COVID put a big emphasis on the need to run a business from anywhere. Enabling remote work requires cloud solutions like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems have also become a must-have.
VoIP allows companies to stay in contact by enabling employees to work wherever they are and yet still able to answer the business phone line. Callers get a similar experience no matter where employees may be working.
When you have people working remotely, the old landline phone systems become unwieldy. This has led to businesses flocking to VoIP – both out of necessity and to enable cost-savings.
According to Microsoft, 82% of organisations have reported saving money after implementing VoIP.
While VoIP is the way of the future, it’s not quite foolproof. Companies that don’t set up their system properly can experience issues. This includes things like dropped calls, poor call qulaity, and features left unused.
If you’ve been struggling to make your cloud phone system more efficient, check out these tips below. They provide setup best practices for VoIP. Use these to positively impact your bottom line.
1. Check Network Capabilities
You can’t just assume that you can implement a VoIP phone system and all will be well. Your network may not be able to handle the extra bandwidth needs of VoIP without adjustments.
Things you want to look at include jitter and packet loss. Additionally, review your internet router settings to make sure it can handle peak voice traffic times. Experiencing dropped calls or choppy audio shows there are issues that need addressing. These may include adjusting or replacing network hardware and/or increasing your internet bandwidth.
2. Prioritise Your VoIP Software Using Quality-of-Service Rules
Quality of Service (QoS) allows you to specify on your network which traffic is most important. If QoS is not in place, it means bandwidth sensitive apps like VoIP can be negatively impacted. A large cloud backup could kick in and interrupt your calls because it’s consuming all available bandwidth.
QoS sets up network “traffic lanes” that give priority to certain functions. You’ll want to have your VoIP software prioritised to get the bandwidth it needs. This avoids issues with less critical processes hogging all internet resources.
Using QoS ensures consistent call quality. It also improves the reliability of your cloud phone system. QoS can help ensure other important cloud apps remain in their “lane” when it comes to network resources.
3. Provide Quality Headsets for Your Team
A cheap headset can ruin the call experience for a potential customer. If someone calls in and hears static on the line or is disconnected, they’ll quickly get frustrated. They will most likely figure that your company doesn’t have its act together.
Your employees may not be able to afford high-quality headsets. They also may not know what type to buy. Head off potential problems by issuing quality headsets for your team to use.
4. Set Up Departments & Ring Groups
One of the best features of VoIP phone systems is the ability to set up ring groups. You first set up your department groups (accounting, marketing, etc.). Then set the employee extensions to be included in each group.
Creating a ring group allows you to have a call go to your customer support department as a whole. That way, phones for the whole group ring or flash a notification of an inbound call and the first available person can pick up.
Ring groups improve the caller experience by reducing wait time. It can also remove the need for the caller to leave a voicemail and possibly become frustrated waiting on a callback.
5. Create Your Company Directory
Auto assistants are extremely helpful and nearly all VoIP systems have them. First, you set up your company directory and then record messages to prompt the caller.
For example, you can set up a message that prompts them to input the last name of the person they are trying to reach. If they aren’t calling a specific person, they can be routed to a department.
While setting up a company directory takes a little effort upfront, it will save much more. You no longer will need to have someone specifically routing every call. Callers can also get to the person or department they need faster. This improves the customer experience and boosts office productivity.
6. Have Employees Set Up Their Voicemail & VM to Email
When you get out of a long meeting, going through a bunch of voicemails can take time you don’t have. Instead of listening to each one to see which calls are a priority, you could simply read through them.
The voicemail-to-email feature in VoIP phone systems automatically transcribes voicemails which are then emailed to the recipient. This improves efficiency and eliminates wasted time having to listen to entire messages to know who called.
Have employees set up this feature with their extension and email address. Some VoIP systems also offer an option to have transcribed voicemails sent via SMS.
7. Train Your Team on the Call Handling Process
Don’t leave your employees to self-learn a VoIP system. It’s important to train them on the features and the company calling process. This ensures that your team can enjoy all those time-saving features.
Get Help Enhancing Your Business Phone System
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Article used with permission from The Technology Press.