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As a provider of business phone systems, I'm
frequently asked by other small business owners how new
technology can help deliver more effective communications tools.
Along with advances in computer technology, the Internet, e-mail
and wireless products, the office phone systems being
implemented today are making significant contributions to small
business communications.
Increase Employee Productivity
For starters, new technology has led to the introduction of
communication software-or phone and data systems-whereby both
voice information and data streams interface and reside on one
platform (a LAN or WAN environment). This allows a feature like
Unified Messaging to work-where all phone, e-mail, and fax
messages arrive to the desktop in one application. Teleworkers
can retrieve those same messages remotely-at one time-by
accessing a single message center. And instead of committing to
memory complicated keypad instructions for functions like
conference calling and call forwarding (rarely successfully
achieved), users accomplish such tasks with a couple of mouse
clicks on their computer screen. In short, less equals more: the
less time spent on all of these functions means more time for
the employee to accomplish more productive tasks.
Improve Customer Retention
The software-based office phone system has features that help
small businesses improve customer retention rates as well.
Web-based real-time communication, screen pops, and mailboxes
with pre-recorded information provide consumers with choices,
ease of access, and a better flow of information between
customer and service provider. Standard call reporting enables
managers to easily analyze call types and peak calling times in
order to better allocate resources to handle them. Customer
retention solutions have been used in large contact centers for
some time. Now, as computer phone systems have employed the
technology to enhance customer communications, they've become
more available to the small business owner.
Affordability
Speaking of affordability, it can sometimes be at odds with new
technology. And of course, when buying a phone system, costs of
implementation and maintenance are always top considerations.
The good news I give my clients is that the new small business
phone systems today are very cost-effective. With traditional
legacy PBX systems, proprietary hardware (i.e., phones and
cards) is required and can be very expensive. With the computer
phone system, almost any inexpensive analog phone can be used.
And voicemail, unified messaging, and auto attendant features
are typically included in the basic software package. Since
these office phone systems are software-based, they also are
less costly to maintain. Simple phone system maintenance-adding
a new employee voice mail-is done in seconds either remotely by
the system vendor or by trained in-house personnel. Finally,
when manufacturers offer new enhancements or features, a simple
software upgrade is performed rather than a forklift
installation.
Scalabililty
Small businesses are also better prepared for future growth with
the newer office phone systems. I've consulted several small
business owners who are both elated by their company's growth
yet frustrated at increased overhead. For instance, consider
what happens when a company expands into multiple locations
outside their main calling area: long distance and toll charges
begin chipping away at profitability. But by implementing VoIP
onto an existing automated phone system, small businesses can
place long distance calls among multiple locations over the
Internet. In short, a computer phone system is scalable to match
the growth of a small business. |
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By: Sharon Moon, Owner/Founder
of Automated Voice & Data Solutions, a leading provider of
software-based phone systems. For
more information or a free demonstration of software-based phone
systems, converged technology and enhanced communications, you
may contact Ms. Moon at
smoon@avds.com, call 713.963.9500 or visit Automated Voice &
Data Solutions online at
www.avds.com. |
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