There has never been a more opportune time to use cloud-based phone systems than now. Think about it: most of the world is in lockdown or quarantine, and more and more people are looking to work remotely to practice social distancing.
A cloud-based phone system works almost anywhere around the globe, and it even comes with incredibly helpful features for boosting your sales. Before we get to the advantages of this kind of business phone system, let’s discuss how a cloud-based phone system works.
The Basics
Cloud-based phone systems use voice over internet protocol (VoIP). VoIP functions just like normal phone lines, except that analogue phone signals are converted into digital signals via an analogue terminal adapter or standalone ethernet hard phones.
With a reasonable internet connection, you’ll be able to connect to other people anywhere around the world. VoIP is widely used in both the business and consumer space because it is easy to use and often included in free and premium telecommunications applications.
If you’ve ever used Skype, Facebook Messenger, or any other mobile app that allows free calls and video chats for personal use, then you’ve already used VoIP. While cloud-based phone systems also use VoIP, they are more geared towards businesses whose operations may not be confined under a single location.
Here are three advantages of using cloud-based phone systems:
1. Allows true remote working
This technology is widely used in the business process outsourcing industry as a cost-effective means of connecting customers to customer support staff, wherever they may be around the world. Cloud-based phone systems often have an auto attendant feature, which you can use to transfer calls to team members working remotely.
An auto attendant is usually a voice recording that will instruct callers to press a button to be connected to the appropriate department. Auto attendants can also be configured to answer simple questions and process simple transactions, leaving the more complex requests for a live attendant.
2. Improves data gathering
Because cloud-based phone systems are digital services, they can easily be integrated into Customer-Relationship Manager (CRM) software. It allows you to log and monitor calls, giving you access to information that can be used to understand and improve sales performance without the hassle and unreliability of manual data entry.
Users of cloud-based phone systems usually have built-in call history recording, which makes extracting reports and other important data easy. For example, managers will have access to important metrics, such as the average call sessions, the number of calls received, and the number of calls made, among others. The wealth of information extracted can be used to zoom in on the finer details of the user experience and find ways to fine-tune and improve performance.
3. Is cost-effective
Cloud-based phone services are cost-effective, as it will allow virtually unlimited inbound and outbound calls without you worrying about bandwidth. Because companies don’t even need to maintain their own systems (as in the case of hosted telephone systems), they will only need to pay a fixed amount in subscription fees. Prices will generally be fixed as long as they are within agreed-upon terms.
Conclusion
Cloud-based phone systems are effective tools for businesses, especially now that a lot of companies are integrating remote work in their setup. If you’re still thinking about whether to use it, keep in mind the benefits we’ve outlined above.
Teleproject is a provider of cloud-based business phone systems. Get in touch with us today to know more about our services and how we can help you!