How To Measure And Improve Success With Real-Time Analytics?

Call analytics is a set of call management tools used by businesses to measure and improve business performance. It can also help to optimize the processing of sales. Call analytics can be used to determine the source and the destination of a call as well as manage and monitor call performance. Call analytics also provides operational assistance to business organizations to maximize their return on investment (ROI).

This technology helps a business to recognize sources of incoming calls. It provides phone call analytics & reports like: 

1.Call Durations, routing of incoming and outgoing calls, tracking records on call volume, etc. 

2.The three measures of real-time analytics are quality, speed, and robustness

Real-time analytics is the discipline that applies logic and mathematics to the data as soon as it becomes available, to provide insights to the business professionals for making better decisions quickly. Real-time analytics allows businesses to react without any delay. Businesses can seize opportunities or prevent threats before they occur. In order to be useful, real-time analytics applications should have high availability of data but low response times. It should be able to handle large amounts of data. Yet they should return answers to queries within seconds. 

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. A stable internet connection can get phone services delivered through the internet connection instead of from the local phone company. A medium is required to turn analog phone signals into digital signals that can be sent over the internet. The two main reasons to make your business flexible all around the world with VoIP is its low cost and increased functionality. 

Business VoIP phone system is an emerging new technology that makes it possible to make and receive phone calls over the internet connection instead of from the local phone company. With this new technology, a business can make phone calls in a fraction of the second if there is a stabilized internet connection. 

A business can save a lot of time and money because it does not have to wait for a new number to be added. Nowadays, businesses have to be flexible so that they can take advantage of these opportunities and handle demand pressures. It is difficult for a business to estimate from the beginning how many phone lines they will need in the future. With traditional phone systems, the business has to pay for the extra resources even when they’re not using them. With a business VoIP phone system, businesses can easily adapt to changes without losing much time and without excessive financial expenses. In today’s competitive world, customers are not going to wait for your business to get more lines added, and they want their problems to be solved without waiting for too long. Clients don’t want project team workers sitting idle, waiting for new phone lines to begin their work.

A call center is a centralized office that is equipped to handle large amounts of customer phone call requests for a business organization. A call center handles all telephonic communications with new and existing customers. A call center facility employs a large number of employees who are referred to as “call agents.” The call agents administer telephonic communications with customers. They can handle both inbound calls as well as outbound calls. Types of call centers include:

Modern Business Communication: VoIP and Cloud System

Technology keeps on developing and, therefore, the modern systems are much different then what they used to be some years back. The same is with the cloud business phone system and service providers. It is due to the proliferation of virtualization and cloud. 

At this time, if you are considering installing a new business phone communication system along with a business phone number, the Hosted VoIP that is Voice over Internet Protocol system is one of the best options available. Its benefits are not just its features but affordability. Also, it keeps on surprising its users by its ways of helping them in business communication.

Let us see some features of the best cloud business phone system solution:

Affordable Price

The legacy business phone system takes a lot of time and effort if you want to work beyond its basic functionality. They require updates that are costly due to additional service charges and are time-consuming. If you want some extra features in them, then you might require new hardware or additional services.

With cloud-based phone systems or the Hosted VoIP, you can avail of its integrated features, like caller ID, conference service, voicemail etcetera, and all included automatically. There is no need to buy extra hardware, and you can update or expand it easily without spending much.

User-Friendly

Technology development since the last decade is pacing at a faster rate. Earlier, it was difficult for the users to get full knowledge of the technology, but now, technology has made itself friendly to the users. Now, you need not struggle to get the benefits of the prevailing technology. They have become easy to use and understand.

When we talk about Hosted VoIP, it is much easier to use it. Its usage is almost the same as the traditional VoIP phone systems, where you can make calls and receive calls with so much ease and that too with your business phone number. Also, the VoIP service providers will make you understand everything you need to know about the business phone system. They will set up such an easy to use system that it would not be necessary for you to have an IT team.

Service Providers

As only a limited amount of hardware is required in a Hosted Phone System, it is easy to set them up. The VoIP service providers provide its customers with a 24*7 support service and are capable of setting up the system from a remote distance.

As the services run through clouds, it is easy for you to maintain the system without having IT employees. The service providers send any upgrade in the VoIP via the cloud, and you can make changes by adding, moving, or deleting the users. These service providers give support services without charging any extra cost if any downtime or issues are seen.

Integration & Scalability

The Hosted VoIP solutions integrate with your current business communication system. If you are using some old technology for organizing employee communication and upgrading to VoIP, then you will feel a surprising difference between the two. It makes it easy to track the client’s problem and needs and integrates the record of the client while he calls in. It is easy to scale the Hosted VoIP system as it does not require extra space or resources. It is a system that grows with its user.

Reference: Modern Business Communication: VoIP and Cloud System

All you need to know about phone numbers in the United States!

The United States is one of the biggest and most developed countries in the world. And a lot of people reside here. The US also provides a workplace to several people from other countries and even has a high number of tourists as well.

Given all this, the country has a great telephone network system that can connect people in any part of America to people all over the world very easily.

So here is a small guide to how the US phone number are and what are the things you should keep in mind before dialing a number.

All standard American phone numbers have ten digits where the first three digits are the area code, which used to indicate the location of the phone in the country in the past.. Currently, with the popularity of mobile phones, it might happen that there are phones in an area with a different area code.

While making a call from a phone with an area code different from that of the number being called, the area code of the number to be called needs to be used.

Most often people are given a local US phone number which has 7 digits and one should not hesitate to ask for the area code. While making a call outside your phone’s area, one generally needs to dial 1 followed by the area code, followed by the 7 digit US phone number.

International calls are initiated by dialing 011, followed by the country code, the area code and finally the seven-digit phone number.

Some Of The US Phone Number Are Reserved For Special Use. Let’s Take A Look At Them:

• 911 is the standardized number for emergencies throughout the country. The emergency services include the fire brigade, police and ambulances. 911 is a US toll-free phone number no matter what you call from.
• 411 is the general number used for telephone directory assistance. Nowadays, fees are universally charged for calling 411. There are other providers who provide for free or at the most, you might have to listen to an advertisement.
• “800” numbers including “888”, “866”, “855” are toll-free US phone number in the sense that they does not incur long-distance phone charges. Callers should, however, be aware that hotels and motels generally charge fees for calling “800” numbers. The telephone numbers of people dialing any 800 toll free number number is also easily available to the business that will be paying for the “800” number even if you have blocked your caller ID.
• “900” numbers are generally charged by call or by the minute according to the wish of the company that has set up the “900” number. The companies are legally required to tell the customers about the rate of the call before the billing starts. It was originally established to provide informational services but has now largely degenerated to “adult” services. They often omit the disclosure of cost and the calls can turn out to be quite expensive.

Note: Tips For Using Phone Number In Hotels Or Motels:

The hotels and motels often charge high fees for local, toll-free and long-distance number calls. There should generally be a card that indicates your phone fees. If there is none, make sure to ask the reception once so that you don’t have to pay exorbitantly high fees while checking out.

Mobile Phone Service In USA:

The United States has a very good cell phone service in urban and suburban areas. The service is also commendable along stretches of popular highways. However, the service may be limited in some rural and remote areas. The service may even be unavailable at places of natural attraction and national parks.

There are four nationwide service providers in the United States. They are AT&T, T-Mobile, Nextel/ Sprint and Verizon along with other regional service providers as well.

There are also a large number of prepaid providers who buy network access from national or regional providers and sell them to the customers. A lot of people are buying prepaid phones. One thing that needs to be taken care of is the fact whether the prepaid number will work in different areas if you are buying it to use it while travelling through the country.

The providers use two different types of network protocol. Verizon and Nextel/Sprint use CMDA while AT&T and T-Mobile use GSM and associated SIM chips.

GSM users should be aware of the fact that the US and other North American countries use a different frequency band compared to those used in Europe and other parts of the world.

There are easy options to buy prepaid SIM cards or phone, online when you arrive in the USA. It is a hassle-free and cost-effective method. SIM cards can generally be bought at kiosks at all major airports, shopping centers, etc.

Important Thing About Incoming Calls On US Phone Number

One important aspect to remember regarding calls in the US is that there are no free incoming calls. All calls are chargeable irrespective of it being, incoming or outgoing. The rates for calling landlines and mobiles are also the same. However, some companies may put a limit on the number of calls that can be made to a landline.

What Are Calling Cards:

Calling cards can be used to make international and long-distance calls at rates cheaper than that charged by hotels, cellular, and residential phone services. Calling cards can be commonly bought from mini-markets, liquor or drug stores, gas stations. Calling cards can also be found in convention centers, airports and hotels. However, most often these can only be used from a telephone at the facility.

Cards with highly discounted calling rates can be found in ethnic stores and specialty markets serving the people from those countries.

The cards work in the same fashion no matter what the type. There is an access number generally listed on the card which needs to be dialed. After this, the PIN number of the card needs to be in and finally, the desired phone number to be dialed needs to be entered.

Bottom Line

That was pretty much all you needed to know about US phone numbers and US toll-free phone numbers. I hope this would help you when traveling to the United States. Keep in mind the points mentioned in the article and you are good to go. Even after that if you face problems, you are free to ask people for help and get things sorted.

Reference: All you need to know about phone numbers in the United States!

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All you need to know about modern PBX phone system

Every business needs a telephone system that reflects their work. A telephone system makes a company rise or fall in a matter of days. We have researched for you and accumulate information regarding the PBX system, and how it will help your business grow.

First, let’s know what a PBX phone system is?

The word PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. It is a private telephone network that is used inside a company or organization for communication. By using different types of communication channels like VoIP, ISDN, or analog, the company employees can communicate within the company and with the outside world as well. When you compare it to a multi-line phone system or physical phone lines (PSTN), a cloud PBX allows you to have more phones. And users on the same network can make free phone calls saving good money to the company. 

These phone systems have been successful phone systems for mid-size and large companies for a very long time. They are dependent on hardware and switches to route the calls. The device is installed in the telecom cabinet, which can be kept inside the office.

It has features that are very beneficial for multi-national companies like voicemail, auto-attendant, call transfer, call recording, interactive voice menus (IVR), dial-by-name directories, and ACD call queues. This system is sometimes called Centrix if used via virtual solution. And PBX can also be used as a hosted phone system. 

This system uses open standards and interfaces, which makes them more flexible as compared to the traditional phone system. As the modern cloud PBX phone system is dependent on hardware, which is readily available, it is cost-efficient and way more comfortable to be replaced. 

Due to the high flexibility level and being fully programmable, it lets the user add or remove features according to the usability.

Reasons why PBX is the next big thing your company should be using

It is high time that your business moves past the costly physical phone system and get friendly with a business phone system that is competitive and cheaper. 

i) Save on your resources: Every organization dreams of having technology that saves its hard-earned time and money. A virtual PBX is just that. Stop investing in high startup costs when you can get double features and high quality at half price. Other than that, you don’t have to be saturated or make commitments for long-term with your service provider like other phone systems. Give your IT team time to excel for a change instead of debugging your phone system.

ii) PBX is quite handy: You have to make the decision, and the service provider will do the hard work. That is the nutshell of a virtual PBX system. You will not have to worry about regular maintenance, security, or upgrades as your service provider will always keep you in the loop with all of it.

iii) It has features that your old phone system won’t have: This system will give you first-hand access to the services and functionality that your previous service provider would charge ten times more for. This phone system will give you business wings as it has all the tools that will make your business grow and compete in the market.

With features like auto-attendant, your global customers will be impressed with the level of professionalism. If you have a small or medium-sized business, cloud PBX will make it look like any giant corporation.

iv) It is scalable: When you opt for virtual PBX, your company doesn’t have to worry about spending on new equipment. Instead, you can be stress-free as you will be getting more features and adding new phone lines without spending a fortune. And to top it all, your company will be using technology which is far from being obsolete. 

What are the pros and cons of PBX

Reference: All you need to know about modern PBX phone system

Top Benefits of a Cloud based Contact Center

What comes to your mind when you hear the words “call center”? Do you picture a big, old room where several agents are tapping away on their ancient computers? Well, not anymore! With the introduction of cloud based contact centers, call centers have also become modern and technologically advanced. 

Apart from the obvious ease of operation, the integration of your call center with the cloud opens various doors to a wide range of opportunities and benefits. For businesses looking to provide exceptional customer service, cloud based contact centers are the way to go.

For those of you who are not familiar with a cloud based contact center, let us see what it is.

What do you mean by a cloud based contact center?

A cloud based contact center is a comprehensive integration of various tools, applications and services that are hosted on the cloud for call centers of large organisations. These services and tools are used to fulfil the complex needs of huge companies when it comes to call routing, management, analytics, and so on. 

Speaking in layman terms, the entire call center is connected to the cloud. All the various forms of data, tools, applications and everything used by the contact center agents are uploaded and managed from the cloud. 

What is the need for a cloud based contact center?

The technology used in old call centers has become obsolete and inefficient. It is unable to keep pace with changing times. The way businesses interact with their customers has drastically changed. To cater to the new needs of both customers and companies, call centers also need to upgrade their technology. 

For example, the old call center technology does not permit the addition of new channels like SMS or Facebook Messenger. These have now become absolute necessities. 

To try and cope with the modern age of technology, some contact centers have adopted a few cloud solutions. However, more often than not, these solutions are not integrated with one another and work in isolation. This makes it even more difficult for contact centers to perform their duties efficiently.

Thus comes in the need for a unified cloud based system, which integrates and handles all the different technological aspects of a call center. Cloud based contact centers are the one stop solution to all your third world problems! 

What are the benefits of a cloud call center?

Now that we all understand what cloud based contact centers mean and why they are essential, let us have a look at some of the benefits that they offer:

1. Providing customers with a better experience

Customer satisfaction – Ultimately, this is what businesses are about, isn’t it? The main aim of any business is to satisfy its customers. Cloud based contact centers go a long way in providing better customer service and thus, in keeping the customers happy.

Customers today want instant service. They do not like navigating through long chains of IVR menus or waiting on hold for hours. Your promptness in answering a customer’s query says a lot about your business. You could even end up losing customers, even loyal ones, because of poor customer service.

Studies have shown that after an unsatisfactory communication experience, 38% of customers take their business to a competitor, almost 70% of customers share their poor experience with their friends and relatives and nearly 40% stop buying from the company altogether.

The limitations of a traditional call center make it extremely difficult to cope with the ever-changing demands of the customers. However, using APIs and cloud based contact centers, businesses can create a great customer service experience and keep their customers satisfied. 

2. Expanding and scaling the contact center

Businesses constantly change their structure. They need technology that will allow them to scale up or down easily, without any resistance. Cloud based contact centers provide companies with the flexibility that they are searching for.

Whether your business has taken off and you wish to get more agents at your disposal, or whether the market is down and you need to sack a few – cloud based contact centers let you do it all! The APIs scale automatically, leaving you in charge of the kind of customer experience you want to create, without any hardware or technological constraints.

With such cloud services, you only have to pay for the features that you use. Thus, you do not need to purchase or subscribe to a whole pack of services when you really just need to use one among them. This payment model is what makes cloud based contact centers so ideal for companies.

3. Easy addition of communication channels

The world of communication is becoming more and more integrated with the digital world. Statistics show that majority of the customers prefer to interact with companies over some form of text. Social media has become a huge part of the digital world. It has also become the place where businesses can truly connect with their target audience.

However, traditional call centers do not provide facilities for the addition of new channels like SMS or Facebook Messenger. Thus, companies still using the old contact centers are now finding it difficult to cope with the changing trends in the communication sector.

Cloud based contact centers, on the other hand, provide easy addition of new channels. Using APIs, one can add new channels to their existing system within minutes – be it web chat, social media messaging, SMS or MMS. 

Reference:  Top Benefits of a Cloud based Contact Center