Is Your Phone System Customer-Friendly?
All companies should want to provide excellent customer services to all clients, not least because it's one aspect of running a business where startups and SMEs can compete with major global organizations. A client-friendly phone system is one of the most important assets at your disposal.
Most businesses employ a telecoms system, but you must analyze and scrutinize your infrastructure to confirm whether it's a truly customer-friendly solution. And if you discover that it's not, now is the time to implement a change!
Here's all you need to know about upgrading your telephone systems to deliver the best results for customers, employees, and the business alike.
Why should your company's phone systems deliver a positive user experience?
Phone systems play an integral role in a company's overall customer care services, especially in today's climate where digital sales mean that a growing number of clients are not able to visit your physical stores or offices. Naturally, then, upgrading your telecoms facilities enables you to deliver a better service and User Experience.
Incentives for mastering this aspect of the business include;
Up to 70% (1)of the consumer experience is determined by how a customer feels during interactions.
Clients are 4x more likely (2) to leave your business due to service problems rather than product faults.
Around 60% of customers (3) prefer telephone dealings due to the speed of response.
A huge 86% (4) of customers will happily pay more for better consumer experience.
Web leads that are followed up within 5 mins see an increased conversion rate of 900% (5).
Roughly 3 in 4 (6) callers will hang up without leaving a message if the call isn't answered.
Essentially, customers expect companies to provide quality telephone communications. It allows them to gain rapid responses while speaking to an agent is often the best method to remove ambiguity or confusion. A positive telephone UX additionally encourages callers to trust the company, which naturally leads to conversions. Therefore, the telephony aspects should be a priority.
Calls also come from hot leads and existing clients, while outbound communications are made to people that have shown an interest by providing their details online. This gives you a far better shot at high conversion rates too. After all, selling to a returning customer, for example, is at least three times (7) easier than reaching out to new people via marketing campaigns.
Telephone systems are a key element in the formula for success, boosting client management and marketing endeavors alike. Persisting with inferior solutions is simply not an option for any modern business.
What are the key attributes of a successful telephone system?
In today's climate, business owners are blessed with a plethora of telecom systems. Before analyzing the pros and cons of any proposed infrastructure, creating a list of desirable requirements is essential. Otherwise, finding the right solution for the employees, customers, and company profits become impossible.
The following checklist will guide you to a winning decision when subsequently weighing up the options;
The telephone systems must offer a reliable connection to all customers and callers.
Telephony infrastructures should not take up too much room within commercial spaces.
Installations and ongoing calls should provide optimal cost-efficiency.
Telephone systems should facilitate versatile communication suited to the modern arena.
The telephone systems must provide consistency across multiple interactions and sessions.
Employees should enjoy a convenient approach to fielding calls.
Technology has evolved. Sadly, any companies that persist with outdated traditional telecoms infrastructure will miss out on some of the aspects above. The consequences of this include compromised customer care and lost sales. The bottom line is that hosted PBX VoIP telecoms systems are the only solution.
An introduction to VoIP & hosted PBX solutions
Any business owner that has conducted research into the latest telecoms systems on the market will have countered the terms VoIP and PBX. They are heavily promoted as the best solutions for management and customer experiences alike. Here's what you need to know about the trilogy of telecoms systems:
VoIP
VoIP, otherwise known as Voice over Internet Protocol, is essentially a term that means “phone service over the internet”.
The fundamental features of fielding a call are the same as using traditional phone lines. Consumers will contact your company using landline or cell phone devices while employees will use hardware too. However, the connection is made via the internet rather than the traditional phone networks.
Implementing VoIP phone systems has become a growing trend in recent times. In fact, the projections suggest that there will be three billion (8) users by 2021. In truth, it should come as little surprise given many benefits to be gained from conducting calls via an online connection.
PBX
The abbreviation PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. It is a private phone system that enables internal and external communications via VoIP, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), or analog facilities.
Business-grade phone systems offer a variety of key features beyond those of traditional telephones to ensure a smoother running of the daily operations. PBX facilities are integrated with business telephony software to facilitate a range of actions.
While the first PBX systems were made in the 1960s (9), broadband lines are replacing copper lines at a rapid rate. As such, digital PBX telephone systems are the preferred choice for modern companies across multiple industries and territories.
Why your business needs hosted PBX, now
VoIP and PBX systems take many forms from multiple providers. However, virtually all setups fall into one of three categories: analog, on-premise PBX, and hosted PBX.
Analog: Analog PBX systems are those that use traditional Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) lines to manage interactions between phones and fax machines via copper wiring. They are connected to the Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN). While they are unlikely to become obsolete for many years, they are not an ideal solution for many modern companies.
On-Premise PBX: The on-premise PBX is a private telephone system that uses an on-site installation to add the necessary hardware to the computer room or another office area. A LAN network and a server are requirements to connect the IP phones to the company. While on-site facilities do pose some benefits, the financial outlay and need for space can be a little problematic.
Hosted PBX: Hosted PBX telephone systems work in a similar way to on-premise PBX, only the connections are facilitated by VoIP technology and cloud storage. While employees still require the telephone hardware, the on-site installations of cables and storage are not required. Operations re managed and maintained by the hosting company too.
Frankly, your business needs a hosted PBX system. While all three options can offer positives, the hosted approach is an ideal solution for SMBs due to several features, including but not limited to;
Avoid the major upheaval of on-site cabling and installation requirements.
Reduce the initial outlay by lowering your equipment needs.
Ensure that your employees are blessed with the latest software capabilities.
Align the services with your ongoing business requirements.
Gain the peace of mind that only an outsourced and managed service offers.
Hosted PBX phone systems are the best option for the immediate and long-term finances and functions. Crucially, they also allow you to provide a customer-friendly solution for all clients.
What will a hosted PBX telephone system achieve for your business?
A PBX telephone system opens the door to a wealth of opportunities for the business, not least in relation to customer experiences and service capabilities. Some of the most telling benefits of VoIP PBX solutions are:
Satisfy the global demand
Companies like yours now deal with a greater number of international clients and leads than ever before. Telephone interactions are, naturally, a significant feature that can make or break the ongoing business relations.
As well as reduced setup costs, VoIP calls are not paid in the same way as traditional international calls. Instead, you pay for the minutes. This can generate average savings of around 60% (10) on telephone bills, or even more for overseas calls, thus putting you in a better position to satisfy the demand.
When you have a strong internet connection, the reliability of the call will be far greater too. The days of muffling and dropped signals can be a thing of the past.
Stop losing leads
Making people aware of the business is a challenge in itself. Losing potential leads due to slow responses is the last thing you need. Hosted PBX systems offer the versatility needed to ensure that all calls are handled quickly and efficiently.
The average caller hangs up after 90 seconds (11), but PBX allows you to link multiple phones to the same phone line. This enables rapid response rates, even if it subsequently means transferring the caller to another agent. PBX software can also notify you of online form captures to encourage fast replies.
For new leads and returning clients, fast response times work wonders for conversions and reputation.
Provide personalized services
Consumers need to feel valued, but it's very hard to achieve this when employees do not have the data insights needed to tailor services for consistent results. Features including call monitoring and reporting, live call statistics, call parking and forwarding, and call groups all aid the cause.
In today's world, consumers interact with companies across multiple devices. VoIP PBX solutions allow your firm to offer the omnichannel customer engagement strategies that boost client retention rates from 33% (12) to 89%. Callers get the answers they need, and agents can identify opportunities.
Ultimately, a deeper understanding of what has happened before allows subsequent interactions to follow the right path.
Advanced flexibility
Hosted PBX VoIP connections are the most versatile solution for businesses and their employees. In turn, this facilitates a fluid approach to customer interactions, leading to the deliverance of memorable and successful client experiences. For starters, remote connections can extend opening hours.
Even for on-site connections, the use of softphones (software that allows you to connect via a computer's in-built video or microphone systems) can cut costs and encourage portability. Up to 90% (13) of people think video connections promotes transparency and clearer points. Embrace it.
Whatever customers want from telecoms interactions, hosted PBX makes it happen.
Comprehensive customer care
From a customer's (or supplier's) perspective, convenience is king. It's far better to deal with the company through one platform. Hosted PBX software can be integrated with a range of other business tools to boost the connection. In fact, you can even configure fax over IP through this method.
Cloud-based tech allows for info to be moved across very teams in real-time interactions. Meanwhile, the security and encryption levels are far higher than outdated systems. 97% of customers (14) have abandoned purchases due to inconvenience. The telecoms arena is one area where this no longer happens.
From the first point of contact to the conversion and beyond, the comprehensive approach is everything.
Grow as required
With outdated facilities, or even on-site PBX telecoms systems, you inevitably restrict your chance for growth. This is because you cannot simply change the setup without major changes to the infrastructure. The hosted PBX option overcomes this obstacle through improved scalability.
Whether your business takes on more staff, including remote employees, or technology evolves, you'll be ready to move with the times. This also allows SMBs to test the waters before adding new features over time. It's ideal for cash flow issues, which is vital given half (15) of all startups fail within five years.
The ability to continually improve the customer UX aspects will also encourage sustainability.
Conclusion
The role of telecommunication in business is more important than ever due to growing client expectations, the need for improved customer experiences, and the geographical reach that companies enjoy. Hosted PBX VoIP facilities deliver the most reliable, convenient, and cost-effective solution by far. If your organization is yet to invest in the best and most customer-friendly phone systems on the market, now is the time to make it happen.
To find out more about the possibilities and discuss the implementation of the latest hosted PBX technologies, contact Motion VoIP today!
REFERENCES:
1| https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/organization/our-insights/the-moment-of-truth-in-customer-service
2| https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/loyalty
3| https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/05/customer-contact-statistics.html
4| https://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/
5| https://www.windsor-telecom.co.uk/resource/blog/18-powerful-statistics/
7| https://smallbiztrends.com/2016/10/customer-retention-statistics.html
8| https://wisdomplexus.com/blogs/voip-adoption-statistics-2019-beyond/
9| https://aircall.io/blog/use-case/pbx/
10| https://www.nextiva.com/blog/business-phone-bill.html
11| https://financesonline.com/voip-statistics/
12| https://v12data.com/blog/25-amazing-omnichannel-statistics-every-marketer-should-know/
13| https://www.lifesize.com/en/video-conferencing-blog/video-conferencing-statistics
14| https://www.smartinsights.com/ecommerce/customer-experience-examples/convenience-is-driving-e-commerce-growth-and-influencing-consumer-decisions/
15| https://www.fundera.com/blog/what-percentage-of-small-businesses-fail