Home » Archive by category 'blog' (Page 30)

Blog

The blog for Global Call Forwarding has articles on the latest customer service trends, telecommunications technologies, and business news.
Hold time in a virtual call center.
31st August 2020 blog, Call Center

How to Reduce Hold Time in a Call Center

A photo of communication tools for global expansion.
27th August 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

7 Must-Have Global Expansion Tools for Communication

top countries for global expansion
26th August 2020 blog, Business Insights

Top 5 Countries for Global Expansion in 2026

The ultimate list of bring your own device (BYOD) policy pros and cons
24th August 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

The Ultimate List of BYOD Policy Pros and Cons

start a business in mexico
20th August 2020 blog, Business Insights

How to Start a Business in Mexico as a Foreigner

A photo of bring your own device policy byod essentials
17th August 2020 blog, Sales Management

8 Key Points That Any Bring Your Own Device Policy Must Have

best practices in a work from home call center.
10th August 2020 blog, Call Center

Work From Home Call Center: 4 Best Practices [2026]

Photo of BYOD bring your own device
3rd August 2020 blog, Sales Management

BYOD: What is Bring Your Own Device?

Best practices for international business expansion in 2025.
30th July 2020 blog, Business Insights

11 Global Expansion Best Practices to Enter New Markets

How to Reduce Hold Time in a Call Center

31st August 2020 blog, Call Center

Are customers abandoning calls because they are waiting in line for too long? This can hurt your business if not taken care of quickly. Long call waiting times lead to frustrated and dissatisfied customers. Here we will look at a few different ways you can reduce average hold times in a call center.

Call Center Hold Time Standards

No one wants to wait on hold forever. There is a growing demand for quick and responsive customer care, leading to new call center hold time standards. Customers who are left on hold or stuck in a queue for more than 15 minutes will hang up and find another business to resolve their issue.  And if they are an existing customer, then you risk losing a valuable customer by making them wait long to get support.

Average Hold Time in a Call Center

So, how long is it acceptable to wait? There is general consensus on the average wait time for inbound calls coming into a call center. Call center hold time standards suggest that calls must be answered within the first 20 seconds.

When you place a customer or caller on hold, it is a good practice to let them know how long it may take. This is especially necessary if you need to place them on hold for longer than 20 seconds. And, if you take longer than the time you previously mentioned, check in with the customer and let them know you are still working on finding the solution. Don’t abandon them in the abyss. Setting the right expectations can reduce frustration.

Related: 16 Tips to Ensure Outstanding Call Center Etiquette

However, a more effective solution would be to meet call center hold time standards and reduce the call waiting time in your call center.

How to Reduce Average Hold Time in a Call Center? 7 Tips

A call center is meant to handle calls made to the businesses they represent and offer quick and reliable customer service. However, if your callers are on hold or in long queues, then they will take their business elsewhere. And that is not good news for your call center. Here are 7 tips to reduce average hold time in your call center:

1. Experiment with Call Routing Strategies

The most effective way to reduce hold times is to distribute calls effectively. If all calls are going only to a handful of agents, then they will be easily overburdened. Consider implementing different call routing strategies that route calls based on:

  • The time of day
  • The location of the caller
  • Skills required for the call (language)
  • Caller history
  • A predetermined line or schedule of agents
  • Simultaneous ringing, and more

These different call routing strategies will help you effectively distribute calls, thus ensuring that callers receive service quickly.

Related: 9 Benefits of Advanced Call Routing

2. Invest in Cloud IVR Tech

Cloud IVR or an interactive voice response system is an automated voice response system. This system is designed and customized by you to meet your specific needs. The IVR system answers an incoming call and provides the caller with menu options such as Press 1 for ___ and Press 2 for ____. Based on caller input, the call will then be forwarded to the next set of options or to a representative ready to help.

Having a cloud IVR system handle and distribute calls can ensure calls are sent to the right agent and not passed around. Furthermore, the IVR may even be able to assist the caller without the help of the agent.

3. Train Agents Effectively

You can reduce long waiting times by training agents effectively. Even if new agents come with some experience, it is essential to train them for your specific call center. That includes how to use software and tech involved, how to navigate to your support or knowledge base, how to resolve common issues, and what to do when they do not have an answer, etc. To learn more in this regard, check out our article about managing virtual call center agents.

4. Study Call Traffic

Another way to reduce hold time is to pay attention to the days and times when most calls come in. Identifying high call traffic periods can help you schedule more agents or route calls to remote agents as well during those times. Either way, your team can be better prepared if they know which periods will be hectic.

5. Consider Chat & SMS as Communication Options

While phone calls are still the most preferred option for customer support, there is a whole section of the population that prefers non-phone options like SMS, live chat, email, etc. Having an SMS and live chat option can help your agents multitask and resolve queries without keeping users on hold for very long. It is therefore highly recommended that your business invests in technology that lets you send and receive text messages and also offer live chat on your website.

6. Create a Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is an online support portal with posts meant to help current users troubleshoot common issues, learn how to quickly add new services, and other useful information. Most knowledge bases will teach users about:

  • Billing services
  • Adding new services or accounts
  • Managing their current account
  • Resolving common issues

Make your knowledge base easily accessible so that users can get to it quickly and agents can share a link to callers. If most of your callers can resolve their issues on their own, then you will have fewer hold times in your call center.

7. Monitor Agent Performance

Lastly, monitor how your agents are performing. You may choose to join calls or record calls and review them. Track important call center KPIs such as:

  • First call resolution rates
  • Average hold time
  • Average time in the queue
  • Abandoned calls
  • Response time, and so on

These KPIs can help you understand how your agents are doing and which areas need improvement.

Get Virtual Call Center Software with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding can offer you the tools you need to improve and reduce hold times and customer satisfaction. You can get cloud IVR, call recording, call detail records, and more with us. Call to get started today!

7 Must-Have Global Expansion Tools for Communication

27th August 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

Expanding internationally and entering new markets can be unsuccessful if not planned properly. One of the most important parts of global expansion is preparing to communicate overseas and across borders. To communicate better across borders, your business must invest in global expansion tools. What are some useful communication tools for international businesses?

Global Expansion Tools: Communication Better

The following 7 global expansion tools for international communication can help you maintain good communication with your employees as well as future clientele when you expand internationally.

1. International Business Numbers

First and foremost, consider using international toll free numbers. These are essentially toll free numbers for international countries. Depending on where you want to expand, you can get international toll free numbers for that area. For example, if your US business wants to extend sales to Asia, you can get India or Singapore toll free numbers, and so on. Calls made to these numbers can be forwarded internationally to a number or device of your choice, including your US office.

Individuals calling from these countries will think of your number like any other local number and your business as locally accessible. This allows you to enter new markets and encourage customers to call your business number for free. And since you use a global inbound service, you won’t be paying high international calling rates. Instead, you pay according to your subscription plan.

2. Local Phone Numbers

Virtual local phone numbers are numbers with local area codes. These are useful when you are targeting specific states, cities, or regions in different countries. For instance, you can get a Dubai local number or a Sydney local number. Locals calling a local number are charged regular rates, even if the call is forwarded internationally to your business in the US.

Both ITFS and local phone numbers give your international clientele and business contacts convenient and inexpensive ways to connect with your business, irrespective of its location.

3. Outbound Calling

One of the most popular global expansion tools is an outbound calling service. Outbound calling is a telecom service that supports your outgoing and cold-calling efforts. An outbound calling strategy will help you contact local and international customers through any device or number. You can even display a local or domestic toll free number as your outgoing caller ID to present your business as local. Global Call Forwarding’s outbound calling service comes with a web dialer that is easy to install and use. You can save contacts, update caller history, and more with our dialer.

4. Live Chat and 24/7 Customer Support

Offering live chat on your website with either agents or chatbots can assist web visitors who want to learn about your products and services or need troubleshooting help. You may choose to hire remote agents located in the areas falling under your global expansion strategy. These agents can provide around-the-clock customer support via chat and phone conversations. They will also be able to offer services in regional and local languages and time zones.

With live chat and 24/7 customer support, you can increase customers’ reliability on your service and company.

5. Text Messaging Services

You may also consider getting an SMS plan along with your business number. Doing so will give interested prospects another easy method of contact. While most customers prefer to interact via phone calls, some customers prefer email or text messaging. You can appeal to this target group by making the option available.

6. Ticketing and Problem Tracking Software

Additionally, having a reliable ticket or case tracking system will prove useful when customers need quick support. Consider investing in an online help desk that allows customers to submit a ticket and track the ticket’s progress. Furthermore, train employees to quickly resolve tickets as they come up. This can help increase customer satisfaction and trust in the company.

7. Social Intranet

A social intranet refers to a private hub or network that only certain members of an organization have access to. A social intranet for your business can enable internal communication and collaboration. You can develop your office’s intranet by using a content or project management system. Furthermore, an intranet is a recommended solution for companies executing a Bring Your Own Device or “BYOD” policy.

Prepare Well with Global Expansion Tools

To successfully enter your business in the global market, one must be prepared in many ways. And global or virtual communication becomes an important aspect. To learn more about how Global Call Forwarding can help you build a strong communication system, speak with our global specialists today!

Top 5 Countries for Global Expansion in 2026

26th August 2020 blog, Business Insights

Is global expansion on your agenda for 2026? Then it’s time to look at the top 5 countries to consider expanding to this year. Here we highlight countries to consider and resources such as important contacts and business phone numbers.

Global Expansion in 2026: Top Countries to Consider

This list of top countries for global expansion in 2026 is based on:

  • Availability of skills
  • Quality of infrastructure
  • GDP growth
  • Connectivity
  • Complexity of the landscape

What do you need to make your global expansion successful? Here are a few best practices to pay attention to:

  • Before entering new markets:
    • Conduct market research to determine which countries are suitable for your business
    • Plan how to target and enter these markets
    • Test marketing to see how your product may do in new markets
  • While entering new markets:
    • Local authorities to work with
    • Local partnerships to develop
    • Business phone numbers to establish contact
    • International SEO to boost marketing strategies
  • Once you’ve entered and established business in the new market:
    • International toll free service to offer locals a free way to contact your business
    • 24/7 customer support to increase customer satisfaction
    • Regional offices to develop a stronger local presence

Keeping these in mind, let’s now look at the top 5 countries to consider for global expansion:

1. Singapore

Singapore continues to attract international attention with its flexible market, strategic location, and favorable environment for foreign investment. Singapore ranks high for the availability of skills and innovation.

Local Authorities to Pay Attention to:

  • Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA)
  • EntrePass — a work pass for foreign, international business-owners.
  • Economic Development Board (EDB)
  • Ministry of Manpower (MOM)
  • Workforce Singapore (WSG) & Skills Future Singapore (SSG)
  • Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

Local Phone Numbers

2. Ireland

Recently, Ireland’s GDP and inward investment have seen tremendous growth. Along with such growth, the country’s proximity to the UK makes it a new attractive spot for foreign investment.

Local Authorities to Pay Attention to:

  • Companies Registration Office (CRO)
  • Sealmaker
  • Revenue Commissioners
  • IDA Ireland

Local Phone Numbers

  • We offer a variety of Ireland virtual phone numbers for business. You can get:Ireland toll free numbers
    • Ireland national numbers
    • Ireland local numbers
    • Universal toll free numbers (UIFN)

3. Denmark

Denmark has been and continues to be one of the easiest Scandinavian countries to enter and do business with. Additionally, Denmark is also home to much highly-skilled talent across numerous industries.

Local Authorities to Pay Attention to:

  • Register of Foreign Service Providers (RUT)
  • Danish Business Authority
  • Danish Tax Agency’s online service — TastSelvErhverv
  • Labour Market Insurance
  • Danish Working Environment Authority
  • Central Business Register (CVR)

Local Phone Numbers

  • Using Denmark virtual telephone numbers will help you establish a local communication channel. We offer:
    • Denmark toll free numbers
    • Denmark mobile numbers
    • Denmark local numbers
    • Universal toll free numbers (UIFN)

4. Hong Kong

Irrespective of Hong Kong’s current social and political instability, it ranks high in the interest of US and UK tech companies. This is due to its growth and development, dense population, competitive advantages as well as access to premier talent.

Local Authorities to Pay Attention to:

  • Gov.HK
  • Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) System
  • InvestHK
  • Business Facilitation Advisory Committee (BFAC)
  • Economic and Employment Council (EEC) and Business Facilitation Team
  • Business Liaison Groups (BLGs)
  • Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA)
  • Support and Consultation Centre for SMEs (SUCCESS)
  • DATA.GOV.HK

Local Phone Numbers

  • Hong Kong virtual numbers help businesses in and out of Hong Kong develop a local presence. Global Call Forwarding offers:
    • Hong Kong toll free numbers
    • Hong Kong national numbers
    • Universal toll free numbers (UIFN)

5. Mexico

Mexico is among the most developed countries in Latin America. The Mexican dollar currently is favorable to foreign investment and growth.

Local Authorities to Pay Attention to:

  • Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Tax Administration Service
  • Public Registry of Property and Commerce (RPPC)
  • Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS)
  • Mexican Institute for Foreign Investment

Local Phone Numbers

Ready for Your Business’ Global Expansion?

Expanding to these countries is much easier thanks to advancements in technology and telecommunications. You can start by establishing connections through business virtual phone numbers, testing the market, and then gradually moving physically. We here at Global Call Forwarding can help you communicate globally with ease and without dramatically increasing your expenses. Learn how today; call or chat with us now!

The Ultimate List of BYOD Policy Pros and Cons

24th August 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

How do you decide if a Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy is right for your business? More and more employees are attracted to working remotely or on their own devices. And doing so can positively impact productivity and efficiency. But can your business handle such a policy? Here we list down key BYOD pros and cons to keep in mind when your business decides to implement a BYOD policy.

Pros and Cons of a BYOD Policy

Before we delve into the advantages and disadvantages of a BYOD policy, let’s first have a look at what is a BYOD policy. Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) refers to a business practice where employers let employees use their own devices and tools for work-related purposes. A bring your own devices policy can be based on:

  • Employees using their devices with or without IT control
  • Use of devices with limited or no local storage
  • Use of devices for non-sensitive tasks

With growing remote-working trends, the need for a BYOD policy seems more and more prevalent. Such a policy ensures that business continues even in the middle of a pandemic where employees work outside of the office.

However, as with any new policy, one must consider the pros and cons of a BYOD policy before committing. Let’s have a look at why you should implement a Bring Your Own Device work practice.

Pros of a BYOD Policy

So, why are more and more businesses considering adopting a BYOD policy? Here are some major advantages of letting employees bring their own devices to work:

  • Employees get to work with devices they are more comfortable with.
  • Employees can use tools and apps of their choice to improve productivity.
  • No learning or training is required to use devices.
  • Cost-savings for the company; there is less need to purchase or replace technology.
  • Greater remote working opportunities.
  • Flexibility in terms of where, when, and how to work.

Cons of a BYOD Policy

While the advantages of implementing a BYOD policy can seal the deal, there are a few important disadvantages to be aware of:

  • Possibly blurring the line between work and personal lives; who will be responsible for repairs or new purchases?
  • Need for strict control so employees do not use or misuse privileged information and data.
  • Employees may not have their own devices or high-quality devices.
  • Higher security risks.
  • The potential loss of company data and privacy when an employee leaves.
  • Complex and experienced IT team required to integrate devices and operating systems.

Is a Bring Your Own Device Policy Right for Your Business?

So, now that you know the pros and cons for BYOD, how do you decide if this policy is right for you? Such a policy can greatly impact productivity and reduce costs. However, there are risks that cannot be ignored. The solution then is to create a policy that addresses the risks and includes solutions to combat them. For example:

  • Use MDM software to separate data.
  • Define parameters and rules for device use.
  • Monitor device use.
  • Consider using a virtual phone system to stay connected from any location and device.
  • Decide who will be responsible for repair or replacement costs, and so on.

Having these factors decided beforehand will ensure a smooth and successful implementation of the policy.

That aside, a BYOD policy may seem more fit for small businesses than large corporations. Before making a commitment, think of different ways such a policy can impact your business and employee productivity. Also, consider remote-working as a trend and attraction for new employees. If BYOD is right for you, take time to create a solid policy that addresses your primary concerns!

How to Start a Business in Mexico as a Foreigner

20th August 2020 blog, Business Insights

Starting a business in a new country can be intimidating and confusing when you don’t know where to start. If you are looking to expand your company to Mexico or start a business in Mexico as a foreigner, here are some useful resources to help you enter the market successfully.

Starting a Business in Mexico as a Foreigner

When starting a business in a new country, there are a few things you need to pay attention to. For example, registering your business, tax information, business phone numbers, marketing to locals, and more.

Here are a few helpful steps to guide you when starting a business in Mexico as a foreigner.

1. Decide on a Company Name

First, choose a name for your company. Research local company names to get a sense of the way locals name their business. Then, find one that is most suitable for your business. Keep local slang in mind and consider the use of translation.

2. Create a Deed of Incorporation

Next, draw up a Deed of Incorporation; that is a deed for business entities. To do so, you will need a notary public. You may work with a Corredor Público, a type of attorney that specializes in deed formation. You can register your business as a:

  • Sociedad Anónima de Capital Variable S.A. de C.V. — a regular corporation
  • Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada S. de R.L. — an LLC
  • Sociedad Civil, S.C. — an LLC or PC, or
  • Asociación Civil, A.C. — a non-profit

When signing the Deed of Incorporation, ensure you have the following:

  • All owners are present and mentioned in the Deed
  • Owners’ Identification — official ID for Mexicans; passports and proof of legal presence for foreigners
  • CURP number (like an SSN)
  • RFC number (tax ID)
  • Proof of address

3. Register the Business

You must register your business with the National Business Information Registry (SIEM). Then, register its address by obtaining a Domicilio Fiscal — a registered address. This is the location where you will receive notifications from the government and carry out your business operations. Lastly, you will also need to register with the Mexican Tax Authorities (SAT) through any of their local offices or online.

4. Register with the Foreign Investment Register

An important part of starting a business in Mexico as a foreigner is registering with the Foreign Investment Register. If the owner is a foreigner without a permanent address status, then they have to register here.

5. Get a Mexico Phone Number

Next on the agenda is getting a Mexico phone number. Virtual phone service providers like Global Call Forwarding can help you get Mexico virtual phone numbers so you can get started on your business from wherever you are located. We offer Mexico toll free numbers and Mexico local numbers for different locations within the country.

Mexico toll free numbers let local Mexican residents contact your business for free while local Mexico numbers charge callers local calling rates. You can have these calls forwarded to any number or location of your choice. This way, even before you open field offices in Mexico, you can start communicating with locals through these numbers by having calls forwarded to your office or smartphone wherever you are located.

6. Start Advertising & Marketing

Finally, once you have your business registered, you can start advertising and promoting your business and its products and services. You can use international SEO, paid advertising, social media advertising, as well as promoting your business in local directories, etc.

Get Mexico Numbers with Global Call Forwarding

We offer business phone numbers for companies looking to expand locally and globally. Our plans come with advanced virtual communication features that help with call management and improve productivity within the office. To learn more, speak with one of our experts today!

8 Key Points That Any Bring Your Own Device Policy Must Have

17th August 2020 blog, Sales Management

The rise and comfort of remote working have led to employers considering the different ways to allow remote working without losing employee productivity. In this post, we will look at Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy and what important elements to include when creating one.

Building an Effective BYOD Policy: 8 Key Points

A Bring Your Own Device or BYOD policy refers to the work policy of allowing employees to use their own devices instead of company-sponsored ones. This policy is known to make employees more productive and efficient as they would be using devices and applications they are familiar with. Furthermore, such a policy paves the way for an easy switch to remote working, if need be. Lastly, it can also help companies save on yearly costs that would otherwise be spent on purchasing and maintaining equipment.

Here are some important elements and rules to keep in mind when creating your own Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, as suggested by IBM Security:

1. Create Policy First: Then Purchase Technology

The first step is to start creating your BYOD policy before purchasing any technology, even mobile device management or MDM tech. BYOD policies affect almost every team or department in the office: IT, HR, legal, security, and employees using the devices. Therefore, rules of use should be determined beforehand.

The Most Important BYOD Policy Factors to Consider:

When creating your BYOD policy, consider the following factors:

  • What devices will be supported and accepted for use? Who determines device use, employer or employee?
  • Who will pay for data usage? Will there be a stipend or will the employee be responsible for expenses?
  • What security measures will be implemented?
  • What apps will be allowed and which ones forbidden?
  • What resources and services can employees access on their devices?
  • What data will be collected from the employee’s device?
  • What will your Acceptable Usage Agreement (AUA) consist of?

2. Plan to Keep Personal Info Private and Separate from Company Data

Since a BYOD policy allows employees to use their own devices and apps, it is important to pay attention to privacy. Big data is so large that it’s raising privacy and ethical issues for major corporations around the world. In this case, keeping personal information private and separate from the company’s data is necessary.

Make your privacy laws easily accessible and help your employees and users understand what data will and will not be collected from them. For example, personal emails, contacts, text messages, call history, etc. Furthermore, help them understand why you are collecting what you are collecting and how it benefits them.

The next step is to keep personal and professional data separate. Important and valuable corporate data, documents, and other files must be protected by your IT team. This is helpful in the case of an employee leaving the company; IT can quickly wipe information from the employee’s devices and keep company data safe.

3. Decide How to Manage Data Usage

Whether or not you are paying for the plan, you will want the managers or the users to be able to track how much data they are using. Furthermore, you will want to be upfront about in-network and roaming charges while also tracking them or providing warnings for excessive use.

Make sure users understand how the data plan works and how to effectively use data. There should be a system of checks and balances. Use data to elevate employees, not penalize them. Help them understand the importance of WiFi and to use it whenever available.

4. Make Enrollment Simple

Use technology that is user-friendly, simple, and does not involve complex procedures. Include instructions and troubleshooting advice in your emails or text messages. Also, let them know who they can connect with in case they encounter an issue.

Make the enrolling of devices and users secure and easy to follow. For example, users may receive an email or text link. When they click on this link, they will be led to a webpage where they can register their MDM profile for a device. Here, they will also be able to read and accept the user agreement.

You want to be able to quickly enroll devices — even in bulk — while providing users the ability to enroll themselves. You can add a layer of security by enabling a basic one-click authentication method.

5. Offer Self-Serving Options

One of the main advantages of a BYOD policy is the ability to reduce the time spent on troubleshooting or contacting the help desk. For this, you want to help your employees or users help themselves. Easy passcode recovery, geo-locating for locating lost devices, being able to quickly wipe a device to protect corporate data, and so on, are a few ways to help employees as well as your business while ensuring efficiency throughout the processes.

6. Enable Easy Configuration

An important part of successfully running a BYOD policy is being able to configure devices quickly and easily. The best solution is configuring devices over-the-air for optimization. Your platform or system should give the employee everything they need such as access to email, contacts, WiFi, VPN, relevant documents, apps, virtual phone numbers, etc. You may even make a note of applications that are unacceptable or include data usage warnings.

7. Monitor Devices for Usage

Now that you know how much data will be allowed and the stipend or budget allotted for usage, monitor your employees’ usage to ensure they do not go beyond the allocated amount. Furthermore, monitor how they are using their data. Some circumstances to watch for:

  • Attempting to disable management
  • Attempting to jailbreak or root a phone to get paid apps for free
  • Not complying with the security policy
  • Using apps that are not allowed or unaccepted within the policy

Some ways to battle devices that do not comply with your BYOD policy is to use your MDM solution to selectively to wipe their devices or to send warning messages. You may also choose to make additional adjustments based on what you are seeing.

8. Using Call Forwarding for Communication

Lastly, BYOD policies work very well along with call forwarding. A call forwarding service allows users to use their devices to make and receive business calls. You can use call forwarding to keep your team or office connected even when they are working from home or traveling. This way, your employees are reachable through inexpensive communication while continuing to be productive.

Create Your BYOD Policy Now

Keeping the above points in mind, take time and consideration when creating a Bring Your Own Device policy for your workplace. For call forwarding services or to learn how call forwarding can support BYOD, call us or chat with our experts today!

Work From Home Call Center: 4 Best Practices [2026]

10th August 2020 blog, Call Center

With the rise in work from home as an option, more and more employees demand flexibility in hours and location. This has given rise to the possibility of a home-based call center that does everything a regular call center does, however, running entirely from home. Here we will highlight 4 best practices that can help ensure your work from home call center runs smoothly.

How to Make a Home-Based Call Center Work Effectively?

Agents and employees prefer to be employed at a work from home call center because it offers flexibility and convenience that can directly impact the quality of their work. With remote or virtual call centers, employees do not have to worry about commuting or work their location. They can work from the comfort of their homes while still doing their job well.

But as a call center manager, virtual call centers may seem like an unproductive alternative as you are not able to keep a constant eye on your agents. So, what are some ways to improve work from home call center productivity that can keep managers and agents happy? Here’s a look.

1. Invest in Virtual Call Center Software to Improve Productivity

Unlike on-premise call centers, virtual call centers comes equipped with necessary call center tools to let your remote and work-at-home agents perform well. Here are some of the top features included:

  • Virtual phone numbers (toll free, local, and international numbers) — To improve local and international calling at cheaper rates.
  • Call forwarding and routing — Direct and route calls based on location, time, skills needed, etc.
  • IVR systems — An automated response that interacts with customers when agents are occupied.
  • Extensions for different departments and call transfer — To improve connectivity and collaboration between teams and departments.
  • Call recording — To record business calls for quality assurance.
  • Outbound calling — Includes a web dialer and customizable caller ID capabilities to make local and international calling easier.

2. Choose Useful Project Management Systems & CRMs

To ensure that employees are doing their jobs well, it is important to have reliable systems in place that track projects, progress, and more. Here is where project management and customer relationship management systems come into play. With the right systems, your teams can create and manage tasks, update customer information and interaction, and more from any location. And you can keep track of their progress, review recordings of calls, and offer ways to improve.

3. Get Outbound Calling Features

An outbound calling service can be very helpful when running a work from home call center. Outbound calling makes local and international calling from any location easy and inexpensive. You can get outbound calling through your VoIP service provider along with your selected local, toll free, and international virtual phone numbers.

With this service in place, your remote employees can call local and international customers by displaying local or toll free caller IDs instead of a random, unknown number. For example, when calling Florida, they can display a Miami local number or US toll free number. And when calling Dubai, they can display a Dubai local number or UAE toll free number. Customers are more likely to answer and even return the call of a number they recognize as local or if it is a toll free number. An international or “unknown” number is much more likely to not get answered.

Plus, the web dialer makes it quick and easy to place and answer calls on any device it is installed on; such as a computer, laptop, smartphone, etc. You can store customer contact information and interaction in the dialer, as well as check voicemails. All of this makes an outbound calling service a work from call center must-have.

4. Track Call Center KPIs

Finally, track performance through call center KPIs. Software such as your CRM or VoIP phone system will help you get call reports and analytics. Here you will find information about:

  • How many calls were answered
  • How long the agent took to answer the call
  • Duration of the call, and more

Common work from home call center KPIs to track include:

  • Average time in queue
  • Average response time
  • First call resolution
  • Average handle time (AHT)
  • Customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores

Increase Productivity and Accountability for Your Virtual Call Center

Feeling more confident about running a work from home call center? There are plenty of tools and practices that can make virtual call centers work effectively. The trick is to find what works best for your needs. Call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to learn more about how our services can improve your call center.

BYOD: What is Bring Your Own Device?

3rd August 2020 blog, Sales Management

Interested in creating a more productive and employee-friendly office environment? You may want to consider adopting a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. Here we will explain what a BYOD policy is and how to create one.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Definition

BYOD or Bring Your Own Device is an IT policy that encourages employees to use their own devices such as laptops and smartphones for work. Other terms for such a policy include Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT), Bring Your Own Phone (BYOP), or Bring Your Own PC (BYOPC). With this policy, employees can use their personal devices to access office-related items such as email, documents, etc.

A BYOD policy generally entails access to the following 4 options:

  • Personal devices
  • Personal devices, apps, and data, but with IT control
  • Non-sensitive information and data
  • Personal devices with limited or no ability for local storage of data

A Bring Your Own Device policy should be implemented carefully while understanding the risks involved.

Why is a Bring Your Own Device Policy Important?

The Covid-19 pandemic led to a rise in remote working. And because of this, it is becoming increasingly important for businesses to consider BYOD as a work practice. The main reasons to adopt such a policy include:

  • Cost-savings for the business
  • Increasing employee productivity and efficiency
  • Growing remote working trends

Forbes put together some important BYOD-related stats:

  • About 61% of Gen Y and 50% of workers over 30 years of age find that their personal tech tools can help increase work-life productivity.
  • Approximately 60% of workers use their smartphones or tablets for work-related tasks.
  • BYOD-friendly businesses save about $350 per year, per employee annually.

Keeping these statistics in mind, one can see the appeal for a comfortable working environment where employees can use tools and apps they are familiar with. Additionally, businesses adopting a BYOD policy can reduce costs while still ensuring employees continue to do quality work.

How to Build an Effective BYOD Policy

An effective BYOD policy looks at and includes a few different and necessary factors and elements. When building your BYOD policy, consider these useful tips outlined by IBM:

  1. Keep enrollment simple and secure.
  2. Offer self-service options such as PINs, passwords, etc.
  3. Help them keep personal information private by explaining privacy policies and providing functions to protect their information.
  4. Use a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution to keep personal and professional data separate.
  5. Define parameters for technology use and consider important factors such as — what devices will be accepted and supported? Who will be responsible for the payment? What will be included in the privacy policy?
  6. To maintain professionalism and productivity, monitor devices that are non-compliant.
  7. Invest in technology that will make communication easy such as a cloud phone system, management, and storage systems.

Related: 8 Key Points That Any Bring Your Own Device Policy Must Have

BYOD and VoIP: Benefits

Remote working is gaining popularity due to the coronavirus forcing millions to work from home. But what does that mean for businesses that need to maintain business-related communications such as collaborating between teams, generating new leads and sales, and more? The answer is simple: a BYOD with VoIP policy. So, how does BYOD work with VoIP? It lets your employees connect from any device and any location. This allows them to use their own devices for work-related processes such as:

  • Checking email
  • Communicating with teammates
  • Communicating with business contacts, clients, customers, vendors, and leads
  • Accessing work-related documents

But how does BYOD work with a VoIP phone system? A voice over IP business phone system lets users connect through any device from any location. This location could be the main office, home offices, remote locations, and so on. And so, a BYOD VoIP policy lets users connect from their devices irrespective of their location. This way, remote workers or traveling agents can still complete their work and stay connected with the rest of their team.

Here are the top 5 benefits of having a BYOD VoIP policy:

1. Stay Connected Always

Remote working trends are on the rise as many employers and employees are realizing the benefits of working from home during the pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated that working from home or remotely is not a far-fetched possibility. However, not all businesses were able to easily switch to remote working.

With a BYOD VoIP policy, you can easily transition to work from home or other remote locations. No time or money is wasted. Employees simply use their own devices to log into the business’ VoIP system and continue to work as usual.

2. Save Communication-Related Costs

VoIP services are growing popular with businesses that spend a lot of time and money on inbound and outbound calling. With a Bring Your Own Device and VoIP phone system set-up, you will reduce your monthly phone bill while still offering services professionally. This way, you will be able to save on phone costs.

In addition, employees will be able to make outgoing calls while masking their caller ID and showing your business phone number instead. This helps employees safeguard personal information while unifying your outbound calling efforts through a business phone number.

3. No Need for Additional Equipment

Furthermore, to use BYOD VoIP, you do not need any additional equipment. Users can access their VoIP services with their own devices without worrying about installing or maintaining new hardware. Most providers will offer you a VoIP service that is compatible with the most commonly-used SIP-ready devices. This lets you save on hardware and IT costs.

Related: The Ultimate List of BYOD Policy Pros and Cons

4. Increase Employee Satisfaction and Productivity

Since employees get to use their own devices and applications, they are more likely to use those that improve their productivity. BYOD gives them the opportunity to use tools, apps, and services that keep them organized and thereby increase efficiency.

5. Hire Internationally

Finally, you can expand your reach and hire remote workers in different locations. Yes, even in different countries. This lets you provide customer support in local time zones and languages, helping your business gain more international recognition.

So, is BYOD for VoIP Right for You?

Remote and virtual office set-ups are becoming more and more common. Employees appreciate the option to work from home and not having that option can deter some away from your business. Here’s an opportunity to maintain communication over different devices. With the ease and convenience of work from home, it is a smart decision to prepare for circumstances where your employees may need to work remotely. Therefore, considering BYOD for VoIP may open up new opportunities for your business and its employees. Call us today to find out how our VoIP service works!

11 Global Expansion Best Practices to Enter New Markets

30th July 2020 blog, Business Insights

Is global expansion on your next business meeting agenda? Any business aiming for success will consider entering the international market at some point. Expanding beyond your immediate location can help increase sales and credibility. But how do you make such a big decision and ensure it doesn’t fail? Here are some best practices and tips when going global in 2025.

11 Global Expansion Best Practices to Enter New Markets

Considering global expansion for any business can seem like a daunting task. However, plenty of tools and resources are available to make this transition as smooth as possible. Here, we outline best practices to consider when expanding internationally. These practices are divided into different stages:

  • Planning
  • Presence
  • Follow-Through

Stage A: Planning

The first step to any business’s global expansion strategy is thorough planning. This includes choosing which countries to target and how to target them.

1. Which Markets to Target
Conduct market research and gather data and intelligence to help you determine which regions are prime for your business. Create new buyer personas and study different demographics. Research customer behavior, preferences, patterns, and local trends. Consider the demand for your product and the purchasing power of your buyer persona.

2. How to Target New Markets
You can start small by test-selling specific products or services in these markets to see how they respond. You may even consider using research and small business tools made available by the governments in those areas.

3. How to Offer Sales and Support in These Markets
Open lines of communication between your main office and the new areas you want to target. Standard options include contact forms, live chat on the website, social media accounts, and local phone numbers. This way, you can sell and provide follow-the-sun service to entities located in these new markets.

4. International Payment Methods
An essential aspect of global expansion is to make processes easy for customers and clients in different states and countries. One of these processes includes setting up international payment methods. You must research the local buyers’ preferred methods to decide which payment methods are helpful. Additionally, ensure that this payment method has a reputation for security and is credible.

Stage B: Presence

Once you’ve decided which markets to enter, the next step in global expansion is creating and maintaining a local presence in them.

5. Global Marketing with Partnerships
Start by establishing connections and partnerships with local experts and business contacts. A local partner with access to the right network of customers, employees, and contacts will prove beneficial. You can quickly enter the market, access the right audience, and create your local presence. You may also consider starting on existing online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, etc. You can test the demand and make the necessary changes before selling with full force.

6. International SEO
Next, you want to optimize your online presence with international SEO strategies. International SEO is like geo-targeting, optimizing your website for different countries and languages. It helps search engines identify the countries you want to target. Then, it provides the tools to support your marketing efforts. For example, it may offer different languages you may use or show users local results before international results, etc.

7. Global Sales Development
Now, it’s time to start making calls. Once your partnerships are set up and your website optimized for different markets, the next step is to increase brand visibility and awareness in these local markets. To do so, you can use phone sales. A business phone service can support your sales development strategy by letting you call your local, long-distance, and international customers. Furthermore, you can use international SIP trunks to display a local phone number instead of one they don’t recognize. This way, you can establish connections virtually while taking your time to open a field office.

Stage C: Follow-Through

Once you’ve prepared your markets and established partnerships and communications, the next step in global expansion is to start making sales and offering customer support. There are several different ways to do this. The best way is to buy international virtual numbers and talk to your business contacts over the phone. Here are the most important tools to consider.

8. International Toll-Free Service
An international toll-free number is a toll-free number for different countries. In other words, each country has designated toll-free numbers that customers from within this country can call for free. Global Call Forwarding is the most trusted provider of international toll-free numbers. Your business can get international toll-free numbers for each country in which you want to do business.

9. 24/7 Customer Support
Another important global expansion best practice is to offer 24/7 customer support on different channels. This includes phone, email, live chat, SMS, support tickets, and more. You can offer after-hours service by developing an efficient automated self-service system that resolves common queries. Most commonly, businesses will facilitate global customer support using an ITFS number. Workers in remote locations and different time zones often handle customer support.

9. Regional Offices and Infrastructure
Ultimately, your business will need to open regional offices and colocation centers after reaching global revenue targets. Regional offices will host local staff in each region. In addition, your critical infrastructure will be hosted at colocation centers. You can find co-working spaces and regional data centers by quickly searching online.

10. Local Phone Numbers
Local numbers have specific area codes that distinguish them from other areas. Local calls are charged local rates instead of long-distance rates. This is why businesses choose to get a local business number so local customers can contact them without any hesitation. When driving international growth in 2025, convenience is more important than ever. Your business should aim to provide a convenient experience as part of your follow-through.

11. Universal Freephone Numbers
A UIFN is a single, universal toll-free number accessible from 60 countries. However, this list of countries is predetermined and cannot be altered. If most of the countries you want to do business with fall under this list, you search for a UIFN to streamline your inbound calls.

Start By Setting Up International Communications

We at Global Call Forwarding can set you up with local, international, and toll-free numbers to manage your international communication. Start by signing up for our global inbound service or porting your existing number on our homepage. For more information, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.