What to Do After Implementing a Business VoIP Phone Solution
Congratulations! You’ve finally made the decision to cut ties with your traditional landline and switch to an advanced, cost-effective, and feature-rich business Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system. So what should you do next?
Many businesses that have chosen to tap the power of VoIP and experience its benefits often spend a lot of time and resources to make sure everything goes well in the planning phase. They make sure to compare business VoIP services, find out how much bandwidth they would need, and prepare their employees for the transition. Although it’s important to plan for the change, some businesses get overwhelmed that they tend to overlook the things they need to do after implementing a VoIP solution.
So what should you do once your VoIP phone system is installed? Take note of the following:
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Customize your auto attendant
Don’t have an office receptionist to manage your incoming calls? Then it’s time to set up your auto attendant. Many VoIP services include an auto attendant feature (also called a virtual receptionist) that lets companies efficiently manage and route calls without having to hire a phone operator or an actual receptionist. The auto attendant lets you offer a range of options to help direct callers to the appropriate department or extension.
Aside from transferring calls, auto attendants can also be set up to deliver greetings for holidays and after hours, as well as directions and other announcements.
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Setup important calling features
Aside from your auto attendant, also make sure to set up important calling features to help you appear more professional (such as Music On Hold and Find Me/Follow Me). Music On Hold replaces the annoying elevator music or dead air callers hear when they are put on hold. You can use recordings, songs, or greetings to entertain callers while they wait for someone to pick up the phone. Find Me/Follow Me is also an excellent VoIP feature that helps ensure you never miss a call. It lets you route your incoming calls to a list of devices that ring in sequence.
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Check back with employees
One of the things companies must do to ensure a successful transition to VoIP is to convince employees to embrace and be comfortable with VoIP technology. This includes providing employee training and support, encouraging feedback, and the like. But however you prepare your staff for the transition, take note that the scenario can be different once they finally integrate the new communications system into their daily routine. So once your business VoIP phone is up and running, it’s essential that you check back with your employees and get their feedback.
Ask whether they find the phone system easy to use, and which features they find extremely helpful. Also monitor if some employees still struggle with the new system. Learning about the experience of end users will help you determine whether the phone solution is delivering value to your organization, or if more training is needed to help your employees tap its full potential.
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Consider remote and traveling employees
After deploying a VoIP solution for your business, also consider your remote staff. VoIP offers a range of mobility features that makes it possible for remote staff to stay connected and productive regardless of their location. These include video chat and conferencing, mobile apps, and find me/follow me. It’s important that you introduce them to these features to help them achieve better productivity no matter where they are located.
Final Thoughts
While planning for the transition is an important phase in adopting VoIP, the post-deployment phase is equally important as well in using VoIP to its full potential. So be sure to take note of the tips above to ensure success in the long run.