Whether you and your team work in the same office or scattered around the globe, VoIP lets everyone stay connected. It works by sending voice audio as data packets over the internet.
Residential VoIP plans often include several standard features that can help improve productivity. These include music on hold, voicemail transcription, call recording, and more.
Voicemail
Voicemail is a digitally stored telecommunications voice message that can be retrieved by callers who don’t reach you. It’s an advanced version of an answering machine but with more features and functionality.
For example, business VoIP phone systems let you record a custom greeting with an expiration date. This means your callers will only have a limited window to leave you a message before it’s deleted. Also, many systems offer visual voicemail that lets you see the recorded message on the screen. This saves time that would have been spent dialing in and listening to the message. Instead, you can view it immediately from any desktop, laptop, or mobile device. This makes business communication more efficient.
Call Waiting
Many VoIP services also provide mobile phone service, making it easy to keep your home and business connected. This is great for people worried about getting cut off from emergency services during a power or internet outage. Some companies offer VoIP service analog signals. In contrast, others sell ATA devices that connect to your phone and convert analog signals to digital signals. The cost of the ATA may be more upfront than monthly VoIP charges, but in the long run, it can save you money.
Call waiting is a valuable feature for people who receive many calls, and the best business VoIP solutions include it as part of their flat monthly fee, along with 30+ other features like video calling, voicemail-to-email, and more.
Caller ID
Many home VoIP users get their service from cable TV providers as part of a bundle that includes internet and TV.
The ATA converts your phone’s analog signals into digital signals transmitted over the internet. These signals can then be matched with your phone number using CNAM to display a caller ID name and number for incoming calls.
For example, a customer support team from multiple locations can use VoIP to route calls to the agent closest to the caller. This improves caller experience and increases agent productivity. Plus, it helps businesses keep their customers happy even if the team is not working from the office. It also reduces costs for international calls.
Three-Way Calling
A VoIP three-way call is simply a regular phone call with the addition of a third person. This feature can be helpful in various situations: employees can use it to collaborate with coworkers, and customer service representatives can easily add a manager to a call with an irate customer to resolve the issue faster.
Some VoIP providers offer specialized conference phones designed for business use. But you can also use a standard desk, conference phone, or even your computer’s built-in audio software or an iPhone or android smartphone with the VoIP app.
Call Forwarding
Unlike landlines, which have a physical connection, VoIP phone services rely on an internet connection. If your business experiences an outage, customer call quality may suffer. This problem can be overcome with a backup power supply for your internet router.
Another feature that makes VoIP the best landline alternative is call forwarding. This handy business VoIP feature forward calls to other numbers or contacts when specific conditions are met. For example, you can have incoming calls forwarded to your company’s voicemail when you are busy or on vacation. You can also set calls to ring your office phone and a mobile phone simultaneously and create schedules for forwarding based on certain times of the day.