VoIP or (Voice over internet protocol) is important for small and medium businesses to run as lean as possible. This means that you need to cut out unneeded expenses that impact the bottom line. VoIP services do just that. They are a cost-effective way to set up your phone lines and are also reliable.
With the market getting more and more remote working conditions VoIP is a perfect solution. Not only is it affordable, but it is portable as well. You can use VoIP to consolidate all of the phone lines that your employees need in one simple system. This simplifies the system but allows your employees the freedom they need to do their job in a timely fashion.
VoIP is Scalable.
You can easily add or take away lines without any issues. This allows you to scale up when you need more phone lines and scale back when you don’t. This is great for seasonal companies that are very busy in one season and not so busy in others. But, with every business, there is a need to scale up and down. That’s just how business works. There are times when you may need to add some temporary lines to keep up with the incoming calls and VoIP is the way to do it.
VoIP has been improved upon and enhanced over the years. This means that it is incredibly reliable as well as efficient. There are no longer bandwidth caps on people, which also improves the use of VoIP.
Back in the day
Let’s take a walk in time and go over some things that you might be wondering when it comes to switching your services. So, back in the day, your company set up their phone services through a local telecommunication service. These are also known as phone companies in layman’s terms. Each time you wanted to add a phone line there was a charge and someone would have to physically come out and set that upon your business. This often took time to get set up and you just worked around it the best you could.
You would have to wait for that person to physically come and set that up. They were limited by the hardware and what the system could handle. You would need to expand the entire physical part if there wasn’t enough room for expansion. This system was actually invented in 1876 and really hasn’t changed much since. There are a series of lines and cables that are physically connected to the building and phone systems.
These are very reliable as they are physically connected and not just connect wirelessly as VoIP is. However, you are tied to those lines and cannot have remote workers or much flexibility. They are expensive and clunky but work where the internet isn’t as fast and reliable. The thing with VoIP is that it needs reliable internet to work properly and flawlessly. Most businesses today are equipped with the proper internet services that can handle the VoIP.
VoIP is managed by software.
But, that is all gone when you switch to VoIP. VoIP is managed by software mostly. It is similar to smartphones where you can easily, across the board update and improve the phone and the system. This, of course, is without actually touching each one of the phones and devices connected to the system. It is easy to go in and make adjustments where needed from just about any location. Simply log in to your account to add or switch things up as they need to be. Really it is that simple.
Improve your customer’s experience
With VoIP, you can have one number that everyone calls but it can be dispersed over many devices to help keep your clients happy. After all, when you call for customer service, don’t you want to actually speak to someone? This is why this system is amazing for your customer contact as well. It will automatically route the call to the next available representative to get your customer’s needs and questions met quickly. This helps improve the communication you have with your customers and increases your overall customer service.
It is important in the current business market to not only offer a wonderful product or service but also excellent customer care. There are all kinds of places that upset customers can really make a huge impact on your company. These are things such as leaving negative reviews on different areas and directories that are found online. People read these reviews and make a judgment based on them. You want more positive experiences that are better for your reputation and customers as well. VoIP helps assist you with this by offering some amazing features that you simply cannot get on a traditional phone line. Features such as call back options which many customers love and it is easier on your staff as well.
Some Cons to VoIP
While we can speak more about the benefits than the cons of VoIP it is still something that should be addressed. When running a small or medium business you should understand that the system can have people literally scattered all over, answering your phone lines. Because of this VoIP is not safe for 911 calls. The calls are impossible to actually trace back to a particular location. In fact, with remote workers, the line most likely would be traced back to your organization and not to the worker that is working remotely.
Some VoIP systems do support the 911 feature; however, to know for sure, you should always ask and let your employee know, should it not. This, for obvious safety issues, is important to keep everyone informed.
Overall VoIP is the way to go!
Overall, VoIP is certainly the way to go, no matter how large or small your business is. It is a very efficient way to manage incoming calls and helps route your clients to the best possible option. Getting your client’s needs met in a reasonable amount of time starts with proper communication.
Getting a VoIP system is far less costly than a traditional phone line. And, it offers so many more features. There simply isn’t a better way to connect with the potential and current clients your company has.