A reliable business communication system is pivotal irrespective of different departments in a business. For example, sales require them to make and receive calls from prospective customers or associates. Marketing needs it for interdepartmental communication and reaching out to potential leads that are ready for marketing pitches. Customer support requires it for handling service requests and troubleshooting purposes. Traditional phone systems relied on physical telephone wires, and it poses multiple problems such as downtime due to weather conditions, the need for reliable telephone exchange, physical hardware for adding new extensions, etc.
Thankfully, with the innovation and advancements made in the realm of internet technology, businesses are slowly transitioning to VoIP calling methods. However, afraid of change, most companies are in the dark about the several good reasons to choose to use VoIP providers, and if you are on the fence about adopting VoIP calling as preferred Business communication, you have come to the right spot.
What is VoIP Calling Technology?
VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is the technology that uses the Internet to transmit audio and video signals to make calling fast, clear, and better. As long as they are connected to the Internet, users can call and even fax for free or at significantly lower rates than telephone providers. VoIP technology involves:
- Picking up an analog signal (user’s voice).
- Turning it into digital audio.
- Encoding it as digital packets.
- Transmitting it over the Internet.
On the receiving end, the encoded digital packets are decoded and played as digital audio or turned into an analog signal (for physical telephone users).
How does VoIP technology Improve Business TeleCommunications?
The baseline on how most companies wish to run their businesses is by maximizing their Returns on Investment (ROI). By transitioning to VoIP calling systems, most businesses have observed an increase in the ROI as the calling and maintenance costs in VoIP calling is significantly lower than traditional phone lines. The benefits businesses have noticed from adopting VoIP technology include:
Encourages Remote Working
When dealing with the traditional phone system, the agent must be present in the office to make the call from the handset. Any absence causes an imbalance in the work distribution. However, using cloud-based VoIP calling systems, the agent can log in from anywhere and, using a decent bandwidth internet connection, can place and receive calls using a headset. Moreover, using the ring call group feature, when an agent is unable to take an incoming call, the call can be forwarded to other agents. Managers can easily monitor the call traffic and audit agent performance using a centralized dashboard. Moreover, unified communication allows users to send files, images, audio, documents, etc., along with instant messaging. So a single agent can manage chats, reply to emails, and make/receive calls without much hassle.
Allows Portable Arrangements
You need a decent internet connection, dialing software, and a VoIP-capable device to run a contact center or make calls using VoIP. Opting for a hosted PBX server provider, you don’t require additional hardware and can make your entire arrangement portable. With the ‘Follow me’ and ‘Find me’ features, users can ensure the call is forwarded to the right extension when they are unavailable, or the voicemail is sent via email to ensure no calls go unanswered.
Makes Calling Scalable
When using a traditional phone system, you need to invest in a dedicated device and separate phone lines for anyone you wish to scale your phone lines. Adding or removing a phone line using VoIP services is as simple as logging into the dashboard and editing the numbers. When an employee transfers or leaves, the current line can be reassigned or removed easily.
Better features than traditional systems
In addition to supporting concurrent calls simultaneously, VoIP services for businesses offer many other beneficial features. The most common features include:
- Voicemail
- Caller ID
- Call Waiting
- Call Transfer
- Call Parking
- Call Forwarding
- Call Blocking
- Ring Group
- 411 directory
- Last number redial
- Fax
Some VoIP service providers also offer unique features such as return calls, speed dialing, and SMS. Users have the option to cherry-pick the features they want to include in their VoIP subscriptions to keep the costs of add-ons low.
Better Voice Quality
Traditional phone lines use copper wires to transmit audio signals as electric pulses. Therefore, it is easily affected by weather conditions such as rain and static. Moreover, there was the risk of cross-connections and call drops due to low connectivity. In the case of VoIP systems, as long as you have a fast and stable Internet connection, call quality is not a concern.
Supports Concurrent Calls
Using a traditional phone system, a user can attend to one call simultaneously while the other calls are either forwarded to a voicemail or kept hanging on the IVR prompt. Thankfully, using VoIP, people can make multiple calls or even organize conference and group calls. This way, different stakeholders in the call, such as employees, management, and business associates, can collaborate with each other and communicate efficiently.
More Affordable Alternate
VoIP calling system allows direct and indirect cost savings. Since the entire conversation happens online, you save the costs incurred in buying hardware, installations, and upkeep. You pay a subscription fee for the hosted PBX server and purchase minutes for the SIP dialer, but it’s lower than that of owning traditional phone lines. Moreover, you can operate multiple lines and avail of additional services for a fraction of the monthly cost of using a traditional phone. VoIP phone services can reduce a company’s phone bill by up to 60%. They can also save up to 90% on international calls.
How to use VoIP in different Industries
Education
The recent pandemic allowed schools and other educational institutions to identify the potential of VoIP calling to take classroom interactions to the digital realm. Primary stakeholders such as teachers, administrators, parents, and students can attend virtual conferences. PTA meetings can be held virtually, and results can be sent via IM.
Food & Hospitality
Restaurants can employ automated reservation management and reduce their dependency on front-office staff members for it. Similarly, customers can make avail of call forwarding to multiple outlets leads to check availability.
Tourism
Post pandemic travel industry is bouncing back to normalcy. Business firms can adopt VoIP technology to help organizations resolve ticketing queries and respond to customer issues at a much faster pace. Calls can be routed to available agents to minimize unattended leads or answer travel inquiries quicker. Moreover, the IVR system can track and record conversations for superior service.
eCommerce
VoIP phone systems can be used for better productivity and task flow management. Virtual numbers allow agents to attend multiple calls simultaneously. A robust caller database enables the agent to reopen older conversations for remarketing and cross-selling purposes.
Healthcare
Hospitals can use VoIP to precisely transfer the call to the right department for instant health support. In addition, patients can book virtual appointments, and call routing can reduce the call wait time for critical emergencies.
Wrapping Up
VoIP can potentially increase operational efficiency while streamlining communication methods, boosting team cooperation, and improving the work environment. When employed innovatively, it has the potential to revolutionize your business communications. If you are looking for VoIP software development services, the experts at Vindaloo Softtech are ready for you.
