One of the most important part of telecommuting is to stay in touch with everyone at the office. Because you aren't there everyday, you may not get all the news and may feel out the loop. Find reasons to communicate, even if it's just to say hello. It's not just enough to be available; make sure you're pro-actively reaching out. While office telecommunications might be done by phone, other communications can be through email and instant messaging.
A reliable setup is everything because time that you can not be in contact with the office is time lost. You want to be available during work hours. Choose the most reliable local Internet provider. Then consider using a service like RingCentral for your phone service. This way, even when you're on your cell phone, away from your desk, you can be reached through the regular work number. And callers will hear a professional message if you can't answer the phone.
Having a PBX system that can be integrated with the office system is the easiest way to have seamless office telecommunications.Labels: PBX, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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There are some things that are essential to any office, regardless of size or industry. For instance, every company needs ways to facilitate communication, whether via email of phone. Yet, there are a wide range of Internet packages and office phone systems available, at a wide range of prices. This makes it important for each company to carefully compare phone plans to choose the one that best fits the office needs.
- Do you have customers or clients? For clients it will be more important to have an extension to a particular point of contact and for customers you may want to consider a way to direct calls to a customer service department.
- Do you sell a product or a service? For a product you may want a toll-free number with a product description message. For a service you might be interested in a click to call web button that puts customers with questions directly in touch with your service providers.
- Do you need Internet for your business? If you do, a great way to save money is to get Internet access set up and then use a virtual PBX system instead of a traditional analog phone setup.
Labels: Phone System, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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If there is no building, no desks, and no water cooler to gather at, is it really an office? It can be. More and more work can be done remotely, opening up the possibility of a virtual office. Your workers can be anywhere, saving lots of money in office expenses.
You can set up a service with the post office so that you have a mailing address and someone to sign for all packages. You can set up a phone system so that you have a central number with extensions, that forwards to employee phones and cell phones as needed. So you have everything you need to run a business, even if you don't have a brick and mortar store. You'll still look professional without the major expense.
And by allowing telecommuting, you have yet another perk to offer employees.Labels: Phone System, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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How do you want to greet the person on the other end of that important caller? With a computer screen that comes up, telling you who is calling, you can be prepared and plan for the upcoming conversation. Are you expecting a call but will be away from your desk for a little bit? Set it up so all calls will forward to your cell phone. Would you like to send a call to voicemail but have the phone number in case the caller forgets to leave that information in the message? Easy, you can go back and check the call logs for the number. Would you like to know how much time your employees spend on average on customer service phone calls? It's simple to access that information too.
With RingCentral's Call Control system, you can find all your phone records and settings on your computer with the touch of a button. Set everything up for your office, change it as needed, and stay on top of all your office phone communications. Set up answering rules, call forwarding, or any other features of the many that are included in your phone plan. This isn't just a phone provider, it's a complete communications solution.Labels: Phone System, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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There are times when you won't be able to answer a call as soon as it comes in. Whether the call is being transferred or delayed, sometimes a caller needs to be put on hold. If the line is silent, a caller may assume the call was disconnected and might hang up. However, if you have hold music or a hold message, it can make your business look more professional, give you an opportunity for branding, and keep customers on the line until you can answer the call.
How do you figure out your hold music choices and set up the system? First you have to decide what message you would like to convey. A cutting-edge startup might want trendier song while an insurance company would look for something more conservative. A radio station would probably want to play the genre of music that is its on-air focus.
Whatever hold music you choose, be sure you include a message letting customers know their calls will be answered soon and you want to hear what they have to say.Labels: Phone System, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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You may need to move to a larger office. Or there might be an emergency that keeps employees from the office. Whatever the case may be, there are times when your telecommunications abilities are impaired. Instead of being unable to communicate, you can use an emergency PBX system. This is an inexpensive and easy way to make sure you stay connected.
A PBX system can route calls to a different phone. So employees can reach each other through regular work extensions, even if they are not in the office. This makes it easy to send important messages during emergencies. Employees that can't get to the office due to weather can work from home just as easily as at the office. It is also quick to set up, so a new office can be up and running with a virtual phone system long before the infrastructure of a phone network can be installed.
If you need to keep business running no matter what, then you need to have a backup system in place. Keep your phones up and running with emergency PBX.Labels: PBX, Small Business
Posted by RingCentral
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Many businesses have an auto attendant to answer calls. This leads people through a menu of options to direct their calls to the right departments. In some companies, this is as easy as having a phone directory listing a handful of employees. In other organizations, the auto attendant setup can be more complex. Anticipating callers needs can help you best manage calls and create an auto attendant that will be the most effective.
Who will be calling?
Whether you have customers with questions, suppliers asking about delivery schedules, or clients looking to get in contact with you, someone will be calling your business. This might mean setting up the auto attendant to have a path for customers and a path for business operations calls or it might mean having a direct 1-800 number for customer service. Give thought into how to direct the different people who will want to talk to you.
What will the calls be about?
Will callers want to be reminded of their account number? Identify your most frequently asked questions or reasons for calling and make it easy to to get those questions answered. This will save time and effort, leaving you free to answer more pressing calls.Labels: PBX, Phone System
Posted by RingCentral
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When you and your employees aren't there to answer the phone, how are you being represented? Do customers hang up the phone impressed with your organization and confident that they'll hear back? How can you make sure they have this good impression and look forward to continuing to do business with you?
The answer is in a professional message service for your small business. A custom recording can greet callers and can leave messages as needed. Then, those messages can be stored in an email box accessible from any phone, as well as sent via email to the right contact. This way, you get messages quickly, even when out of the office, and can respond as efficiently as possible.
Of course, being prompt and helpful is a great way to gain repeat business. And RingCentral can provide the tools to let you do just that through a virtual PBX system.Labels: PBX, Phone System
Posted by RingCentral
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