Top 10 Features Of A Virtual Phone System
Virtual phone systems are becoming increasingly popular with small businesses because they offer features that regular phone systems don’t. The best part? Since they’re virtual, you only pay for the features you need, so there’s no need to go overboard and get something you won’t use. Here is a list of the top 10 features you should look for when shopping for your virtual phone system. Hopefully, this will help you make the right decision in choosing which one is right for your business.
1) Call Forwarding & Routing
Virtual phone systems can forward your calls or route them to where they need to go. Say, for example, you’re just about to head out of the office when someone from marketing calls you up – and you’re about five minutes away from the door. Not a problem! With a virtual phone system, you can route their call so that it goes directly to your mobile device, allowing you to pick it up wherever your destination may be – all without having to leave the office. When it comes time for your next sales call, tell the caller that if they want more information on product XYZ, press one on their phone.
2) Text Messaging
Business text messaging is one of the most efficient methods of communication with your customers. By enabling it, you can engage with your customer and create a customer experience like no other. Text messages are fast, personal, and free. Here are a few things you need to know about text messaging and why it should be on the top of your list when setting up your virtual phone system.
- They Save Time Time is money! Sending a quick text message can save time on hold, being transferred around in voice prompts, or waiting for emails to send.
- It’s Fast As mentioned before, texting is fast and doesn’t require any wait time. When customers text, they will get an instant response that shows they’re important enough to receive it immediately
- Personal Texting takes seconds but feels much more personal than an email because an emotional connection is involved.
If a customer needs help from their bank, it’s good to know that they care enough about the relationship to contact them through texting rather than just emailing them for support.
3) Meetings
Meetings are the focal point of most office work and for a good reason. They’re where decisions are made, progress is tracked, and employees are trained. Virtual phone systems have a lot to offer in terms of meeting management that can streamline the process and make it more effective.
4) Extensions
Extensions are an important feature of a virtual phone system. There are two types of extensions that you can set up on your virtual phone system, the first being an inbound call and the second being an outbound call. With both inbound and outbound calls, you can set up a range of extensions, so people will know which extension to dial to reach the person they want to speak with.
For example, if your company has five salespeople, you could set up each of their extensions as 1-5. Then when a potential customer would like to speak with one of your salespeople, they would dial extension 1 or 2, depending on who they want to speak with.
5) Voicemail & Mailboxes
A voicemail and mailbox solution provides the benefits of a secretary for your company. All calls go to voicemail, so your business can focus on work instead of answering phone calls. When you check your voice messages, you can leave a message to be forwarded to an email or have the caller reach someone else in the company by forwarding their call.
If you’re unavailable, or there is no one available to take a call, they will hear an outgoing message with contact information and the company name. In addition, many companies have multiple numbers that ring simultaneously and share voice mailboxes with three levels of priority: one for administrative purposes, one for customer service, and one for emergencies.
6) Live Call Transfer
Another feature you might need to know about is the Live Call Transfer. When using a virtual phone system, it is possible to transfer calls from one extension to another without disconnecting the call. This helps give a call recipient immediate feedback to offer assistance or correct mistakes, for example.
7) Call Stacking
Perhaps the biggest benefit of a virtual phone system is the call stacking. In a traditional telephone system, clients are forced to wait on hold while the receptionist is occupied with their call. With a virtual phone system, no clients are waiting on hold, and receptionists can immediately handle more than one call at a time. This improves efficiency and customer satisfaction because callers don’t have to be kept waiting unnecessarily.
8) Call Recording
One of the most compelling features of a virtual phone system is that it can record calls. This feature enables your company to keep up with every word of customer conversations without having to stop and write down notes as they’re speaking. This can be critical for long-term success if you’re seeking any litigation or dispute, but in day-to-day business, it can save time by lessening the need for retakes or corrections from customers or clients. It’s possible that when certain callers notice a recording device has been activated, their tone might change and become hesitant; however, this will not negatively affect all callers, and there is always the chance they will react positively.
9) Custom Greetings
Custom greetings are an excellent way to personalize your voicemail system. Having the option to record a greeting will allow you to let callers know who they are talking to. In addition, they can see if they have any missed messages or updates on their account. If you have recorded a short custom greeting with a message of the day, it is easy for callers to hear when they contact your phone number.
10) Reporting
Reporting is a great way to see how your phone system is doing. By using reports, you can view the average number of calls answered in a certain period, missed calls, and more. Reports are also helpful for viewing data history for the last six months. For example, if you want to know about a day in July from the past six months, you can pull up that information on your report and see how it compares to other days in July from the past six months.
Conclusion
Did you know that 60% of new business owners use a virtual phone system? That’s because these systems offer excellent call coverage and great features. They make it easy to start and are scalable as your business grows. No more worries about keeping up with changes in technology; since the entire system is software-based, you’ll always have access to the latest upgrades and enhancements.
