The global pandemic underscored the need to run a business from anywhere. Enabling employees to work remotely requires cloud solutions. This includes collaborative platforms like Google Workspace and Microsoft 365. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems have also become critical.
VoIP allows companies to stay in contact with customers and potential customers. Employees can work from anywhere and still answer the business phone line. Callers get a similar experience no matter where employees may be working, in the office or at home.
When people work from home, those old landline systems are inefficient. This has led to a large movement by businesses to VoIP. Both for necessity and cost savings.
According to Microsoft, 82% of organizations have reported saving money after implementing VoIP.
While VoIP is the way to go for the future, this doesn’t mean it’s foolproof. Companies that don’t set up their system efficiently can experience issues. This includes things like dropped calls, low bandwidth, and features left unused.
If you’ve been struggling to make your cloud phone system more efficient, check out these tips below. They provide best practices for VoIP setup. Use these to positively impact your bottom line.
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1. Check Network Capabilities
You can’t just assume you can enable a VoIP system and that all will be well. Your network may not be able to handle the extra bandwidth needs without adjustments.
Things you want to look at include jitter and packet loss. Additionally, review the router settings to ensure it can handle peak traffic times. Experiencing dropped calls or choppy audio shows a need to address issues. These may include adjusting network hardware and/or increasing your ISP bandwidth.
2. Prioritize Your VoIP Software Using QoS Rules
Quality of Service (QoS) is a router configuration area that lets you specify which traffic is most important. If QoS is not in place, it means resource issues. A large cloud backup could kick in and interrupt your calls, as it’s using up bandwidth.
QoS establishes “traffic lanes” that prioritize certain functions. You’ll want to prioritize your VoIP software to ensure it gets the bandwidth it needs. This avoids issues with less critical processes hogging up internet resources.
Using QoS keeps your calls smooth. It also improves the reliability of your cloud phone system. It’s also a good idea to use these rules for other important cloud activities.
3. Provide Quality Headsets for Your Team
A cheap headset can ruin the call experience for a potential customer. If someone calls in and can’t hear anything or gets choppy reception, 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 may also not know which 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 great features of VoIP phone systems is the ability to set up ring groups. First, set up your department groups (accounting, marketing, etc.). Then set the included employee extensions.
Creating a ring group lets you direct calls to your customer support department as a whole. This is better than one person, who may be busy. That way, the whole group gets the ring, and the first available person can pick up.
Ring groups improve the caller experience by reducing the wait time. It can also reduce the need for the caller to leave a voicemail and wait for a callback.
5. Create Your Company Directory
Auto assistants are extremely helpful, and nearly all VoIP systems have them. First, set up your company directory, 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 up front, it will save much more. You no longer need 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. Instead of having to listen 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 will automatically transcribe voicemails. They are then emailed to the recipient. This improves efficiency. It also eliminates wasted time spent listening to entire messages to find out 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 jump in and learn a VoIP system on their own. It’s important to train them on the features and the company’s calling process. This ensures that your team can enjoy all those time-saving features.
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This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.