Research shows that 1 in 3 people have tried texting a business number with no reply. Research also shows that most potential customers place a call after searching online.
It is very clear that a business phone is an important feature for any business. This is a big part of customer satisfaction and achieving more clients or customers.
But it isn’t just enough to have a business phone available to you. Your phone should also allow you to interact with customers more efficiently.
Keep reading to find out what features your business phone line should have.
1. Visual Dial Plan Editor
Something that every successful business needs are a visual dial plan editor. You can use this to set up a custom call attendant for your customers.
This creates an intuitive drag-and-drop interface for users for better efficiency. This allows you to set up, test, and manage phone system updates easily.
A visual dial plan editor ensures that calls go to the right person. You most likely have different areas of your business that people may be calling to contact.
For instance, an eye doctor may have people to handle new patients, make payments, or answer questions. It is more efficient and customer friendly to have these calls go directly to the right person.
This also keeps the main phone line open so that calls aren’t getting backed up.
2. Secure Meetings and Recordings
Some things that can be useful for business phone call situations are secure meetings and recordings. This allows you to go from messages to meetings or phone to meetings in an app.
This is completely secure so that no private information is leaked. It also allows you to record meetings and transcriptions that may be important for later.
This helps to keep everyone in the loop with the same information about what is going on. Employees from all over the business will be able to access this information easily.
3. Text Messaging
Something that business owners should consider is text messaging options. A large majority of people use texting as their main form of communication nowadays.
This is a very efficient way to keep in touch with your clients as well as your employees. There are certain business phone calls that don’t necessarily need to happen.
Things like notifications and updates can usually be sent in a text message. Your clients will appreciate this since it does not take up their time or require that they respond.
This is also a great marketing tool without becoming spammy with phone calls. Customers are much more likely to read what you want them to know if it comes in the form of a text.
4. Call Recording
An important feature for your business phone line is call recording options. Being able to record calls is a great way to track how your employees are behaving.
This is a good way to guarantee customer satisfaction by ensuring employees are polite and helpful. It is also a great way to train new employees by giving them real examples.
These recordings can also be used to influence decisions within the business. You can average out how long the phone calls are and what common issues people have.
This allows you to improve your customer satisfaction by streamlining what your customers need, as well as looking at what questions they commonly have.
5. FM/FM Calling
Another great option is find me, follow me, otherwise referred to as FM/FM. This is a technology where a phone call does not go to a single business phone.
Something that many business owners struggle with is having someone available. This technology allows the phone call to go to any device within the location.
It can also ring all of your devices at the same time so that you have a better chance of answering it. You can also list the phone numbers of your devices for it to try one at a time until it reaches you.
For instance, if you don’t answer your business phone, it may call your personal phone. Customers will have a better chance of reaching you rather than going to voicemail.
Why Your Business Needs a Phone
If you don’t have a business phone yet, you need to get one. This is a very important tool for businesses when they interact with customers or clients.
This is one of the direct sources that allow people to reach you. It is much faster than email and allows you to interact directly with people in real time.
It is also necessary for things like appointments, questions, or to make payments. It also gives you the opportunity to text customers with updates, reminders, and special deals.
How to Avoid Missing Important Business Calls
If you are struggling to manage your business phone line, there are other options. You can always hire an answering service for small business operations to help you out.
If you find that you don’t have the resources to manage calls, this kind of company will do it for you. Agents and operators will interact with your customers and help to solve their problems.
This way, you never miss a call or lose an opportunity to get a new client.
Business Phone Features You Need
If your small business has a business phone, there are some important features to consider. These features help to make your phone more useful and efficient day-to-day.
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