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Online customer service is quickly becoming a matter of life and death in the business world. Companies who fail to adapt to new online customer service standards find their customers flocking to competitors who offer a higher level of service. If you find yourself needing to update your customer service practices to keep up, here are a few ways you can make a difference now. Knowing Your Customer Base - The first step in improving your customer service is knowing who your customers are. Do you serve primarily baby boomers and older generations who have been slow to take up technology, or do you serve Millenials who let technology drive their every move? If you serve both, do you have the means to effectively deliver quality service to both groups based on their unique needs? Taking the time to research your customer base and know what they expect of you will go a long way toward investing your money in the right technologies. Make Information Available - Online customer serv...

If you're on the fence between moving to a virtual phone system or using a traditional business telecommunications model the question is which one is better. Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this equation. The better system will be the one that meets your needs most accurately by making use of the best technology available for your budget. What Kind of Existing Equipment Do You Have? Does your company already have servers in place that are capable of handling a virtual phone system? If so, it may be reasonable to pick up a software license and move forward with a virtual telecommunications model. If not, the price of moving forward will determine whether or not it is the right fit for you. What is Your Budget? Determining whether a virtual phone system or a traditional one is better for you will largely be based upon how much you want to spend. Virtual phone systems offer a wider breadth of functionality than traditional systems, but that functionality comes at...

For Alabama businesses, the decision to upgrade communications systems can be colored by a number of challenges. Like anywhere else, quality and accessibility of services can vary greatly between large cities and rural areas. In addition, special consideration must be given to user friendliness and implementation processes. Here are a few of the most common challenges that Alabama business owners face when it comes to business telecommunication decisions. Accessibility of Service Probably the biggest challenge faced by companies throughout Alabama is the difference in the types of services available by location and the price of those services. Many of us take for granted the idea that high-speed Internet is available in the city while fewer options are available in rural areas. However, many areas in the city are only serviced by a single Internet or phone service provider, which means you may be paying more for that service than you would in a more competitive neighborhood, an...

If your Alabama business is considering a move to a virtual phone system, there are really two factors that hang in the balance: cost and reliability. You should be trying to find the phone system that brings you the best reliability for every penny you invest. So let's break down the virtual phone system and simplify your decision-making process. How Much Does a Virtual Phone System Cost? You may have heard that a virtual phone system can cost significantly more than a traditional phone system. This is because it requires a dedicated set of hardware and software products that can be very costly at the outset. If you have no other virtual systems or servers in place, this investment will be very steep up front. However, if you already have server space available, setting some of it aside for your virtual phones won't cost you much at all. Instead, you will only have to worry about the cost of the software itself. Furthermore, the cost per line of implementing a virtual...

Choosing a cloud phone provider is not a decision to be taken lightly. Each provider has a unique set of products and services to offer, and not all plans are created equal. It's important to evaluate plans side by side and ask the right questions to truly understand whether or not you are getting the best deal. Suitability to Your Organization This is a big deal, despite the fact that it is usually overlooked during the consultation. Do they provide cloud phone plans that are specifically suited to the size and type of organization you are running? Do they have any other customers who are similar in scale to your organization? Just because they can serve a huge call center enterprise does not mean that they have the tools necessary to serve a small to mid-sized warehouse, or vice versa. Close compatibility with your business type is a must. Integration Processes When you sign up for cloud phones, the hope is that they will fit perfectly into your system with minimal disr...

When it comes to business phone technology, hosted solutions are usually one of the best ways for businesses to enhance their phone systems in a cost-effective manner. Hosted solutions offer a wide range of phone features that can improve your customer service and simplify your communications for better results. Call Management Features Whether you already have a full-time receptionist or you need a way to direct calls without spending a fortune, hosted solutions can give you the tools you need. With automated call menus and call queuing, callers can reach the customer service agents they need, stay informed about their place in line and feel confident that they will be taken care of in a timely manner. Poor customer service practices are one of the top complaints of consumers across the board, and these technologies can improve your customer satisfaction scores drastically. Productivity Tracking In addition to keeping your customers happy, hosted solutions also allow yo...

If you are considering the move to a cloud based phone system, one of the biggest questions you need to ask is where you will get your support from. Depending on the specifics of your phone system infrastructure, you will be relying on a mix of hardware and software, on-premise and in the cloud. You need to know whether or not your cloud provider offers end-to-end support for your entire system, or if they are only concerned with their end of the program. Consistent Updates End-to-end support for your system means that the cloud provider is in charge of keeping the software on both ends of the system up to date. The service you are paying for should include regular updates of the software existing in the cloud, ensuring that you have access to the most up-to-date version in a timely manner. Technical Support Another important part of end-to-end cloud phone support is having customer service agents available to help you when you get in trouble. Whether it's a system-wide...

If you're new to the concept of cloud computing, you've probably asked yourself what is the cloud? Many companies want to understand exactly what the cloud is, how it works, and where it came from before they sign up for cloud based services. The good news is, you aren't alone. Many people are searching for answers, and the cloud computing community has answered with a few simple explanations. What is the Cloud? Simply put, the term "cloud" is just an analogy. In literal terms, what we now know as the cloud is an off-site hub that contains massive computing resources shared between many different organizations. Essentially, the cloud is made up of banks and banks of computer servers which act as portals for sharing and storing information. What makes the cloud unique from your in-house servers is that they are connected in such a way that customers pay for access to a portion of the available space, and that space can be located on any server in the hub at...