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Archive for the ‘Mobile PBX’ Category

How to Stop the Waste When Operating a Business in Multiple Locations

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Some businesses have employees that work out of their homes.  Others have satellite locations across town or in another city or state.  When a business does not have the luxury of having all employees report to the same office, several communication challenges can cause problems in customer service, sales and operations.  Hosted VoIP providers have a service called Virtual PBX that can solve these obstacles and help companies improve the performance of each department and their bottom line.

Following is a partial list of issues from having a work force under more than one roof:

1.  Calls can not be transferred between locations.  Asking an outside caller to hang up and dial another number within an organization includes the risk that they will not call.

2.  Many companies have redundant positions at each of their locations because they cannot easily transfer calls.  Redundant positions may include call answering points, sales, customer service and accounting.

3.  Communication among employees is strenuous as it is harder to get someone on the phone than it is to see them in the hallway or catch them at their desk.

4.  Departments that are geographically spread apart cannot be grouped together for answering calls and incoming calls cannot be fairly distributed between locations.

5.  Call answering positions do not know whether or not someone is already on the phone.

6.  Key personnel who travel between offices frequently miss their important phone calls when they are away from their main desk.

7.  Employees cannot page people in other locations.

Hosted PBX or Hosted VoIP services are the solution to all of these issues and more.  Here are the ways they can help:

1.  Calls can be transferred between locations as easily as they are transferred within the same building.  Now callers can always get to the right person by calling the company only once.

2.  Some premium Hosted VoIP providers offer Busy Lamp Field (BLF) which show who is busy on other phone calls.

3.  Call answering points can be centralized into one location since calls can be transferred anywhere and BLF features show who is on the phone.  Other redundant positions such as sales or customer service can be centralized, eliminated or reduced.

4.  Mobile PBX option integrates the desk phone with the mobile phone.  Employees can receive and process calls whether they are sitting at their desk or away from the office.

5.  Camp On feature provides an alert when an extension becomes idle or is used again.  Hosted PBX users do not need to hunt for each other as the phones will do it for them with Mobile PBX or Camp On.

6.  Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) is furnished by some Hosted VoIP providers.  ACD evenly distributes calls among several people within a department.  It also stacks calls that are waiting to be answered similar to the teller line at a bank.  People in comparable departments such as customer service that are spread apart in multiple locations can be included in the same ACD group and answer any of the department’s calls.

7.  Hoteling allows a user to go to any desk phone, enter a code and that desk phone is now their main extension.  Hoteling is beneficial for employees that travel between office locations and need to receive their calls no matter where they are.  Since their extension is the same, call receptionists never need to hunt for them.

8.  Overhead paging systems can be accessed in other locations.  In some instances, multiple paging systems in multiple buildings can be used simultaneously.

Whether a business has single user multiple locations or stand alone satellite offices, Hosted VoIP services and Virtual PBXs solve many communication challenges.  Separate phone systems will cause disjointed communication and the sales and customer service experience of the outside caller will suffer.  Hosted VoIP providers deliver one cohesive telephone system for all locations.  Businesses can save money by centralizing, streamlining or eliminating redundant positions while simultaneously improving the caller’s experience.  In addition, advanced features such as ACD, Mobile PBX, Hoteling and Camp On will significantly improve the service a company delivers to its callers.

Posted in ACD, Busy Lamp Field, Hosted VoIP, Hoteling, Mobile PBX, Overhead Paging | 1 Comment »

Hosted PBX Services – the Key Business Strategy to Surviving Disaster

Monday, May 17th, 2010

On a regular basis, businesses have to handle and respond to several different types of disaster.  Fire, hurricane, tornado, earthquake and flood are the most commonly recognized disasters.  Other less commonly considered disasters (but no less disruptive) are inclement weather, cable cuts, disgruntled or careless employees and power outages.

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When a business is struck by one or more of these disasters, the effects can be wide ranging.  If the business can not respond to their needs, customers seek out other solutions including competitors.  Employee productivity is reduced when they cannot get to work.  Revenues suffer with lost customers and reduced employee productivity.  Further, the business may be physically displaced and key business resources such as the telecommunications systems, data networks and vendors may be unavailable.

Although proper disaster planning involves many aspects of the business, one primary component is the communications system.  Staying in contact with employees, customers and the general public can help mitigate the damage caused by the disaster.  A key strategy for a robust, disaster resistant communications system is the use of a Hosted PBX system.  Hosted PBX services (also commonly referred as Hosted VoIP services and Virtual PBXs) house the equivalent of the telephone system central equipment and call processing at the VoIP Provider’s Point of Presence (POP).

Hosted PBX services are a superior disaster resistant strategy for the communication system for several reasons.  The POP is located in a hardened facility that is resistant to disasters.  Call processing happens in the POP and away from the main business.  This means that calls are handled regardless of what is transpiring at the main building.  Since most Hosted PBX services use the Internet for voice delivery, phones can be rapidly deployed wherever broadband Internet access exists.  In addition, some services accommodate redundant Internet connections for automatic failover.

Because they contain core call processing in a hardened facility and they use the flexibility of the Internet to deliver their service, Hosted PBX services present a wide range of options in a disaster.  These options include:

1.  Automatically re-routing calls to homes, mobile phones and other offices

2.  Forwarding inbound calls to any 10 digit telephone number

3.  Turning employees into telecommuters

4.  Assembling a temporary office anywhere the telephones can be plugged into a broadband connection

5.  Recording special announcements and instructions for callers

6.  And finally, doing nothing and allowing the normal automated attendants and voicemail systems to process the calls

With many of these available options to help the business stay in touch with the public, outside callers may have no idea that disaster has struck.

How a business responds to a disaster is dependant on how well they have planned to keep their core functions operational in a catastrophic event.  Companies that are prepared to remain operational in a disaster become a resource during the disaster rather than a victim.  Processing and handling calls is a vital function to the performance of most businesses.  Hosted PBX services are a robust, disaster resistant communications system that can handle calls and help a business survive a disaster.

Posted in Disaster Recovery, HostMyCalls Services, Hosted PBX, Mobile PBX | No Comments »

Remove Your Startup Business Image by Using Hosted PBX Services

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Startup businesses need services that are inexpensive, scalable in design and will promote their growth.  Further, they need a communication system that is easy to manage, provides seamless communication even when all workers are not in the same office, gives outside callers the feel of a company with depth, moves easily and enables its users to wear many hats.  Enter Hosted PBX or Hosted VoIP services.

Hosted PBX services appear to be designed with the startup in mind because they can do all that and more.  Typically the business owner only needs to purchase VoIP phones to work with their selected Hosted PBX service significantly lowering capital required for a phone system.  Most services bundle free outbound long distance with a subscription to their service.  Combining long distance with eliminating the concept of phone lines, monthly phone costs become quite predictable while insuring all calls get through.

Hosted PBX services can include users in a seamless communication system regardless of their location because they are based on VoIP technology.  The top Hosted PBX services provide all telephone users with the ability to transfer calls, know who is on the phone (Busy Lamp Field) and camp-on to extensions while eliminating the costs for calls between remote staff.

Hosted PBX services promotes a startup’s growth by allowing effortless addition and deletion of phones, simple service and phone moves and new employees to work from their home when office space is not available.  Further, the startup can test new market areas by merely publishing a local number in that area while receiving those calls in their home area.  Whether the new market area produces the desired results or not, a Hosted PBX service significantly reduces the risk by minimizing the investment.

The startup business owner must wear many hats.  They include answering calls, meeting clients and potential clients in the office and out in the field and traveling to promote their business.  Published phone numbers can ring multiple phones in multiple locations.  The Mobile PBX option of premium Hosted PBX or VoIP providers will pass business calls on to mobile phones when the called party does not answer their desk phone.  Calls will get answered without anyone being chained to a desk.  In addition, faxes and voicemails can be delivered via email permitting the traveler to stay in touch with all of their messages.

Startup businesses must be very sensitive to appearing as a startup or small business with limited resources.  The caller’s perception is greatly influenced by how calls are answered.  Live body answers, auto attendants and individual voicemail greetings give the feel of a company with resources.  In contrast, calls answered by general company voicemail boxes convey a small company appearance.  The many features of a Hosted PBX service will facilitate a professional image of a company with resources.

Hosted PBX services from VoIP providers are perfect for the startup business.  They provide communication services that are inexpensive, scalable in design and foster the growth of the business.  They are easy to manage, provide seamless communication even when all workers are not in the same office, give outside callers the feel of a company with depth, move easily and enable its users to wear many hats.  Lastly they allow the owners to stay in constant communication with their customers and employees without ever giving out their personal mobile phone number allowing the entrepreneur to remain a private individual, too.

Posted in Hosted PBX, Hosted VoIP, Mobile PBX | No Comments »

Hosted PBX Service + Mobile Phones = Cut Costs and Increase Revenue

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Integrating employee mobile phones with your Hosted PBX service or business telephone system can revolutionize your company and the way you respond to your customers.  One plus one is a lot more than two when you combine your two communication platforms (mobile phones and Hosted PBX service) into one seamless unit.  The combination will help you cut costs, increase sales and provide superior customer service (protect revenue).

How It Typically Works

Some business telephone systems and a few premium Hosted VoIP providers offer the ability to integrate existing mobile phones with your desk phone.  When turned on, the desk phone and mobile phone will ring at the same time.  Whichever phone you answer, will get the call.  Should you answer the call with your mobile phone, transferring it back to your desk phone can be easy.  If you do not answer, most services are flexible in their programming and will allow you to designate either your mobile phone or your office voicemail to take the message.

In some instances, you can do away with your desk phone and take all calls with your mobile.  Once you have the call on your mobile, you will be able to transfer the call to any extension on your system and possibly to any number in the world just like you do with your desk phone.  The best Hosted PBX services and telephone systems will also allow you to place calls from your mobile phone through your system.  You will not give your private mobile number out ever again!

Transforming Your Business

Pairing the mobile phone with your Hosted PBX service provides an incredible opportunity to cut costs, increase sales and provide superior customer service.  Removing the desk phone is only a potentially small savings.  The big savings comes from how to handle your fixed in office answering point.  With mobile phone integration, the position is no longer chained to a desk.  You can put them to work in the office or field or assign the duties to more mobile personnel or eliminate the position all together.

In addition to cost cuts, mobile phone integration with your Hosted PBX service can help increase the productivity of your sales team.  Sales people can handle important calls while they are out of the office as if they were sitting at their desk.  Business no longer waits for the sales person to return to the office.  In addition, sales people will not get bogged down by customer calls that can be best handled by others such as customer service departments.  For example, when they receive a customer service type call, they can gracefully transfer the call to that department with or without call screening.  Now they can focus their attention on their next sale and give immediate attention to their active customers.

Similarly to their sales colleagues, customer service personnel can handle customer care calls even while they are away from their desk.  Should they not be the best resource for the call, they can easily transfer the call to the appropriate person.  Customers will acknowledge a superior customer service experience when they can routinely get the live person on the phone they need for help.  Further, employees will no longer need to give out personal mobile numbers to keep in touch with their clients.  Beyond an improved customer care experience, you can protect your base by not having employees leave who are contacted by your customers through their personal mobile phone number.

Integrating your mobile phones with your Hosted PBX service gives you the opportunity to reinvent and reinvigorate your business.  Besides being able to eliminate or redefine several positions, you will keep your key employees in contact with your customers while making them more efficient.  This all leads to cutting costs while increasing sales and improving customer service.  A winning combination for any business!

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Posted in Cell Phone, Hosted PBX, Mobile PBX | No Comments »

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