There’s always a transition period when new technology starts to replace the old. But somewhere during that transition, the number of businesses taking advantage of new features reaches a critical mass, usually when the cost-benefit calculations start to really lean in the new tech’s direction. Such is the case with VoIP services, making them feasible for small businesses as well as large enterprises.
The ease-of-use for VoIP services, as well as the explosion of broadband, has also contributed to their viability. These are only some of the ways that small businesses are incorporating these services into their operations.
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Support for a Mobile or Remote Workforce
You don’t have to be tied to a desk phone any longer to be reachable. VoIP services can unify your email, phone and video services into single system. Forward calls to someone wherever they are, on whatever device they’re using. This kind of decoupling from a dedicated landline opens up possibilities for telecommuting and remote access to a full array of communication tools anywhere there’s internet access. Nobody is chained to the office anymore.
Simple Distribution of Call Volume
Automatically distribute calls to available customer service agents, no matter where they are. You can deliver calls to appropriate call centers in whatever time zone fits, expanding the flexibility of your call hours. And since VoIP phone service gives you a global reach without the cost of long-distance phone costs, setting up low-cost customer service and tech support options overseas.
Customers can initiate calls directly from your website. If the customer doesn’t want to wait for a representative, they can enter their contact information into a web form and be contacted by the first available agent.
Big Features for Small Businesses
Large, expensive features, like voice and video-conferencing used to be too costly and complex to implement. But that critical mass has been reached, and now voice and video conferencing is so much easier to set up and use with VoIP. There’s no conference number to distribute for the call, and participants can be scaled to nearly any number of observers, if not actual participants.
Go beyond voice and video. The next step in communication is not just exchanging video and sound, but to allow remote desktop control. Agents should be able to help customers remotely, and colleagues can collaborate with virtual shared whiteboards and other types of dynamic interactions.
Implementing Small Business Technology
It’s important to think forward to the actual solutions that you’re expecting from small business VoIP. The best implementations will be those that allow the type of remote working and call distribution that will help reduce costs or increase productivity. Otherwise, technology is just so much boondoggle for an organization.
Kevin Schweizer is the Online Marketing Manager at Phone.com, an internet-based company specializing in VoIP phone service. When Kevin isn’t writing, he can be found watching the NFL and learning about medieval castles.