Cloud Telephone
The Easiest Route to Boosting Customer Satisfaction
With technology developing at a pace that it is almost impossible to keep up with, how are companies supposed to decide on what are good technological investments and what are not? There are always so many questions to consider; Are we going to make a return on investment? Can this save us money? Will it increase productivity? And most importantly can it help in boosting our customer satisfaction?
So here, I am introducing you to yet another advancement in technology to add to your ever-increasing list of must haves – Cloud Telephony. And in answer to the above questions, it is a resounding YES with these being just the tip of the iceberg.
What is Cloud telephony?
Instead of storing the network and routing elements of a business phone system somewhere in your office, cloud-based telephony takes everything offsite. This type of phone system is hosted in the cloud, which essentially means your data is securely stored on a server that can be accessed via the internet.
When it comes to using cloud telephony, you and your staff will not notice any differences. For phone users, very little changes and calls are made and received in the same way.
Behind the scenes, however, your calls will be processed in a new way. Instead of being routed through an on-site PBX, your calls will now be sent directly to your phone thanks to the innovative switches in our cloud system.
What do Customers Want?
65% of people prefer to contact a business by phone call rather than any other means.
75% of consumers believe they will get a quicker response from a business if they call them.
80% of sales transactions require at least five follow-up calls to boost the chances of conversion.
[The Call Intelligence Index.]
With the telephone continuing in its popularity with customers, companies must perfect their call handling practices, delivering the best possible service – and it is the unique features and benefits of a cloud-based system that best allow companies to do this.
How does VOIP benefit business?
| Cloud | PBX | |
| Flexibility | Calls can be connected anywhere in the world with an internet connection onto any device. | Calls need to be connected to the system on site. |
| Scalability | Unlimited number of users can be added when needed. Cost per user may apply. | Limited number of handsets. Expansion cards incur an additional cost. |
| Softphones: (phone calls made on a general computer, not with dedicated hardware) | Feature as standard. | Only available on advanced systems. |
| Maintenance | Built into monthly cost | Additional costs on top of the investment in the system |
Answering anywhere:
Unlike a traditional system, cloud-based systems allow users to receive inbound calls from any location – at their desk phone, whilst working from home, whilst working aboard, anywhere. Wherever there is an internet connection, there’s an answer.
A robust solution:
This cloud-based approach doesn’t just help with accessibility – it also decreases the risk of
issues. These systems typically have 99.999% uptime and offer a geo-resilient service, perfect for global users.
Cost-effective calls:
Moving your telephone system to the cloud removes the need for any hardware – which significantly reduces the upfront costs associated with investing in a system. And when it comes to day-to-day use, calls are made over the internet rather than by individual phone lines, significantly lowering the costs of local, national and international calls.
| Companies can save 50% to 75% on communication costs using cloud instead of landline services. Bullseye Telecom | Small businesses using Cloud can decrease the cost of local calls by up to 40% and international costs by 90%. Tech.co | Cloud telephony can trim down initial costs for start-up businesses by roughly 90%. Tech.co | The setup cost for on-premise phone systems can start at $20,000, while setup costs for a cloud phone system can be as low as $0. Telzio |
The flexibility to scale:
No matter how large a business – or how much they grow or downsize – a cloud system can adapt. From start-ups to multi-national enterprises with thousands of employees.
Future-ready:
Cloud capabilities do not just prepare you for the potential of growth – they prepare you for what the future of tech has in store too. As communication evolves, features like artificial intelligence, voice and keyword analysis and interactive voice response are likely to become commonplace – and a cloud system stands companies in good stead for making future use of these exciting developments.
Manageable updates:
Wholly managed through a web-based portal, cloud systems easily allow for changes to
configurations or call flows – such as:
• Upgrade or removal of staff access: multiple user levels
• Programming of settings or inbound calling routes
• Addition of users or purchase numbers
• Changes to user settings
Physical freedom:
A host of benefits come from removing the need for hardware – the costs of installation and
maintenance, the burden of storage, and the limitations of expansion or adaption.
Happier staff:
Employees reap the benefits of cloud telephony just as much as business owners. The below figures were gathered in a 2018 IATA survey, illustrating how this platform helps staff in their day-to-day work:
Enhancing the caller experience:
When a customer picks up the phone to contact a business, they begin their caller experience – and this leaves a lasting impression on their perception of the company. Cloud based systems allow for a real enhancement of this experience through the introduction of custom audio content.
The custom aspect is vital here. Many on premise systems come with messages that tend to be generic, robotic and highly impersonal. Configurability in this area allows for greater scope in creating content that:
Can be adapted to varying caller audiences dependent on the path they choose.
Comprises creative elements like music, voice artistry and scriptwriting that strengthen the identity of the brand.
Supports the company and the customer in their overall goals: callers are kept engaged
and informed about useful resources, products or services; calls themselves are dealt
with as efficiently as possible, and sales enquiries are enhanced through productivity.
Comprises creative elements that strengthen the identity of the brand.
This potential comes hand-in-hand with the ease of system management. Call routing analytics highlights areas to introduce valuable audio touchpoints, and the web portal makes it simple to upload these productions at key moments in the journey.
If you’re debating whether to make the switch,
ask yourself the following questions:
• Do you want to save money?
• Do you want to deliver the best service to your customers?
• Do you want to be adaptable?
• Do you want to do business intelligently?
• Do you want your system to be secure and reliable?
• Do you want to enhance the caller experience with branded audio content?
When you put it like this, the answer becomes clear.