messages. With the right setup, you can also transform recorded calls into transcripts for customer service use, integrate with your CRM for easy connection with your customers, and even built a 'click-to-call' feature into your website. The possibilities are limitless, all you need is the software.
As more and more businesses make the switch, optimize, and thrive on the savings and versatility of VOIP, it becomes undeniably clear that this is more than just another tech-trend. VOIP is the future of business voice communications. For more tips on how to acquire, configure, or make the best use of a business VOIP system, contact us today!