Find Me Follow Me: Intelligent Call Routing

Receive calls anytime, any place and from any device - never miss another important call again 

Find Me Follow Me, also referred to as Mobile Office, is one of the most beneficial features of a business phone system.

With Find Me Follow Me, your office doesn’t have to be restricted to your main place of business.  This powerful feature allows your employees to receive calls anywhere, anytime and from any device with the appearance of them being in the office. Calls can be routed to a cell phone, another number (like a home office or hotel room), or another person (like a receptionist or a co-worker). You can even customize how you receive calls by day, time and even caller.


Benefits 

• Give out one number and work from anywhere without missing a call 
• Keep your cell phone and home numbers private 
• Customize how you receive your calls by day, time, and even caller 
• Have calls ring to multiple phones at the same time or in an order of your choice (for example: ring your cell phone first, and then your home office).

More business VoIP phone service features

How can an Auto Attendant help your business?

The benefits of an auto attendant.

An auto attendant acts like a virtual assistant and replaces the need for an actual receptionist or operator. An auto attendant automatically greets callers and directs them to the right person or department by simply pressing a button.

For example: for Sales, press 1; for Support, press 2; to dial by name, press 3.

It can make any size business look bigger and sound more professional overnight.  It is one of the many powerful calling features offered by Business VoIP phone service.

Customize your auto attendant to suite your needs. You can set up your auto attendant with the following options:

-    Dial by name directory
-    Dial by extension directory
-    Transfer to user
-    Transfer to a user’s voicemail
-    Transfer to another Auto Attendant

You can set up multiple auto attendants, including an auto attendant for employees.

For example:

To speak with John, press 1.

Once the call is transferred, a second auto attendant can be set up with additional options.

To leave a message, press 1; to reach me on my cell, press 2; to speak with someone in Support immediately, press 3.

Benefits of an Auto Attendant:

-    Look bigger and sound more professional
-    Replace the receptionist and/or operator
-    Route calls efficiently and effectively
-    Customize (set up separate auto attendants for business hours, after hours, and holidays)
-    Record directly from your phone or upload a pre-recorded greeting

To learn more about TouchTone’s Business VoIP phone service, visit http://www.touchtone.net/business-phone-service.html.

Increase Sales Without Spending a Lot of Money

One of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to increase sales is to keep your current customers happy. Sounds pretty obvious, right? However, as simple as it seems you'd be surprised by just how many companies don’t  execute a retention strategy.  If you haven't already implemented a retention plan or are looking to improve the one you already have, we've included a few simple and effective tactics.

3 Reasons Why to Implement a Retention Strategy Today

• It is 6-7 times more costly to attract a new customer than it is to retain an existing customer.  (White House Office of Consumer Affairs).
•  A 2% increase in customer retention has the same effect as decreasing costs by 10%. (Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murph).
•  Depending on your industry, reducing your customer defection rate by 5% can increase your profitability by 25-125%. (Leading on the Edge of Chaos, Emmet Murphy & Mark Murph)

Simple & Effective Customer Retention Strategies

• Start a VIP Program. VIP programs make people feel special and give them a sense of status. Identify top customers and offer them specialized services, special promotions, incentives, or exclusive access to new products and services. 
• Exceptional Customer Service. Fact: 89% of consumers have stopped doing business with a company after experiencing poor customer service. (RightNow Customer Experience Impact Report). Besides having representatives that are knowledgeable and courteous, it is also important that your customers can reach you when they need to. Advancements in technology offer businesses of any size (big or small) the ability to look bigger and sound more professional overnight. If you don’t already have a business VoIP solution installed in your office/business, it’s time you looked at some of the benefits it can bring – such as cost savings and Fortune 500 calling features such as Virtual Receptionist, Voicemail to Email and Find Me Follow Me (which allows your customers  to reach you anytime, anywhere and from any device).
• Implement customer feedback surveys. Price is not the main reason for customer churn, it is actually due to the overall poor quality of customer service. (Accenture global customer satisfaction report 2008). Surveys can help you find out what your customers’ expectations are, what you are doing well, 
• Start a blog. A blog can be a great place to not only keep your current customers happy, but also attract new ones. Everyday people search the Web for answers – become an expert in your field. Cover topics that your audience would find of value and become the 'go-to-guy' in your industry. 
• Build relationships through social media. These days, people are glued to their computer screens and smartphones. You can use this opportunity to connect with your customers through social media venues like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. You can post things such as company news and pictures, promotions, tips, and contests.
• Referral programs. Start a program that rewards both your customers as well as their referrals. Show your customers that you not only appreciate their business, but that their referrals make a big difference in your business as well. 

Why SMBs are making the switch to Business VoIP

Many SMBs and home offices are walking away from their traditional phone service (AKA POTS) and embracing VoIP for its functionality and ability support their growing (and demanding) business needs.

Traditional phones systems can be complex and expensive. VoIP technology allows companies to cut costs, make offices and employees more efficient, and simplify IT management. Business VoIP delivers a complete office phone system including voice, dozens of Fortune 500 features, and IP phones for one low price (depending on your needs, many providers offer both an unlimited calling and metered/pay per minute plans).

How Business VoIP Works

Business VoIP is a hosted PBX solution that uses the Internet to transit calls. VoIP technology converts voice into little packets of data so that it can be sent over the Internet using high-speed or fiber connection.

Why Businesses are Choosing to Make the Switch

Saves money!
Saving money does not only mean getting great deals and discounts. It also means making smart business decisions that can save you more (both money and headaches!) in the long run.
 

• Lines and Service Fees - Business VoIP uses the Internet to transmit calls, which is significantly cheaper than standard phone lines (which average $50/per line per month). This doesn’t include any hardware or maintenance fees. With a business VoIP solution you’ll typically pay $24.99 per extension per month for an unlimited calling plan (and as low as $12.99/month for a metered plan), and $34.99 for unlimited calling and rental of an IP phone. 
• Hardware - Voice is provided over an IP backbone ("the cloud"). Since both the service and PBX are fully managed (“hosted”) off-site, companies don't have to install and manage complicated and costly equipment.
• Support and maintenance fees – Since the PBX does not reside at the customer’s location, any upgrades and updates are automatically provided by the service provider in the background so there aren't any costs to you.

Scalability
VoIP grows as your business grows.  Unlike traditional phone service, VoIP allows you to quickly (and inexpensively) add or remove users (lines), and enable and disable features as needed. While cost savings is a motivating factor for making the switch, business VoIP also allows businesses to connect remote employees and multiple locations under one calling group.

Features
Business VoIP delivers big business presence on a small business budget. You don’t have to break the bank to receive dozens of Fortune 500 features like Find Me Follow Me, Auto Attendant, Hunt Groups, Conference Calling, Hold Music, Time of Day Routing and much more. Even the smallest companies can look bigger and sound more professional overnight.

Conclusion
Many companies have already adopted VoIP technology to lower their overall office expenses, for its ability set up quickly and easily, and for its flexible configuration. We understand though that it can be difficult to make the switch to something unfamiliar. If you have any questions about business VoIP, one of our VoIP Specialists will be happy to assist you. To speak with a VoIP Specialist call 1-800-900-5474, or e-mail business.support@touchtone.net. 

Business VoIP: Stay Organized, Be Successful

Staying organized in a business can get a bit tricky, especially if your day-to-day activities consist of running around, doing errands and making important phone calls. From the numerous calls you receive and need to make, to all the people you need to meet with, it can all get very hectic.

So what can you do to ease up this hectic life and get a bit more organized? Try considering TouchTone’s business VoIP phone system, a perfect solution for small businesses (2-10 employees) who want to gain a competitive edge. Business VoIP provides powerful calling features to help you stay organized.

Unlike traditional phone service, Business VoIP provides your business with enterprise-class business features, as well as professional and advanced service (including unlimited calling). And the best part is, it’s a lot cheaper than traditional phone system and service.

TouchTone’s Business VoIP system would work perfectly for you if:

1. You prefer to pay less and get more out of a phone system (i.e., enterprise-class calling features, unlimited talk).
2. You prefer to use newer technology versus old and outdated traditional technology.
3. You don’t want to invest in an IT person to handle the maintenance and the setting up of your phone. TouchTone covers all that for you; from maintenance to setting up, we got you covered!

Some features to help you and your business get organized and keep up with your fast-pace environment are:

• Call Forwarding- Allows you to redirect incoming calls to another number, voice mail, or block the call all together. You choose what type of calls, as well as when calls are forwarded. Call Forwarding categories include: All Calls, When Busy, Do Not Disturb, No Answer and Selective Forwarding.
• Selective Call Management- Also known as call screening, with selective call management you can selectively reject or accept calls made from specific numbers so that you can manage your time more efficiently.
• Web Management/Web Portal- You can make adds, changes or moves 24 hours, 7 days a week through the self-managed Web Portal. Access all your contacts, voicemail messages, call logs and much more. Organized business here you come!
• Hunt Groups- One of your worst nightmares is probably losing your valuable customers and clients. This could be an outcome of poor customer service. When a customer or client calls your company, you want to make sure they are being taken care. The Hunt Group feature is extremely helpful when multiple lines are in use. For example, when a line goes unanswered or is in use, the call is automatically routed and transferred to another user, and so on and so forth. This powerful feature will ensure that your phone is answered by someone in your company at all times.

The type of phone service you use for your business plays an important role on the functionality and future success of your company. Take your business to the next level with Business VoIP.

Any questions? Feel free to leave comment!

Small Business, Big Dreams: Business VoIP To The Rescue!

Whether you're a local gas station, salon, car mechanic or any other small business entity, there are many clever ways to aid your business to success. Start here by trying TouchTone's Business VoIP phone system. This phone system provides many useful features that puts businesses like yours on the road to bigger success.

 

Why is TouchTone's Business VoIP phone service the right choice for you?

 

• Worry free hassle!- TouchTone's Business VoIP provides you with a complete phone system, including enterprise-class IP phones, unlimited calling and 24/7 Web Portal Access. You don't have to worry about wasting your precious time in setting up phones, we've got you covered! TouchTone manages and hosts everything for you.

• Auto Attendant- Let's say a customer calls your number. It can be answered either by you, a receptionist or...an automated greeting. The automated greeting feature gives your customers freedom to specify their call concern. The Auto Attendant can direct the caller to sales, customer service or any other specific department simply by pressing a number. This feature would give your customers confidence in that your business is "legit" and that you have many departments; when in reality, there could only be one person answering all the phone calls for each department...and voilà, your so-called "small business" isn't so small anymore. This feature gives your customers and callers the idea that your much bigger than a small company.

• Call Transfer- This feature allows users to transfer calls to someone else; like another extension, an outside line or a cell phone number.

• Mobile Office- Don't lose some customers simply because you're away from your office location! Every customer counts for a small business on the path to a bigger dream! That's why with the Mobile Office feature, your calls follow you wherever you go. You can choose to have incoming calls forwarded to your cell phone, your assistant or even another landline. Your customers want to know that they will be taken care of whenever they call.

Apart from the features listed above for TouchTone's Business VoIP phone system, there are over 20 useful and powerful calling features included for free with the phone system!

 

It's all about the idea and impression you give your customers. You know you're a good business that provides well; but it's the brutal reality that many customers are attracted to a "big-time" business. In order for you to get a head-start in your business, customer service is crucial! Your customers are what will decide the direction your business will take; and let's hope it's a positive direction with TouchTone's Business VoIP phone system.  

Work Smarter, Not Harder with Business VoIP

Thanks to VoIP technology, customers have more options now than ever before when it comes to choosing a powerful and cost efficient phone service. Business VoIP offers a wide range of powerful calling features that can even make the smallest business look bigger and sound more professional overnight.

Your needs, budget, and company size will dictate which business VoIP service is best suited for your unique needs. In the end, it comes down to either hosted PBX or an on-premises SIP compliant IP phone system with SIP service.

An effective phone system will meet both your current and future needs, and grow as you grow. Before deciding on a business VoIP service, be sure to ask yourself a few important questions.

1. Which best describes your phone system project?

A. Installing a new phone system
B. Replacing an existing phone system
C. Upgrading an existing phone system
D. I like my phone system, but not my phone and/or Internet/data bills

2. What features do you want in your phone system?

Read more (download entire e-book instantly)

Traditional Telecom Clouds SIP’s Simplicity

With traditional offices, you have to navigate the costly and time-consuming  process of setting up 30-60 days before you can configure and use your phone system.  With SIP trunking, setting up phone service is easy and only takes 1-3 days. 

Why SIP makes sense.

With SIP, you can provision customer trunks in minutes rather than weeks.  You don’t have to deal with a local exchange telephone company, extraordinary lead times, poor customer service and lack of flexibility and responsiveness.

However, for those folks who have been in the telecom and IT sector for a long time and who are used to a traditional way of setting up phone service/system, SIP can be a scary little word. It actually seems to repulse the most established telecom aficionados. But, I assure you, SIP is MUCH easier than you think, and I will prove it.

It’s simple, it works! It saves time, money and it’s easy.  
 

People just starting in telecom have the home court advantage when it comes toSIP.That is because their brains haven’t been hard- wired to think in terms of traditional telecom (POTS lines/PRIs), which can be rather complex and time consuming.   So having 10 years+ experience in the telecom industry actually puts you at a disadvantage. You have to re-train the way your brain thinks when it comes to SIP. But once you do, you and your customers will be grateful. Trust me! 

Think about the steps needed to set-up a traditional land line with long distance (POTS).  

• First, you are limited to what local providers you can use
• And then once you determine the local provider to work with, you need to schedule installation of the local POTS line(where someone has to physically connect on-site / activate phone lines)
• Then you must coordinate with the LEC to change the PICC to a 4 digit carrier code for thelong distance carrier, while at the same time making sure that all PICC freezes have been removed. 
• To determine pricing, you have to incorporate line charges, usage rates, PICC, and EUCL fees.

If you can understand all of that, than you are a seasoned telecom professional and you are probably frustrated with SIP. 

Okay, let’s start with the basics. 

An IP address is the backbone of SIP. And don’t worry what the IP address technically does, just understand that it’s an address that represents you, or in this case, your phone system within the Internet.  If it’s a public IP address, it’s where you can be reached over the public Internet.  If it’s private, then it can only be reached over a private network, like MPLS or private LAN.  To setup a SIP connection between two parties, each party loads the other’s phones system’s IP address in to each other’s phone system and plugs it into their Internet connection (if public) and then, well, that’s it. To setup service with a carrier, a customer will exchange IP addresses with the carrier, plug in their Internet and test.   The SIP trunk is now born…

A SIP trunk is a virtual circuit.  What the heck is that??  Since there is no physical connection that represents the SIP trunk other than the Ethernet cord plugged into the phone system, it’s hard for us to get past the “what the heck is it” stage.   The best way to explain it is to tell you how it’s bound. Well, to compare to traditional services, standard PRIs are physical trunks made up of 23 call paths or DS0s or B channels (ugh).  Consider SIP trunks as that same type of connection made up of a preset number of call paths that you can make calls out and receive calls via DIDs.  The difference is that SIP trunks can allow thousands or tens of thousands of calls simultaneously.   What binds a SIP trunk is not the physical nature like that which limits PRIs, but instead is bound by Internet availability, phone system capacity, and carrier set predetermined limits.   Since each active call sucks up Internet (40-80 KBPS per active call), you can only have as many calls active as you have bandwidth available.  Your phone system also may have limits for various reasons that would only allow a certain amount of active calls. But the most important defining characteristic of a SIP trunk is the preset number of call paths the carrier assigns to the trunk group.  If a carrier only allows for 10 concurrent calls, the 11^th simultaneous call is going to fail.

What is needed to make SIP trunking work?  You need a SIP compatible phone system, or a gateway that converts SIP into traditional services, bandwidth and a proven carrier?

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact me, Max, at mcaponegro@touchtone.net.

Small Businesses look and sound more professional overnight with Hosted VoIP

Until recently, small businesses have faced a variety of disadvantages when it came to competing with larger corporations; however, technology is helping to even the playing field. By employing basic technologies, small businesses can expand their customer base, reduce costs, and become more efficient.   

 

One of the easiest and best ways a small business can take to take advantage of technology is through the adoption of Hosted VoIP phone service which is helping small businesses look and sound more professional overnight with little to no investment. Hosted VoIP provides business customers with a complete telephone service without requiring them to install and manage complicated, expensive equipment.

Hosted phone service provides high quality voice with powerful calling features typically not found with traditional phone service such as auto attendant, call forwarding, voicemail to e-mail, extension dialing, hold music and caller ID – and all for one monthly price. For only $24.99, TouchTone Communications offers customers unlimited calling in the U.S. and more than 18 international locations, in addition to over 20 calling features.

One highly regarded feature is Hosted VoIP’s auto attendant which automatically answers and directs incoming calls 24 hours a day. Calls can be routed to a number of destinations such as voice mailbox, an extension, or another telephone number (landline or cell phone) by simply pressing a button (for example: Thank you for calling Ralph’s Plumbing Supplies. Press 1 for Sales. 2 for Customer Service. To  hear our hours of operation, press 3.). You can have multiple prompts and if you want, they can all go to the same place – the customer will never know! The one thing they will think though, is that you  are a big, reputable and upscale company!  

Hosted VoIP provides so many valuable features to businesses.  I’ll post more on some of these features at a later date. Stay tuned!