As Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) matures, a growing number of businesses are making the switch from traditional phone services to Internet-based services.
When looking for a VoIP provider it is important to seek a company on the forefront of technology that can serve as a trusted adviser.
“Businesses are looking for flexibility, reporting functions and a provider that has its best interests at heart — someone who can help them recognize current trends and provide true consultative services,” says Alex Desberg, sales and marketing director at Ohio.net.
Smart Business spoke with Desberg about the latest VoIP trends, the importance of adaptability and the re-emergence of user-friendly phone systems.
What are the trends for new or growth companies?
Organizations are creating subgroups within themselves for different lines of business.
The best way to illustrate this is to think of a holding company with smaller companies underneath — they want a division within their organization and they are using a phone system to create this impression.
For example, a publishing company might have a traditional publishing arm and an electronic publishing arm. By setting up different VoIP phone routes within their organization, they are able to have different pods even though they are all just part of a greater whole.
With this model, if a customer needs to reach the electronic publishing division he or she doesn’t have to go through the traditional publishing arm’s receptionist and get re-routed, he or she is directly reaching the people that he or she wants to talk to.
Why is VoIP a good fit for companies that are start-up, virtual, experiencing growth or changing their structure?
There has been an insurgence in the number of businesses turning to VoIP solutions that are either start-ups or changing their structure away from the brick and mortar model to a virtual model.
Some change so they can gain the advantage of having a new phone system with new capabilities. Others make the change so they can segment various parts of their business operations.
Either way, they are able to present a new look, sound and feel when they are communicating with their customers.
How important is a phone system’s adaptability for a company in transition?
A good VoIP system can almost serve as a marketing tool for a business. Companies want to know how their phone system can adapt to changes in their customers’ desires to communicate.
For example, VoIP offers custom reporting tools so management can track how customers react to different messages.
If needed, the system that drives communication can be adjusted in order to ensure optimal customer satisfaction.
What features are businesses looking for today?
There has been a huge shift back toward the importance of talking to a live person.
Bringing the customer closer to the person that they really want to talk to is paramount in the business world today.
Businesses want to make sure that their customers aren’t on hold for extended periods of time and that they don’t have to go through voice mail hell.
Advances in telecom technology should not be used to create barriers between a business and its customers — they should bring them closer together.
Alex Desberg is sales and marketing director for Ohio.net. Reach him at [email protected]
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