Employing people to sit around and answer phones all day can be a costly undertaking for small businesses.

Many businesses are choosing to install the IVR system to enhance their operations. There are many reasons why you should choose a customised IVR solution for your office. At a time when competition in business is high, enhancing efficiency and improving operations can go a long way in giving your business an edge. Following are some benefits of having IVR in your office.

1. Enhancing office automation

Using technology in the office can help to enhance the way you do business in many ways. If you have sophisticated software around your office to enhance different functions, you can extend this to your communication system. The IVR system will offer automation benefits to the callers, which helps to enhance communication. You can use the system to provide information about the company while directing the callers efficiently.

2. Enhance call efficiency

Being able to attend to calls at the first ring can save the company and the caller time and money. No one wants to be kept on hold and the system can help to enhance user experience. By attending to calls immediately, you save precious time and this means that you save money as well. It is not possible for a human being to pick up so many calls at the first ring for hours on end but fortunately, the IVR system can do this effortlessly. The machine can work 24 hours a day and will always sound fresh without the “tired voice” at the end of the day.

3. Using multiple languages

Having the IVR system is great if you have callers who do not speak English. The system has multilingual greetings depending on the caller ID and it can choose the language to use by identifying the callers language. This can make the caller feel comfortable and it helps to improve communication. By making your customers feel at home when they call your business, you can get an edge over your competitors. This also helps to reduce the calling time.

4. Making personalised greetings

The system makes personalised greeting to your known callers making them feel important every time they call. If the caller ID is known to the IVR system, it will greet the caller with his or her first name. It can even wish the caller happy birthday or happy anniversary if he or she happens to call your office on that day. While this might not be essential, it can go a long way in creating a good image about your business because you can come across as caring about your customers.

5. Round the clock service

The IVR system works 24 hours a day, meaning that calls will never go unanswered. Apart from presenting necessary information, the system also stores messages and it can alert designated persons automatically in case of an emergency. Depending on the service, the system can also help callers by giving out emergency instructions.

These are just some of the benefits of installing an IVR in your office. There are different services available and you can get technical services from support engineers.

Using hosted services has become very popular as companies look for ways to get the best service without investing in costly infrastructure. Hosted VoIP is a virtual phone system that allows you to make calls using your internet connection. The calls between your VoIP handsets are free, meaning that you can communicate with your colleagues from any location at no cost. With the advances in technology, you do not need to invest in the hardware as there are carriers providing the call hosting service.

There are many hosting services all over the world and it has become quite difficult to choose a provider due to the options available. The services range from small firms that deal with local businesses, to companies that have a worldwide reach. If you are looking for quality service, it is a good idea to consider a local hosting company. There are several reasons why this may be the best option for you.

1. Good Quality of Service

The most important reason to get the service in the first place is to enhance the quality of your business operations. When you use a local service provider, you benefit from the best quality. It is important to know that network problems can occur at any time and it helps to have a local service because it is easier to get support services. Good customer service is a reason to get local hosting as you can get hands-on assistance from qualified technicians any time you need it.

2. Get Customized Packages

Local service providers are able to customize a package that will suit your business needs. This means that you do not have to settle for a “one-size-fits-all” system. Customization is very important especially when you are trying to get efficiency. Because your business is unique and you have unique needs, you should expect to get customized services. You also benefit from flexibility, which means that you can get additional customization as your business grows or changes.

3. Get Professional Installation

Another good reason to choose local hosting is that you benefit from professional installation. While an international provider might leave you to install any hardware yourself, the local service will provide the professional installation that you need. You also benefit from after sales support because it is convenient for the technicians to get to you. The local companies will send an on-site technician to install the equipment and they also carry out testing where necessary. This means that you do not have to worry about paying for separate installation services.

When you get the best hosted VoIP service, you benefit from total flexibility because you can choose where to work. The fact that your calls are routed online means that you do not have to worry about being in the office to wait for important calls. This also means that employees can work conveniently from any location and they can attend to customers efficiently at any time. This is a great way to provide an enhanced customer experience for all your clients.

Any company large or small can benefit hugely from a good virtual call center software application. This sort of a software application is excellent when it comes to controlling and managing calls from the clients or even field based workers. Although a few firms work on projects that have only a few clients, the majority product and service suppliers rely on large customer bases and fully working virtual call center solutions, for example Interactive Voice Response (IVR)that are used to manage calls from the customers.

Where utilize a call center solution to manage calls from the customers?

There are multiple reasons to make use of a call center solution such as IVR to help manage calls form and to clients on your behalf. Sales in particular are a good reason for making use of a good call center solution. Another good reason is to do with technical assistance and customer service. In this regard, the majority of companies want to market a single contact telephone number, often as a free phone. However, as the number of calls to this free number grows, it becomes quite difficult for a single receptionist to handle them alone. This calls for an alternative, which in this case is employment of a good call center software application solution.

Why employ a virtual call center solution to help manage your calls?

To start with, it is good to note that a call center has an extensive telephone technology which is needed to perfectly manage the number of calls to multiple business entities. This sort of a telephony technology is very expensive to install or manage and thus is basically above the budget of many small and medium businesses. The introduction of a software based virtual call center with IVR features makes all this quite affordable. This software application is referred to as virtual due to the fact that it replaces most of the electronic units that previously had been required in telephone functionality.

VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol)

Also referred to as Voice over Internet Protocol, this is a call center telephony solution that has become technically possible due to advances in internet technology. Both the development of quality voice calls over networks and speed of computer systems have made this a possibility. Network language used in this case is the internet protocol and the service is called VoIP. This call center solution allows clients to make calls directly from a computer or through a conventional phone connected to a special adapter or using a special VoIP phone.

PBX (Core Virtual Private Branch Exchange)

At the center of a call control system is the private call exchange. The key function of this module is routing calls from and to where they are wanted. These calls are routed to individuals and to facilities that assist to manage and control calls for instance call holding or voice mail.

Some functions of working call center solutions

• Call recording

• Call attendance

• Voice mail reception

• On hold messaging

• Automatically phone answering services

• Routing calls

All in all, call center solutions are used to manage call functions on behalf of the clients. Call centers make use of the right call recording software to help monitor and manage calls to and from customers on behalf of their many clients. They provide a means of logging calls automatically from the customers and not forgetting offering the sales department access to a well maintained customer database for outgoing call functions.

Any large company needs a working call center solution for customer support. Finding appropriate call center solutions is important if success to this end is to be achieved. These solutions come in form of software applications. In this regard, a good call center software application allows customers to log calls without the assistance of a human being, regardless of the time of the day or night. Through their use, a company’s management receives alert for calls that need to be fast taken care of, draw call statistics, set SLA parameters and the likes. Though sometimes a very expensive investment, a company stands to gain more by their employment in the long run.

Where can a company get a good call center customer support software application?

A firm’s decision makers can search the internet for needed call center management software application. When searching for these, they should go for those that can suit the firm’s customer support requirements and the set budget. Some online call center software solution providers offer these program applications for free, while others sell theirs. To that end, some call center software applications are very expensive, others cheap, with some being in between. The choice as to which to go for is all the clients.

The majority of free help desk management call center software applications are Linux-based. They require a Linux-based web server with PHP and MYSQL installed to properly function. Most of the free call center software applications are fully functional and perform the work they are designed for like the paid varieties. However, if you want more professional call center software and that is come with more features, then better go for the priced varieties. These are well supported online by their makers or dealers and thus are a sure bet where workability, functionality and quality is concerned.

Customized call center solutions

If either the sold or free call center solutions aren’t your thing, then you can opt for customized ones. These are customizable to suit the needs of your company. Web-based call center solutions have an added advantage in that there is no need for special client side software installation. These programs are installed on remote servers and as long there is internet, they can accessed from anywhere in the world. This simply means that a company is made totally virtual through the help of these software applications. Not only this, these solutions can be used as a project management tool, allowing team members to work collaboratively on projects at hand.

Hosted call center management

A hosted call center allows a company to have agents all over the globe. The solutions in use eliminate the need to invest in expensive hardware and maintenance. Through their use, a firm has access to secure data centers proactively managed 24/7, ensuring its call center is fully operational throughout the year. All that is needed is some full functioning PCs, headsets and good internet connection, preferably broadband connection.

Outsourcing call center function

A number of companies outsource their entire call center functions to third parties. These service providers handle both the outbound and inbound calls on behalf of their clients, allowing them to focus on what they do best, which in most cases is to maximize on their profits.

Walk into any office today, or listen to what people are saying about their businesses; almost everything in there is automated. The reason behind automation is to save time, energy as well as money while increasing productivity and the profit margin. But have you ever heard of an interactive voice response system? And if you have, why should you have it installed in your office in the first place? This article gathers some of the benefits together to help you see what you could be missing in your office:

Extending office automation to your customer/caller

There is nothing wrong with installing some of the sophisticated software to automate all of your office activities. In fact, you will experience immense benefits of it. While that is true, you also need to extend the same benefits to your customer as well as caller. And this is only possible if you install an IVR system in your office. Provide your company details such as contact details categorically.

Attending the call at first ring

IVR system saves time not only for the caller but also the industry. Usually, three rings will take about eight seconds and if you receive three hundred calls in eight hours picking up calls after three rings every time, you waste forty minutes of your callers as well as yours. It may not be possible for your agents to pick up calls in one ring; thanks to the IVR system, it will pick up the calls in one ring without failures.

Multilingual greetings to your callers as per the caller ID

Perhaps the best part of the IVR system is that it can “speak” many languages and uses the caller ID feature to determine which language to speak. This makes prospective callers feel at home and that they are important to your business. You definitely have to beat your competitors if you go the IVR system direction.

Personalized greetings to known callers

The system allows you to set up the caller ID feature such that your callers are greeted with their first name. As if that is not enough, the system can even greet them as per their sex and also wish them a happy anniversary, birthday and so forth if they happen to call your office on their birth days or anniversaries.

Works 24 hours a day without getting tired

With the IVR solution, the calls are manned and answered 24/7 without a tiring voice. It can also store messages, present important information and make alerts to designated persons in case of emergencies.

It makes your office look bigger

If for instance you work from home as a consultant and happen to use IVR service to handle your calls, you will appear like a larger organization. Just add several menu options for the different departments to get there.

There are many benefits of installing an IVR system in your office. And they may even be more depending on your industry. Sim-phony has a great team that employs the best techniques to ensure safe communication services. Contact us any time of the day for a free quote.

There are countless benefits of hosted call center solutions, making it the most preferred option in the provision of essential communication services among the small, medium and large scale business entities. To say the truth, virtual contact centers are slowly but certainly taking over the dominance and popularity of onsite customer service call centers due to the former capabilities in provision of cost effective and efficient services for the businesses, small, medium or large.

Workings of virtual systems

Due to the advances in online communication technologies, it is now easy for inbound calls to go through a data center that is run by a web-based device. The software in these web-based devices automatically determines where to route each of the in coming call, subsequently transmitting it to the appropriate agent of a particular company that it was specifically meant for. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) system or technology is utilized to assure the security of the routed call.

Benefits

There are innumerable benefits of subscribing to facilities that allow inbound, outbound calls and auto dialing capabilities, and all without the need for onsite agents are. Here are some them.

1. No personal hardware and software requirements

By deciding to use hosted call center solutions for your unique communication requirements, your business organization is not required to acquire its own specialized communication hardware and software but rather just to pay an appropriate service provider for the wanted capacity. In a majority of cases, businesses resort to outsourcing to a communication service provider who has the right and most up to date technology to provide an efficient customer-oriented hosted contact solution.

2. You only pay for the capacity that is required

How much you pay for the services is determined by the required services. Simply put, payment for the required virtual customer service is normally by agent seat. If you opt for Interactive Voice Response (IVR) functions however, then note that you will be required to pay as per the ports used.

3. No need for an onsite customer telephony service

These systems allow the agents and business operators to transact business from different parts of the world while online. Simply put, hosted call center solutions offer the agents and business operators the luxury of effective doing business with their customers form different locations all over the world and all without having an onsite customer care telephony service. These communication solutions are particularly appropriate for business entities with multiple sites all over the globe.

4. Everything is conveniently done online

With hosted call center solutions, all applications for providing the needed services are web-based. This essentially makes it possible and quite easy for customers to be served with the right and most updated information as need be. Best of all, businesses using these services do not require hiring technical experts to help man the center as everything is done online. All that is required for setting up this sort of a service is a fast but well functioning computer that is connected to a high speed broadband internet.

5. Cost effective

By opting for hosted call center solutions, a business is not required to acquire it owns facilities that are needed to run an onsite call center facility. Additionally, the service providers offer very flexible and affordable payment plans, for example hourly rates per login, pay as you go plans and so forth.

It is unthinkable these days for a customer-oriented business not to have one sort of a modern interactive voice response system or another to help fill gaps in communication between itself and its clients, both new and the old ones. In simple terms, modern businesses have made the big switch from live operators to interactive voice response (IVR) systems these days.

What really is an IVR system?

To start with, an IVR system is a perfect example of advanced telephone and computer interaction technology. These sorts of a system allow the users to effectively interact with a company of interest through his or her touch tone telephone system. They enable the user to speak direct commands to a database for whichever his or her immediate purpose, purchase goods or services, check the status of his or her orders and so forth.

The greatest benefit for using these sorts of modern communication technologies is that they do not have a need of human intervention apart from the voice. By wholly controlling and then pre-determining the caller’s immediate needs, an interactive voice response system helps the user to freely manipulate and interact with the data within the system.

The inner working of a fully functioning IVR system

IVR systems work in quite a simple manner. Each phrase or word spoken into the system initiates a wide scale search, making it possible for the keywords or the spoken words or phrases to be easily interpreted by the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks). On the other hand, a computer through the help of an updated software application interprets the phrases, resulting into the right action being taken. IVR systems work through a computer system hooked to the internet through a software application or a telephony card. This IVR software application also helps store all the necessary maintenance tasks for the system.

Simple IVR systems

There are myriad of simple IVR system types in the market today, with all coming with voice recognition capabilities. These come with a security feature that gives the user access to a computer system that recognizes his or her voice.

Advanced IVR systems

Advanced IVR systems have text to speech capabilities, meaning that there is actually no need to prerecord answers for the prospective customer queries with them. These sorts of advanced communication systems automatically respond to customer queries either via automated voice messages or text messages. The said systems are quite advanced and can perform an array of different activities as is required by their users. Their functionality is based on what is referred to as Voice Extensible Markup Language (VXML).

All in all, the main components for all types of IVR systems are web server, VoIP or PSTN network, VXML telephony server, TCI/IP network and updated databases.

Applications of IVR systems

Interactive voice response systems are popularly used to cater for a vast range of customer communication needs in sectors such as banking, transportation, education, communication, health, retail business and so forth. It is basically impossible to offer all the needed services to the customers on a one- to-one basis in these sectors. Fortunately, properly functioning IVR systems are able to provide an efficient mechanism in provision of difficult to give services to private individuals, government agencies, businesses and the likes in dire communication needs.

Communicating with your business partners and staying in touch with your clients and customers is essential if you want your company to be successful and profitable in the long run. However, different communication methods like long-distance calls are pretty expensive these days and this is not a very convenient fact for any businessman. Luckily, there might be a solution to this.

VoIP services are continuously upgraded and updated and they are exactly what a company needs in order to manage and handle communications on a larger scale. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it enables you to contact your partners through the internet. Read below for more details.

1. Save money.

The running costs of your company will be greatly reduced because the internet is extremely inexpensive in comparison with traditional telephone systems. All the phone calls will take place via the internet and you can do this from pretty much any place with an internet connection available. Therefore, you will save money on a regular basis and use it with other purposes as well, such as creating better marketing strategies and so on. Also, to be able to use VoIP services, you don’t need to install expensive equipments either.

2. Broader communication experience.

When you are using a traditional telephone system, you can only hear the voice of your partner and nothing else. However, by using VoIP services, you can also send images, files, establish a video connection, share your webcam and much, more other features. As a result, your experience will be richer and much more productive as well and this is excellent for the future of your company.

3. Multiple persons can join.

Additionally, you get the opportunity to have a conversation with more than one person at the same time. Is this feature available on classic telephone systems? No. therefore, you get the chance to have a conference using VoIP system and discuss important subjects related to your business with little to no effort.

4. Easy-to-use GUI.

The graphic user interface is also very intuitive and easy to manage and you get access to a lot of features which you can tailor according to your preferences and needs. For example, you can edit a block list, get more information of a particular caller and many more. As a result, your communication experience will be exactly as you have always wanted it to be and you will feel in control of your business.

In order to take advantage of this service at the fullest and enjoy all its benefits and features, it needs to be tailored according to your business and your company. This is not a hard process and you have the full support of our specialists. Basically, all that you have to do is to give us a call and tell us more about your company’s communication needs. According to the data you provide, we will be able to make our VoIP solutions work on your favor. Contact us and for an affordable price, you get the chance to take your business to the next level!

IVR (Interactive Voice Response) systems are basically services which are used in order to solve small requests or issues received from customers and clients. For example, if you want to know the business hours of a particular company, you call them, press a few buttons and under a minute you get this information, without having to speak with a live agent.

If you are a businessman and you haven’t tried this yet then perhaps now it is the time. This amazing service offers plenty of benefits and features which you will definitely find very convenient. Read this article and get an overview of this subject.

1. Elegant, easy-to-use interface for clients.

Your time is definitely very important and so is the time of your customers. Therefore, by using IVR systems, you can keep your customers happy by solving their requests in a very short amount of time. They can find out the information they want to know and they don’t have to wait for their call to be taken by a customer support agent. As a result, their satisfaction is increased and they will see you as a professional.

2. The IVR system can be tailored according to your preferences.

As a general rule, it is a great idea not to make your IVR system too complex because customers might become bored or frustrated. Make sure that you use the intuitive interface of IVR software in order to create a few menus each with several submenus. Make sure that you capture only the essential and your IVR system will be practical and efficient as well.

3. Save money.

IVR systems are very inexpensive and you should take advantage of this in order to reduce the running costs of your company. Think about the fact that you don’t have to pay a lot of live agents to handle a high volume of calls and this can be a pretty big saving on a monthly basis.

4. Handle a lot of calls at once.

If you receive a large amount of calls on a daily basis, your customers will eventually have to wait for a live agent to be free and get his call. If you install an IVR system then this will not happen again. That is because this service can handle a lot of calls at once, regardless of their number. If the customers want to be transferred to a live agent, they will need to press a button. Another advantage of this is that the live agents might never speak with the customers with a tired voice.

So, if these features are sufficient for you and you are convinced that this would be a great improvement for your company then don’t hesitate to contact us. Our company is specialized in providing top notch IVR systems and services at affordable prices. Our specialists will take your preferences and needs into consideration and we will tailor you a service will which exceed your expectations. For more info and details, call us and we will gladly answer to your questions.

IVR (also known as interactive voice response system) allows you to act on one hundred percent of your incoming calls and route your callers to the correct agent or department within your business. This simply means that calls are not passed from pillar to post in order to reach their destination, and without a good IVR solution, many companies would experience missed calls or even have clients come through to the wrong department. This is something that cannot be experienced with a good IVR system. Below are more pros that come with a good IVR system:

Brand image

A good interactive voice response system creates a professional image for a brand and with all those professional voices, it also creates a good impression for your clients upon contacting you.

You can reduce receptionist cost

A good thing about IVR system is that it comes with virtual switch board functionality, so callers can opt to speak to an agent by keying in their extension or simply choose a department without the need for the receptionist to route their calls.

Calls outside of the normal business opening hours

The IVR system can be deployed with a functionality to route calls to home workers to ensure that you don’t miss a sales lead.

DR plans

DR plans can also be setup to give you web control to route calls to an alternative termination number such as mobiles or you can opt to play emergency information messages. This ensures that you keep your customers fully updated.

You can automate some services for your clients

Customers wishing to make fast credit payments or check flight bookings do not have to take up any more of your agents time or that of their own, as these can be done through an automated IVR.

IVR services

The services give you full web control over call routing modules. For instance, you can extend your opening hours on those busy days to compensate for high call volumes by using the web control access. This way, you will be able to see all the changes live on your system without the need to contact your provider.

Reporting made easier

You can use the full reporting package to deploy counts with the IVR system which allows you not only to view the effectiveness of the system but also how a caller flows through the service. And this way, you will get valuable information on the changes that need to be made or whether there is need to hire more agents.

Have multiple branches or sites?

IVR system can route all calls based on the caller’s location and this allows the calls to be routed to a specific department or termination point on the routing plans.

Want to reduce maintenance?

You can reduce the onsite maintenance costs by going for a hosted IVR service. We offer these and much more services, meaning that you don’t have to incur additional hardware costs. Do not hesitate to contact us for a customized IVR consultation.