For most businesses that have been around for a while, complex phone systems have been the central communications tool, but times have changed. It is incumbent upon all business owners to explore new technologies in order to see if they can enhance the way business is done, improve customer service, and increase efficiency. In this context, new cloud-based tools are rapidly growing in popularity in the business sector, with many more businesses set to migrate to a cloud-based workflow.
How Your Phone Has Changed for the Better
One example where technology and the cloud have converged to enhance the way that we conduct business is in business phone systems. You may be familiar with those expensive hardware-based PBX boxes that sit on the wall of just about every office. They have been the standard for many years, but the sobering truth is that they are now obsolete.
VoIP phone systems that are cloud-based offer more flexibility, more options, and enhanced workflow. For any business owner interested in improving productivity and their bottom line, this is great news. Consider just a few of the benefits of these new systems, as follows:
- Flexibility: Through a unique online portal, it is possible to control and program these new cloud-based systems. As a manager, imagine being able to program multiple extensions and have them activated in different ways. You can have multiple lines ring at once so that you never miss another call; you can direct calls from one extension to another as many times as you like so that a call in one country can be diverted to another country where staff are available; and you can even program time-based automated rules so that phone numbers can announce different messages at different times of the day or year.
- IVR (Interactive Voice Response): Used by many modern businesses, this numbered option system provides callers with recorded choices so that they can be directed to wherever they desire within the business structure. Apart from the flexibility of such a system when presented in a simple and easy-to-understand online portal, it can also be used to enhance office efficiency. In fact, some clever users use the IVR system to make their business appear larger than it really is, in order to impress their customers and grow their brand.
- Call recording: Being able to record calls on any extension either on-demand or using a rules-based system allows managers to improve customer service through regular reviews and feedback. It also allows them to resolve disputes with customers quickly and easily through a review of phone calls. The other advantage of such a system is that all calls can be downloaded in a single zipped file.
The Way of Our Business Future
Technology may not always result in greater levels of efficiency, but when it comes to cloud-based VoIP systems, the old style of a hardware box on the wall has certainly had its day! These modern cloud-based communication systems are undoubtedly more powerful, more flexible, and more efficient. This can only be a good thing for businesses!
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