Phone system automation is undoubtedly one of the most beneficial innovations for businesses. It would be foolish not to use automation to handle incoming calls for your company, as it would only serve to improve operations and efficiency.
It lowers overhead costs, enhances the caller experience, and protects against sales declines caused by disgruntled customers. Here are a few examples of how automating your phone system could improve its efficiency:
Create a Company Register
Regardless of how large or small, your company is, having a company directory is an excellent way to expertly route callers to the correct individual. If you give them a directory, they can contact the appropriate person without first speaking with a salesperson.
Rather than speaking with a live person, callers can bypass the operator and go straight to the appropriate person or department by dialing the appropriate extension. You can set up call forwarding by assigning specific extensions to specific individuals or departments to improve communication.
Then, record an audio message with the entire list and link it to the relevant menu item. When a caller dials “#1” (or the number you specify), they will be connected directly to the business directory’s custom audio message. As soon as they realize the extension is associated with the desired contact, they can simply dial it.
When you have more than a few employees, you can set up a dial-by-name directory, which is extremely useful for callers.
Provide a menu of options to callers. With the assistance of a Voice Menu
A call menu has long been regarded as one of the most effective automation techniques (also known as an auto attendant or phone tree). If you haven’t already used this technology, you’re passing up a fantastic opportunity to streamline your company’s call management and distribution processes.
Contrary to popular belief, a call menu is not only for high-volume operations. A call menu can be a huge time saver for businesses of all sizes, and it also exudes professionalism when customers dial in.
It’s essentially a virtual receptionist, so you can use the menu in place of a real one to handle incoming calls and have most of the tasks normally performed by that person’s computerized system.
The system can greet the caller, direct them to the appropriate person or department, or simply provide them with information (such as location, hours, or contact details). The best part is that you can usually get answers to your questions by navigating the menus and selecting the appropriate option without ever having to speak with a real person.
Include a Voicemail-Only Option in the Main Menu.
If you use a call menu, you can program a specific option that connects the caller directly to their voicemail. Using the menu options available to you, callers can be routed to voicemail or any other destination you specify.
This is an excellent addition to your menu because it eliminates the need for you to answer the phone for callers who only want to leave a message in a specific mailbox. Furthermore, the caller does not have to wait for a long time before being routed to voicemail because they can simply dial a number and connect immediately.
If necessary, multiple menu options can be configured to deliver messages to different employee mailboxes.
Menu options that connect to designated forwarding numbers
When a user selects a specific option from a call menu, calls are automatically forwarded to a different number. When a caller selects any of the options on your menu, not all of your phones must ring; you can specify which ones do.
When a caller selects, say, option 1 of a 3-option call menu, they need only press that number on their phone’s keypad to configure which phones should ring. When you select an option, it will only call the phones you specify. The result could be something like this:
- When you say, “Press 1 for sales,” your call will be routed to the company’s sales staff’s offices.
- If you say, “Press 2 for sales,” your call will be routed only to the technicians.
- “Press #3 to place an order,” and the appropriate people will be contacted directly.
Following a Predetermined Timetable
Scheduled forwarding is a useful tool for businesses to manage calls around their own schedules. If you need an automated phone system for small business, look no further than Robotalker; no other provider provides automation features on par with theirs. Individual call forwarding schedules can be set up for each of your phones, allowing you to ensure that the right people are on the call schedule at the right time and that there is no overlap.
If your company has employees who work multiple shifts on different days of the week, this is an excellent way to make shift changes easier for everyone. When you configure a phone to forward calls, it will only ring at the times and days you specify.
Message alerts via email
“I already get enough alerts in my life,” you may be thinking, but these are the types of notifications that will benefit your business. Email alerts are essential because you may not always be near your phone to receive business messages.
These messages are primarily used for voicemail notifications. You can configure your account to email you whenever new voicemails arrive, and you can provide any email address you want to receive notifications at rather than just the account holders.
Messages sent to one mailbox can be directed to a specific email address, and messages sent to another mailbox can be directed to a different email address. When you use business text messaging, you can be notified not only when you have voicemail but also when a customer sends you a text message.
You can choose to notify only one email address of new text messages, or you can notify many email addresses to increase the likelihood that someone on your team will respond.
Accessibility
Having set business hours in a virtual phone system can help prevent unwanted calls at odd hours. For example, if your working hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., only calls received during those hours will be forwarded to the phones you specify.
Unless you intend to be open 24 hours a day, this will prevent any forwarded phones from dialing at ungodly hours. The operating hours of your virtual phone system can be compared to those of a physical store.
The hours of operation function in your virtual system works exactly like the physical equivalent, where the store closes and no one answers the phone after a certain time. You can play an automated message to allow customers who contact you outside of normal business hours to leave a voicemail.
While a mobile phone, landline, or a few desk phones can suffice when you’re just getting started, it’s best to add some automation with an automated calling system to give your company a more established air.
Of course, you don’t have to incorporate all of these features into your phone system, but even a small amount of automation in your call handling will significantly improve the level of service your customers receive. The main goal of these automated systems is to make it easier for both you and your customers to contact you.
Apart from that if you want to know about “Professional Computer Repair” then please visit our Digital Marketing category.
