A cloud phone provider offers a telephony solution hosted over the internet that can be installed without hardware at your office. It integrates with CRM and communication APIs to deliver features like customer callback capabilities.
These allow you to direct calls to the right individuals and reduce callers’ communication workload. Many providers also include video conferencing for remote workers to save time and money. You can learn more about the features in this article.
Auto-attendants
Auto-attendants are a call center feature that provides automated greetings and menu options for your business calls. Basic auto-attendants let you record numbers that callers can press to reach specific employees and departments.
This prevents calls from being sent to voicemail, which is often frustrating for customers and decreases productivity for your team. Some providers offer easy-to-configure auto-attendants as a bundled monthly phone service package.
Call forwarding
Call forwarding routes calls to other extensions based on criteria you set using the call flow designer. This ensures your callers never get stuck on hold or receive the dreaded “voicemail box is full” message.
Other call-forwarding options include sequential dialing, which rings a series of pre-determined numbers in the sequence if the first one is busy. These features reduce wait times and increase customer service.
Call recording
Call recording is invaluable, especially in compliance-regulated industries like healthcare, finance, travel, insurance and real estate. The right cloud phone system providers offer automatic call recording as a part of their unified communications and cloud contact center solutions.
Choose a unified communication solution that lets you adjust your team’s availability at the user level within business hours to transfer calls to the right agent in real-time. You should also find out if a provider offers on-demand call recording.
Call center
An inbound call center helps businesses provide excellent customer support to resolve issues like account management, scheduling, technical support and sales inquiries. Features that improve call flow, like round-robin routing and intelligent automation services, are essential.
The ideal cloud phone system lets team members adjust their availability and share their work schedule so calls are transferred to the right person every time. It also gives teams access to contact notes that streamline collaboration.
Dial-by-name directory
If your business has many employees, you can provide a more intuitive call experience by adding a dial-by-name directory. This feature allows callers to search for a specific employee by first or last name using their DTMF keypad.
Then they’ll hear a results list and be connected to the next available user. Depending on your company’s structure and workflows, the directories can be set up at the main line or department level.
Mobile apps
A cloud phone system provides crystal-clear communications tools that aren’t dependent on PBX hardware. This allows your team to work anywhere with a solid broadband connection.
Look for a provider that lets your team share the same number with their devices so everyone’s device rings when someone calls. Also, look for mobile apps that allow you to read voicemail transcriptions visually.
Call center reporting
Cloud phone systems require less upfront and recurring costs than traditional on-site phones. They also allow employees to log in from anywhere, regardless of location.
Call center reports provide insights into agent performance. They can help identify underperforming agents and address training opportunities. They can also assist with forecasting and resource planning. Find a provider that offers these reports to keep your business in the know.
Caller ID
Caller ID is a widely-used feature on landlines, mobile phones and VoIPs. It identifies a caller by name and phone number. However, it only sometimes displays the correct information due to inconsistent CNAM databases used by terminating service providers.
Business Caller ID displays your company name, logo and other identifying information on the call recipient’s mobile device. This adds legitimacy to your calls and establishes trust with your customers.
Caller ID auto-replies
Get your team on the path to more impactful work with powerful call-screening features. For example, systems automatically texts callers who go to voicemail. The message encourages them to reach out via text instead.
Auto-replies communicate a clear, timely message to callers about when you’ll be available, alternatives and more. This helps you build trust with customers and improve your business.
Caller ID blocking
Business-grade VoIP providers enable caller ID blocking to prevent your name and number from being displayed on callers’ display devices. This feature is especially helpful in protecting agents from unwanted spam calls.
Unified communications: cloud phone systems combine voice calling, video meetings, instant messages and faxing on one platform. Ask the provider if their cloud phones support compatible fax machines and CRM integrations.