Have you ever wondered how it happens that, when you call a United States 800 number, you reach a customer service rep in the Philippines? While the pros and cons of outsourcing to other countries have been a much-discussed and sometimes controversial topic, it is an example of how virtual technology can be used in business today. You now have the ability to answer business calls in Aruba or hire a virtual receptionist on the other side of the United States. All this can be routed through your Redding business phone system. Here’s how it’s done.
Choices
When you install a new telephone system, you can choose whether you want a traditional landline phone system or one that utilizes VoIP. VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is a newer technology that enables you to make phone calls using your internet connection. If you already have landlines coming into your business, you can either choose a landline system or you can choose to have your landline numbers ported to VoIP.
Pros of VoIP
Calls can be made to or from anywhere in the world via your business phone, using VoIP. If you have a global clientele, VoIP is your oyster. It can provide a way for your business to offer expanded hours for customer service.
VoIP outdoes landlines on portability, flexibility, and scalability. Not only can you expand your options for customer service, but you can also expand your staffing options. You can maintain work-from-home staff at lower costs. With the flexibility VoIP provides, you can easily set up the phone system of a new office or new employee with a few clicks or scale your workforce to handle the ebb and flow of customer calls.
VoIP often includes features such as caller ID, call waiting, and three-way calling that would cost extra if purchased with a traditional phone service. VoIP also offers features that traditional phone systems don’t provide: call-routing to and from your cell phone using your business phone number, video calling, e-fax, and integration with a CRM. VoIP can also turn voice into digital data packets that can then be transmitted to any device that connects to the internet. Hence, voicemails can be translated into written messages and voice data can be stored and searched.
Oh, and it costs less, too.
Considerations of VoIP
Internet connections can be flaky. VoIP depends on electricity, so if the power goes out, so does your phone. However, VoIP providers often give you the option of having calls forwarded to an alternate phone during power outages.
Call quality can be compromised, depending on your internet bandwidth. There are, however, solutions for this as well.
Just as individuals are increasingly ditching landlines and switching exclusively to cell phones, VoIP may become the business phone system of choice for Redding business owners. Now is your chance to tap into the global market with the virtual resources available to your business.