Auto Attendant Is Your Virtual Assistant

Answering telephones and routing calls are certainly tedious jobs, but they are ones that must be done in order for a business to be successful. With a great feature known as an auto attendant available through a virtual phone system, this job can be performed professionally and courteously without the need for a physical assistant or secretary.

Understanding Auto Attendant

When a consumer calls a business to place an order, ask a question, or discuss an issue with a member of the staff, it is imperative that they are greeted pleasantly and that their call is routed to the correct department within a few seconds. An auto attendant is simply a mechanized recording that greets a caller with the business name, thanks them for calling and provides them with call handling options. The caller is asked to press a button for a corresponding department and the call is transferred seamlessly to the selected destination. When combined with other features like voicemail and call forwarding, the service is invaluable to businesses of any size.

Save Money

Many businesses choose to hire an administrative assistant or telephone operator in order to handle incoming calls and end up paying the assistant's salary-usually upwards of $40,000 per year. Also, an actual assistant will likely need sick days, personal days, paid holidays and more, which are things that can deter from the revenue of the business and leave other employees scrambling for alternatives. When a business chooses a virtual telephone system with an auto attendant instead, it is a decision that is both economical and effective under any circumstances.

Increase Productivity

Business owners who choose to forgo an administrative assistant and answer the phones on their own likely feel the frustration associated with doing so on a daily basis. Telephone calls must be accepted during business hours-sometimes even after-in order to promote the business as professional and customer service oriented. By choosing an auto attendant, business owners can use their time for other, more pressing matters and leave answering the phones to the system. This way, calls are automatically routed to the correct department or individual and everyone can focus on their individual roles within the business.

Reduce Caller Frustration

Everyone has had to call a business for some reason in the past and they likely understand the frustration of being placed on hold, incorrectly transferred or dropped during the transfer process. Human error leads to many mistakes, and regardless of whether or not they were intentional, these errors have the potential to put clients off and eventually lead to the loss of their business. By choosing an auto attendant, callers will be greeted promptly and professionally almost immediately and they will never be placed on hold while waiting to be transferred. Each and every transfer is seamless and customers will definitely appreciate the ability to speak with the correct person the first time they call.

There are many ways that a business can save money, increase productivity and handle their calls more effectively, but an auto attendant is virtually a must. A friendly recording is a great way to ensure that each and every caller is treated with the respect and courtesy that they deserve.

Mike Allen is an Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter, a company that provides local numbers, 1800 numbers, and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system to their clients. Services include Call Transfer, Call Forwarding, Auto Attendant, voicemail, send fax online and more.

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IVR: The Technology We Love To Hate

Anyone who uses a phone has experienced IVR by now. It's the "Interactive Voice Response" system that many companies have implemented to handle incoming customer calls.

I've found it's been helpful and efficient most of the time, but IVR seems to be the subject of jokes and scorn by many.

Why all the animosity?

IVR gets a bad rap and I know why: bad design and implementation. Let's look at some common problems and solutions.

Having to press 1 for this and press 2 for that seems to really irritate people. Typically, they are the people who would prefer to press nothing and just yell at a live person. (I admit it, but I'm not proud.)

IVR is not for every customer.

The main menu should include an option to speak to a live person for issues that need special attention that only a trained customer service agent can provide.

Avoid further frustrating customers by making this a main menu option... and most importantly, avoid the clichés.

Customers don't really care if your menu options have changed or being told to "listen carefully" or "pay attention". Unless you're a toddler, you probably don't like being talked to like a child.

Apologies or saying how important the call is really just overused and should be avoided. Customers appreciate clear choices and options, period.

What they don't appreciate is listening to a lot of fluff that really means nothing to them and wastes their time.

How many times have you dialed up company and had to listen carefully to a dozen options? Then, once you pick an option what you want is several layers of menus further.

An IVR designer shouldn't try to automate too much.

The solution is simple; find out the top 3 things that customers want to do and automate just those things. Keep it simple and easy. Less really is more here.

There can't be enough emphasis placed on testing the system. Test, test and then when you're done with that, test again. Customers are lost, figuratively and literally when a company doesn't test its IVR system.

Here's an example:

I've put in my account number and selected the option I need. I wait, and the chipper computer lady says, "Are you still there? Please select your option". I select my option again, but this time the news is not so good. Computer lady now says, "I'm sorry you're having trouble, goodbye".

Someone was clearly having trouble, but it wasn't me.

I pressed the option as instructed, but got the boot. Testing the system would have prevented this unfortunate situation.

Bottom line; I chose another company who could help me. I wonder how many other customers were lost because of this glitch.

An IVR system can work around the clock, 7 days a week. It takes no sick days or vacations. With those kinds of advantages, some employers can see nothing but potential cost savings and place no value in improving their system.

Customers aren't stupid.

They will clearly know a company's motivation if they implement a poorly designed IVR system and chances are they'll take their business elsewhere because of it.

All in all, automated phone systems are great and do a lot to make life easier. But like relationships, when it's good it's so good and when it's bad, it's just awful.

Customers don't remember a good IVR experience, but they will never, ever forget a bad one.

Jay E. Coop writes prolifically about the modern use of IVR. To learn more about IVRs and read more technical info, download his IVR whitepapers.

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Call Center IVR: Exploring Speech Technology

Technology changes fast and so does the cost of doing business. When faced with the decision of hiring human agents to handle business calls, many high-level executives look for alternatives with measurable results.

In the business world, communication is a key factor for analytics. Call automation systems that are designed to respond to questions from actual customers are ideal for measuring efficiency, workflow, and success.

Understanding the different technologies available today

The technologies used for call automation include tone based voice response, interactive speech based applications, and traditional human employees.

Tone IVR is considered cheap to install but compared to the speech IVR and other methods of communication with potential customers. With this technology, it is not detailed and involves providing a simple Yes or No answer to the caller.

Speech applications are considered more complex in the types of conversation that can be processed. They have been designed to handle complex conversations between clients, and can respond to a client's requirements just like a live agent working in a call center. Conversations are not required to flow in a predetermined manner.

Human staff are often lumped together with the technology of call automation because they are an essential part of the equation. Some companies reserve live employees for more complicated or delicate caller issues. Others save live staff for areas where automated solutions fall short (callers with accents, multiple requests, or complaints typically fall into this category).

Truthfully, one type of automation is no better than another. Each serves to quickly address important phone calls.

What prospective buyers should look for

The company selling a call automation system should offer ongoing monitoring of the system, along with reporting. As mentioned earlier, these systems should provide an easy way to measure efficiency, workflow, and success.

They should also provide any kind of maintenance that is needed. This includes performance optimization, as well. Ultimately, the entire experience should be hassle free.

Besides "try before you buy" options, a company that offers free installation is an advantage. Clients should not have to pay to install something that they are going to pay for later. Therefore, prospective clients should only look for companies that are willing to install their IVR system free of charge.

A good IVR system will offer a variety of applications and features to use. Ultimately, one should have a large amount of choices from which they can choose. Some features and applications worth looking more into are:

+ Customer management
+ Automatic upgrades
+ Adaptive call center customer support
+ Other ways to customize

See a visual comparison of agents to IVRs at: http://www.smartaction.com/. For more resources, visit: http://www.smartaction.com/resources/main

Jay E. Coop enjoys writing about IVR phone systems and interactive voice response.

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Easy But Effective Information On How To Do A Phone Number Search

Answering a promotional phone call when you are in the middle of something important can be really annoying. This is why many people opt to have their contact information removed from public directories.

That said, those who are searching for important phone numbers of friends, loved ones or acquaintances may have a hard time finding the phone numbers they are looking for. Due to the need many residents have to protect their number from prank callers and sellers, they have also hidden themselves from acquaintances or loved ones looking for a way to contact them.

If you are a person looking for the phone numbers of a friend you have lost contact with or a loved one you haven't talked to in ages, you should consider using the most modern and effective phone number search methods.

1. Use online residential directories.

Most people will have to call private companies who handle the culling of telephone information. While they are a huge help in certain occasions, they usually do not have complete information on contact details. A better option would be to check out online residential directories. These directories enable phone number search. You just type in the name and the surname of the person you are looking for and add a city, town or a postcode if you know them.

If you know the phone number and the name of the person but you don't know the postcode or the address and you need to send them a parcel immediately, you can try using this kind of online service to get the information you need. They have a postcode and address finder that will come handy to people who frequently have to mail parcels.

A feature incorporated in a good residential directory is an electoral roll search. The operators of an electoral roll search site will have obtained information and contact details of residents from the electoral register of voters. So if you are looking for a friend or a loved one who is over 18 years of age, you can find their contact details here.

2. Use free reverse phone lookup services

Search engine companies such as Google actually have free reverse phone lookup applications. They may not be as comprehensive as some directories and may not be as complete in details but they can be a nice starting point. If you have the telephone number of the person but do not know their name or their address, you can key in the telephone number in the reverse phone lookup system. This kind of tracking system yields comprehensive results such as the information of the person, their address, other phone numbers or information about their business.

3. Search engines

Looking for people online has become a touch easier, thanks to the existence of search engines. Search engines make use of special algorithm that can pull out accurate information. If the person you are looking for makes use of the internet often or has accounts in social networking sites, their details should pop up in search engines. If they have a blog or a website, the details will also pop up in search engines.

All you need to do is type in the complete name of the person and the address. You need the address to narrow down your search as there might be other people who have the same complete name. Use the plus sign to add more details to your search and the minus sign if you want to exclude some information in your search. This will make your search a tad more accurate.

This method of phone number search may not immediately yield the exact phone number of the person you are looking for, but it can let you get hold of pertinent information such as their email address. You can email that person, introduce yourself and exchange contact numbers.

Now that you have a clear idea on how to search for phone numbers, you should be able to find the people you are looking for easily. Using special online residential directories is still your best bet but you can always use reverse phone lookup and phone number search in search engines as starting points.

Leah Williams writes for White Pages, one of the leading directories for phone number search. Did you know that you can even use a reverse phone lookup to know the caller's identity? White Pages offer a range of services which are phone numbers related. Ideal to trace an unknown phone number or find former school mates, White Pages allows you to have access to a fantastic database online. Visit now for more information.

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The Significance of Virtual PBX Service

Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is a telephone exchange system that was widely used by organizations to meet their business communication needs and they could also manage the system on their own by hiring in-house operators. The PBX technology has since advanced and are no longer devices merely for connecting calls. PBXs are today capable of connecting fax machines, computer modems, and other gadgets that transmit voice and data through phone lines.

The advent of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) technology has drastically altered the way PBXs functioned. This led to the concept of hosted PBX or Virtual PBX. The virtual PBX simply means that the telephone exchange system instead of being installed at your business premises is located at the site of the service provider. With virtual PBX, a business can benefit from a comprehensive VoIP advantage without having own staff to keep that system operational.

But before you choose to avail Virtual PBX services, you should first understand what services are available and how they work. This is imperative as business communication is critical and you can ill-afford to take risks.

Virtual PBX service providers offer a host of standard features including messaging, call-forwarding, and call-waiting options, call transfer, conference calling, find me, follow me, caller id, speed dial etc as well as advanced features by integrating the phone and computer. The Virtual PBX endows even small and midsize businesses an affordable way to get the sophisticated features that only large enterprises could hitherto afford.

The service provider owns and operates all the required telecommunication and data equipment. Most of them also invest millions of dollars in redundant collocated switching platforms, data connections and termination providers - to provide you uninterrupted 24x7 services.

The Virtual PBX requires no buying of extra hardware on your part and you need not also employ trained staff to operate the system. This means a lot of cost savings as you do not spend money buying hardware nor incur recurring wage expenses for technically qualified staff.

The control panel for a phone system is accessible from any computer that has Internet connection. Changing extensions, forwarding lines, and setting up voice-mail entail just a few mouse-clicks. Things can not be simpler. Besides, if a business shifts location, there is no PBX equipment to move, no phone numbers to change and no downtime. The effective PBX helps business enterprises project a more professional image and a caller may as well believe yours is a big corporation.

As Virtual PBX services include voice, data and video conferencing, a business - regardless of its size - can achieve remote collaboration without spending extra money on software or hardware. Furthermore, Virtual PBX systems provide an online way to track call data which can be immensely useful for billing and budgeting.

Virtual PBX is the future trend of business communication as business enterprises are keen to get rid of the bother of maintaining a PBX system and contend with frequent downtime. You can enjoy the luxury of being able to send /receive a call from any location since you have portable devices like smart phones and laptops. The Virtual PBX service lets you stay connected to your business even if you are away from your office premises.

To get more information about VOIP Providers as well as finding more information about phone service, check our website for updates.

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