Technology has been the harbinger for great change in how business is conducted, over the years it has been instrumental in alleviating the whiplash that can sometimes be felt with great shifts in the status quo. The workplace has surely felt a brunt of these technological innovations in recent years, as most industries have bowed to the pressures of modern workplace adjustments, whether it be pandemic related, technology related, or even the working hours themselves.
One of the less predictable chapters in recent history is the propagation and subsequent explosion of remote working environments and the almost fracturing of the traditional and classic working culture. Gone are the days of the 9-5 which was once instrumental in keeping an office in tandem and working toward the same goal.
This brings us to today’s topic, the virtual phone system. Not only has it been a massive factor in keeping offices together, it also has some incredibly useful fringe benefits that have kept small businesses alive and working without the exorbitant costs of traditional telecommunication practices.
Across all industries, there is a marked usefulness associated with integrating virtual phone systems for a variety of reasons. Hospitality industries use it for its user interface functionality while e-commerce and sales companies have lauded its ability to personalise telephone numbers for branding purposes and answering customer queries with ease. Call forwarding and giving the impression of scope is a major benefit for any small business in any industry and as technology evolves evermore, the integration of a virtual phone system will become part and parcel with good business practices for the foreseeable future.
What Is A Virtual Phone System?
A virtual phone system encompasses all of the functionality and features of a traditional phone system, without all of the nitty gritty that goes with it. Within a virtual phone system, a singular platform is used to make outgoing calls to customer and clients, as well as being able to intake ingoing calls. While this may just sound like a traditional phone system, a virtual phone system will use Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in order to do this, meaning that everything is done digitally and online.
This means that the system can be installed onto existing hardware, rather than having to buy new hardware, and paying someone to cut holes and install wiring for the telephones. In addition to this, virtual phone systems add functionality that you cannot get from traditional phone systems. Some of these features include automated messages for customers calling about frequent questions and after hours calls, recorded calls and data reporting as well as transferability of calls within departments and specific employees.
For many of the businesses with virtual phone systems, scalability is everything, and using this type of system is essential to easy scalability. Traditional phone systems scale poorly as you need to buy new hardware and have it installed by a technician, whereas with virtual phone systems, new users simply need to download the software to access the platform and they are ready to go.
For many reasons, it is obvious that virtual phone systems are the future of the business world in terms of communication, and they should be treated as such.
The 3 Bridging Aspects Of Virtual Phone Systems
- Increased Communication
Increased communication is one of the biggest factors as to why businesses install virtual phone systems. Many businesses suffer from displaced offices, where departments barely contact each other. As a result, data does not get transferred often between employees and poor strategic decisions are made. With virtual phone systems, users are connected into one platform where they can see who is online, call and message and transfer calls between each other, as well as share vital data.
For example, a sales department can transfer data from calls that month to the marketing department who will be able to make strategic decisions about their marketing campaigns based on the number of calls they get and where from. Virtual phone systems can provide these benefits, whereas traditional phone systems fall short.
2. You can use the platform from virtually anywhere
Virtual phone systems have the word “virtual” in it for a reason. Compared to the tradition phone line, you don’t need any ounce of wiring to connect one mobile device to another as these applications work to allow you to work from different locations. This is highly essential due to the increase of remote work and working from home that has occurred since the Covid-19 pandemic. As long as you have your own internet connection, you are able to use the virtual phone system from a variety of locations and using different kind of devices. You can use your laptop, desktop, to your personal mobile phone. These platforms work to mask your personal contact information, making sure they see your business number, allowing you to not have to be in the office in order to do your work. Gone are the days of working at the desk. You can work beyond the office and from the comfort of your home without any need to travel. Because of this wireless quality, this will allow you to conveniently reach customers with either of your employees being able to quickly answer the phone call. This also increases the repour between co-workers who are brought closer together with the help of a virtual phone system. You won’t have to have a “phoney” relationship no more with the help of this platform.
3. Incredibly convenient to use all with a click of a button
If you’re on the lookout for a simple solution to all your calling issues, virtual phone systems are your best bet. This application is incredible easy to install – all you need to do is to download it on your personal device be it your mobile phone, your laptop, your desktop, your iPad, and so forth. Just simply sign up and you are good to go. You will just need to create a custom business number in order for your company to look professional and overall, not confuse your customers to be directed to a single phone number. All your employees can access the system without much hassle with instructions in the application if you’re ever stuck. You will never have to worry about a missed phone call with the help of this platform. You can easily help your customers contact your company without any hassle. With this convenience, this further improves workflow, and also allows you to easily gain data on the productivity through phone calls to find a way to enhance your company’s standing.
In Summation
Those were just a few of the ways virtual phone systems have brought teams together on a massive scale as well as allowed smaller businesses to adapt with the times and keep customers happy and their teams interconnected. It’s highly recommended to find one that suits your business and its intention, so research is vital and should be conducted before taking on a virtual phone system.
It’s time to take the plunge in our opinion, as remote offices aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, and the integration of a software that bridges the gaps should be welcomed with open arms sooner rather than later.
