There are plenty of perks to hosted telephony, also known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. It’s scalable, cost-effective and offers better voice quality. You also aren’t tied to any one location to answer calls – you could be at your desk in the office, at home or even on the move.
But convenient and flexible as hybrid working may be, it can also come with a number of new challenges for taking calls, including:
- Increased background noises that make it harder to appear professional
- Shared networks that impact call and meeting quality and can create frustration
- Increased distractions that may affect productivity levels and results
Each of these challenges can cause big disruptions to your work day and affect your relationships with customers. But the great news is you can take back control and optimise your phone system for your experience. Here are three top tips on how to make the most out of VoIP.
1. Set up your solution on your smartphone so you never miss another call
The great thing about the latest VoIP solutions is that you aren’t tied to your desk. By connecting your smartphone, calls can be answered anywhere, anytime, giving you the opportunity to fully embrace the benefits of hybrid working. It also gives you the chance to move to somewhere quieter or less distracting without interrupting the call.
2. Unify your business communications
Your VoIP system already does wonders with connecting you to your colleagues and to your customers. But with unified communications tools, you’ll be able to offer even more contact channels from chat to video calls. This will give you more options when it comes to talking to your colleagues or responding to customers, helping you to reach them in the way they want to communicate. There are often bolt-ons for your VoIP solution that offer you the tools you need to elevate your communications.
3.Upgrade your audio equipment
Bad audio quality or background noises can be distracting, frustrating and even stressful for those trying to do their work. It can even impact customer relationships. According to a study conducted by Ipsos and EPOS, 17% of audio solution end users believe poor sound makes them appear unprofessional, 20% said bad audio led to dissatisfied clients and 13% said it even cost them clients. There’s also the risk of miscommunication or missing important information on a call. Investing in high quality headsets can prevent these issues. With microphones built to pick up your voice while reducing background noise and headphones with stereo sound, you can hear and be heard clearly.
Your VoIP system can and should be tailored so it works the way you want to use it. Make sure you’re making the most out of it so you can communicate wherever and however is best for your customers.
