Still using a second phone for work? Or worse… a landline phone system? You may want to consider upgrading your business communications methods to something more modern…
Virtual phone systems are the future of business telecommunications because they’re much more reliable. Here’s why:
What’s the difference between traditional phone systems and virtual phone systems?
Traditional work phone systems can be desk phones or second handsets provided to employees. These require a lot of hardware and contracts to be set up by network/phone providers. The service runs using traditional phone lines.
On the other hand virtual phone systems use an internet (WiFi or data) connection to operate and they can be installed on your existing mobile phone. The phone service is usually accessed through an app. Meaning you don’t need to purchase lots of devices to use a virtual business phone system.
Why aren’t traditional phone systems reliable?
1. Dropped Calls
Picture this, you’re in the middle of an important sales call with a valuable client. All of a sudden, you hear the dreaded call end beep. You check your phone and see that the call has dropped. Now it may not be disastrous, you could just call them back and apologise then finish the deal… right?
Except that when you do call back, the call doesn’t connect. Your phone service provider is experiencing disruption and by the time you manage to call back, your client is no longer interested because your company now appears unprofessional.
Now imagine this happening all throughout the day…
This usually happens because of a faulty sim or patchy network coverage where you are. While dropped calls are not uncommon for virtual phone systems either, as dropped internet connections do happen, it happens significantly less. Additionally the problem can be fixed a lot faster as you can simply reset your internet settings or restart the virtual phone app. Meaning virtual phone systems are much more reliable.
2. Missed Calls
Building on the problem of dropped calls, missed calls are also common to traditional phone systems. Again it’s due to poor network connectivity and we don’t need to tell you… Missed calls are missed business. 85% of customers whose calls are missed don’t call the business back [1]. Meaning potential loss of revenue, especially as it will add up over time.
With virtual phone systems, you can significantly reduce the number of missed calls your business receives. This is because of the ability to set up a call-forwarding feature which directs your call to the next available team member on the line. Meaning you can ensure your customer’s calls get through as quickly as possible.
3. Lack of Calling Features
Traditional work phone systems typically don’t offer many features that enhance your customer’s calling experience. Enhanced features may not be necessary however they can greatly improve your customer service. Poor customer service can motivate people to seek out competitors with about 60% of consumers reporting they would go on to do business with a rival company after experiencing poor customer service [1]. Now you don’t want that…
Virtual phone systems can be set up with a variety of call features such as auto-attendants, and creating call groups. The auto-attendant feature allows customers calling in to be directed to the correct department so you can provide assistance as quickly as possible. Call groups enable you to organise your network of agents into relevant groups so inbound calls directed to the right group can be answered by any member within the group. Features such as these are great for optimising your customer service experience leading to higher satisfaction rates that drive customer loyalty.
4. No Software Integrations
Wouldn’t it save you so much time if you could link your phone system to a customer relationship management (CRM) system? Second work phones or traditional phone systems usually cannot be set up to link your customer calls to any CRM platforms. This is because you don’t have access to a central management portal where you log call data. Meaning you have to manually log customer call information into any CRM software you are using.
Virtual phone systems allow for robust software integrations eg. with CRM platforms to be set up. This allows for automatic syncing of your call data to your chosen software, eliminating the need for manual logging, so you have more time to focus on more important aspects of your business. Additionally, virtual phone systems can be integrated with various software depending on your business needs, not just CRM platforms. Meaning you can create a reliable digital framework for your business communications centred around your virtual phone system.
5. Lack of Security
With desk phone systems, the phone service operates using traditional phone lines that usually run through the ground. Security of your call data could be compromised if the wires could be accessed by someone outside of the organisation, allowing them to listen in on your calls. Furthermore, phone service providers usually stipulate that it’s your responsibility to ensure your data is secured when using their services for work phones.
Alternatively virtual phone systems meet stringent security requirements, ensuring the safety of your data won’t be compromised. This is because the servers hosting virtual phone networks are constantly monitored by the provider and validated by third party companies to check for vulnerabilities. Making virtual phone systems much more reliable for security than traditional work phone systems.
Choosing a reliable virtual phone system
There are currently many virtual phone systems on the market. Meaning making the switch can be daunting if you are unsure of where to start. So here are the key things to look out for when choosing a virtual phone system:
- Uptime: This is the amount of time that the servers/software is up and running. Usually given as a percentage. Ideally, you should choose a provider with an uptime of above 99%. You can usually check service status on a dedicated page on the company’s website.
- Certifications: These will help you to determine whether a company is meeting industry regulations.
- Features: The great thing about virtual phone systems is that calling features can be easily activated and usually at little extra cost. Be sure to check if the features your business requires are provided.
- Contact customer support: Businesses don’t need to be told that customer support is an important indication of a company and their services’ reliability. So it can be helpful to speak with a member of the support team before you switch to a virtual phone provider to answer any questions you have as well as determine how reachable the company is should you use their services and encounter any problems.
Devyce ticks all these boxes, and more…
Devyce is the smarter, more reliable business phone solution for the future of business communications. Why? Because of these key reasons:
- Our uptime is 99.95%
- We are GDPR compliant and follow all UK Telecommunications regulations
- We offer a range of calling features suited to your business needs at no extra or hidden costs so you get what you see
- Our support team is reachable 24/7 via email and you can speak with a member of our specialist teams within minutes within business hours. We are also able to provide demos of Devyce before you sign up for any of our plans.
With our Teams Plan, you’ll have access to a management portal where you can access key call data metrics and analytics, allowing you to identify your most active channels and measure your call performance against SLAs. Additionally you can utilise the advanced calling features through this portal such as setting up call groups.
We offer all of this at a much lower cost due to our exclusive deal with a UK phone network provider. Meaning we can keep the costs of our services low while still providing you with the best standard of service. Best of all, we don’t have any contracts. This means you’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you’d like!
Switching to a virtual phone system for your business communications couldn’t be easier with Devyce. Try it out for yourself today by booking a demo with us today!
