blog Archives

Home » Archive by category 'blog' (Page 34)

11th May 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

5 Surefire Ways to Improve Call Center CSAT Scores

6th May 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

5 Things You Need to Consider Before Getting a 1800 number

17th April 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

1800 Australia Toll Free Numbers vs 1300 Australia Phone Numbers

12th April 2020 blog, Customer Service

How to Measure Customer Satisfaction

10th April 2020 blog, Call Management

Drive Up Sales for Your E-Commerce Business with Outbound Calling

10th April 2020 blog, Call Center

On-Premise vs. Virtual Call Center Software: How to Choose

8th April 2020 blog, Call Management

What is a Call Center Dialer?

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 11th May 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

Does your business need a call center dialer to support its inbound and outbound calling needs? How do you decide when it’s time to invest in a dialer and what type of dialer should you go for? In this post, we will discuss dialers for call centers and their usefulness.

Call Center Dialers: What are They?

A call center dialer is a dial pad tool designed to help you make outgoing or outbound calls. Even though these dialers are called “call center dialers,” they are not meant for call center use only. Any business that makes a large number of outgoing calls for sales, appointment setting, and customer service can use an outbound dialer. These dialers help improve agent productivity and efficiency. Types of call center dialers include the following:

Manual Dialing and Predictive Dialers

If you are a small- or medium-sized business, then you will most likely start with manual dialing. This is where your sales team manually works through a list of predetermined prospects or leads and contacts them. The benefit of manual dialing is that it offers more control and responsibility to the agents as to who to call and when to call.

Automated or predictive dialers exist as well. However, these dialers use automation to make calls automatically from a set database. There is little control involved, which some sales team managers consider more of a disadvantage. When making a sales call, the salesperson needs to prepare with the right information about the person, their history with the company, demographics, and so on. With predictive dialers, there isn’t always enough time to get acquainted with the necessary information before the call goes through. Manual dialing gives you the time you need to prepare.

Inbound/Outbound Web Dialer

An inbound/outbound web dialer for call centers enables you to make outbound calls and receive inbound calls through a dialer that works over the internet, accessed over a webpage such as Google Chrome. You can access an inbound/outbound web dialer through a URL and a virtual phone service account.

For example, to use Global Call Forwarding’s web dialer, you will need a virtual phone number plan and you’ll use your login information to log into the web dialer on a webpage. Logging in will lead you to the web or online dialer. This looks similar to a smartphone’s keypad or dial pad. Here, you can access or add contact information and notes, check your voicemail, and make and answer calls. All you need to do is remain connected to a reliable internet connection.

Getting a Dialer for Your Cloud Call Center

A web dialer can speed up the process of outbound calling for sales or customer support team. No additional equipment or desk phones required. You simply need to enter the URL, log in, and start dialing numbers. You can call customers you have already connected with or contact new prospects. Additionally, you can look up notes, other contact information such as email or address details to customize your sales approach.

Another benefit of an inbound/outbound web dialer is that it works well for businesses that have remote offices or remote employees. Employees can easily connect and start making and answering calls from anywhere in the world as long as they have a stable internet connection. Therefore, your business will have greater cost savings.

Ready for a Call Center Dialer?

Businesses with a large outbound call volume should consider an inbound/outbound dialer to control and handle their business communication. Save tons by managing your calls in-house instead of outsourcing them. And call center dialers can help you do so. Check out Global Call Forwarding’s web dialer. For more information, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

5 Surefire Ways to Improve Call Center CSAT Scores

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 7th May 2020 blog, Call Center

As a virtual call center manager, it is your job to ensure that your center’s CSAT scores are high and continue to remain in good standards. Here we will detail 5 useful ways you and your agents can improve call center customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores.

What are CSAT Scores?

CSAT scores are the measure of customer satisfaction your call center generates. That is, after interacting with your service, how happy are your customers and how likely are they to recommend your service to others. CSAT scores are essential for collecting customer feedback and making much-needed improvements to your product or service. Common questions you’ll see on a customer satisfaction survey include “How would you rate your experience/stay with us?” or “How likely are you to recommend our service to others?” And customers can rate the service on a scale of 1-10 or Good-Bad or Very Likely-Not Likely At All.

How to Calculate CSAT Scores?

To calculate Customer Satisfaction (CSAT), divide positive responses by the total number of responses. Then multiply that number by 100. This gives you a CSAT percent.

CSAT score formula: (#) positive responses / (#) total responses X 100 = CSAT (%)

Why are Call Center CSAT Scores Important?

Satisfied customers can easily convert into returning customers and will be the ones that bring new customers to your business. For this reason, improving and maintaining high CSAT scores becomes essential. To succeed, your cloud call center should implement the following methods.

1. Increase Personal Interaction

More recently, a lot of technology has been developed to automate cloud call center processes in an attempt to increase productivity and efficiency. While these are positive influences, it may lead to a decrease in personal interaction between your call center and its customers. Personal interaction is important in order to thoroughly resolve issues.

Many times, customers call a business or call center to get an immediate response. Being bounced around a complicated IVR system or interacting only with the automated system can increase frustration, especially if their issue is rare and complex.

Try to ensure that there is some personal interaction that takes place during a call, as often as possible. Your IVR system is built to make your virtual call center run smoothly, but it does not need to overtake all calls and interactions. Even if it is at the end of the call, have an agent connect to ask: “Is there anything else we can help you with?” Keep in mind that more positive personal interaction equates to more resolutions which, in turn, leads to higher CSAT scores.

2. Increase Quality Assurance

Maintaining quality assurance (QA) is another important factor in improving virtual call center CSAT scores. Call center QA focuses on providing high-quality customer service that matches the business’ standards. And so, QA pays attention to the customer, their issues and needs, and how to improve caller experience. All of these lead to better customer interaction and higher CSAT scores.

Some essential call center QA strategies include training your agents to understand and maintain business standards and goals. For example:

Are agents following the necessary scripts?
Do they ask questions about the customer’s needs, history, and experience to better understand the issue?
Are they following protocol?
Is there any misunderstanding or miscommunication?

Virtual call center managers can listen in on calls or review recordings of calls to study and analyze different factors or aspects of agent/customer interactions. They can then provide more training, highlight strengths and weaknesses, strategies that work or that need improvement, and so on. All with the same goal: improving caller experience and increasing customer satisfaction.

3. Pay Attention to Customer Issues

This goes in line with quality assurance. It is important to understand what issues the customer is facing in order to better help and serve them. Here, as a virtual call center manager, you may consider market research to provide data about certain products and services and their most common issues and concerns. This way, your agents are better equipped to help or resolve upcoming issues.

The aim should be to provide solutions and resolve the issue on the first call itself. This is called first call resolution. Call centers or businesses with a higher first call resolution rate have more satisfied customers and higher CSAT scores.

4. Purchase the Necessary Virtual Call Center Technology

It is imperative to invest in the right tools. As with any project, to do a good job, you need the right tools and support. The same goes for a virtual call center. Consider investing in call center software from a provider like Global Call Forwarding where you can customize your options, features, and services to create an ideal phone system.

Most virtual phone service providers offer tools that can support remote and virtual call centers. These include:

Call forwarding and routing options
Call recording to record incoming and outgoing calls
IVR system to manage and distribute incoming calls
Outbound calling to make local and international calls with customizable caller ID
Local, toll free, international, and vanity numbers that route calls via the internet, and more

5. Track Call Center KPIs

Another way to improve your CSAT scores is by tracking and monitoring important metrics such as:

Call answered
Calls abandoned
Average hold time
First call resolution rate
Number of calls answered by each agent
Time taken to answer a call, etc

These key performance indicators (KPIs) can give you insights into areas of strength and improvement. And they can help you understand your center’s customer service levels and even its current quality. This information will lead you to your next step in improving the service you provide.

Improve Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) at your Call Center

Increase your CSAT scores by improving the way your call center interacts with its callers. Provide better customer service, pay attention to your callers, and watch your customer satisfaction and retention scores increase. For more information about virtual call center software from Global Call Forwarding, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

5 Things You Need to Consider Before Getting a 1800 number

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 6th May 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Getting 1800 numbers for your business is a big decision. One that needs to be deliberated over, researched, and thoroughly understood. Here we will go over some important factors to consider before getting a 1800 number for your business.

Which is the Best 1800 Number Service?

Finding the right toll free number provider can be a difficult task, especially when you do not know what to look for. The ideal provider offers you the perfect feature set with a budget that fits your pocket. This feature set should include services and tools needed to make your business communications better. This could include anything ranging from IVR, call recording, outbound calling tools such as a web dialer, etc.

While these are the most common aspects to consider, the following article will discuss the five main factors to keep in mind before getting a 1800 number service.

1. Number Prefix

The 1800 number prefix is a common and popular toll free number prefix. This means that it may not always be easy to purchase. Before settling on a provider, check with their customer support to ensure they have 1800 numbers available for your needs.

1800 are popular because they are the original toll free numbers. Prefixes such as 833, 844, 855, 866, 877, and 888 followed once 800 numbers became exhausted. Callers generally associated 1800 numbers with large and professional corporations and therefore these numbers are in high demand as business numbers. They can add credibility and professionalism to a business’s image.

2. Amount of Call Traffic

1800 toll free numbers do not the callers anything; they don’t get charged for the calls. Instead, the receiver (that is, the business) incurs the charges. This helps your business build and manage high call traffic. Whether it is for customer service or to make a purchase/appointment, interested and returning customers can quickly connect with your business for free.

1800 numbers are known to increase call traffic by creating a free channel of communication for interested callers. Giving this opportunity to your customers shows them that you are determined to make caller experience better. And by extension, that you care about and value their business.

3. Destination / Number of Operators

Where do you want your calls to be forwarded to? And how many operators will these calls be directed to? Calls made to virtual 1800 numbers can be forwarded to select predetermined destination numbers. This way, when calls come in, they will go where you want them to; to your head office or a remote call center.

You can also have calls routed based on where a call is coming from or based on time. For example, off- or after-hours calls can be directed to an office in a different timezone. You can also have multiple destination lines so that incoming calls ring on multiple numbers or phones. This way, no call goes unanswered or missed. Before you purchase your 1800 number, consider and map out how you want your calls forwarded.

4. Length of Contract

Another important aspect to note is whether you want a contract with your provider. Some virtual toll free number providers offer one- or two-year-long contracts that are not easy to get out of. Part of signing up for their service is agreeing to use it for a set amount of time. If you are certain of this provider’s credibility and reliability, then this may be a safe choice.

However, it is also a good idea to sign up with a provider that has no contracts or long-term commitments, in case you want to change or cancel your plan. Global Call Forwarding, for example, has no contracts or long-term commitments. We hope that our high-quality service keeps our customers coming back for more.

5. Reliability of Provider

Finally, it is important to determine the provider’s reliability and credibility. How long have they been doing business? What are their customers or clients saying about the service? What features and services are they offering and are these up to date? The longer a provider has been in this business, the better they understand a company’s communication needs and will serve you better.

Purchasing 1800 Numbers

Feeling more confident about buying 1800 numbers for your business? Start by researching various toll free number providers. Global Call Forwarding offers virtual business numbers for more than 160 countries across the world. We offer local, international, and toll free numbers. Get your 1800 number with Global Call Forwarding today. For more information, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to speak with an expert.

1800 Australia Toll Free Numbers vs 1300 Australia Phone Numbers

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 17th April 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

What’s the difference between 1300 Australia phone numbers and 1800 Australia toll free numbers? When considering an Australian business number, it is important that you select the right one for your business. Here we will look at 1300 vs 1800 Australia numbers so that you can make an informed decision.

Australian Business Phone Numbers

Both 1800 and 1300 are Australia business numbers that businesses can use to connect with Australian customers and business contacts. These virtual numbers come with the same features and functions to support a business’ communication requirements. They are portable, making them usable nationwide. That is, they are not restricted to any specific geographical area within the country.

The main difference that separates these two Australian number types is in the call costs, for the caller and the receiver. In other words, the charges of the call for the caller (the customer) and the receiver (the business).

1300 Australia Phone Numbers

1300 Australia numbers are also called Local Rate or local numbers. Callers calling a 1300 number incur the cost of a local call. Furthermore, if called from a mobile or smartphone, then the calling charges may be even more, depending on the mobile and carrier companies.

The receiver, the business, or the 1300 number account holder, also incurs charges for these calls. That charge is based on where the call originates from. However, because the caller pays for these calls as well, the charges are lower for the receiver.

1800 Australia Toll Free Numbers

Calling 1800 Australia toll free numbers, on the other hand, is free for callers, irrespective of whether they are calling from a landline or mobile phone. These numbers also go by the name Free Call or Toll Free numbers.

Similar to the 1300 numbers, the receiver of the 1800 Australia toll free numbers incurs charges for these calls. This charge, similarly, depends on where the call is being made from. However, since the caller pays nothing for these calls, all of the charges fall on the receiver.

Which is More in Demand?

There has been significant competition between the two types of Australian phone numbers due to availability and cost. However, Australia toll free numbers were not as preferred because they were more expensive. Fortunately, with the rise of cloud communication and virtual phone service providers like Global Call Forwarding, 1800 numbers have become more affordable. This means that businesses can provide their Australian clients a free way to connect with them without having to pay exorbitant fees.

Furthermore, if you get Australia toll free numbers from a virtual service provider that routes calls using an international toll free service, then you will be saving more money. This is because using this service means routing calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. This means that you can forward incoming calls to any number of your choice, anywhere in the world, as long as it is connected to a reliable internet connection. And so, businesses outside of Australia can also connect with and sell to Australian customers and clients through their toll free number.

Australia Toll Free Numbers with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding offers Australia toll free numbers to businesses in and outside of Australia. Our Australia virtual number plans come with various virtual communication features and tools to enhance the way your business interacts with its customers:

Call recording
Call forwarding and routing options
Outbound calling (customizable caller ID)
Unlimited extensions
Interactive voice response (IVR system)
Local and toll free numbers, and more.

To learn more about Australia business numbers or to sign up for Australia toll free numbers, contact us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

How to Measure Customer Satisfaction

Nadine Sampson 12th April 2020 blog, Customer Service

You may be surprised to know that 96 percent of dissatisfied customers do not complain. However, 91 percent of those unhappy people will never buy from you again. Your top priority is to keep your customers happy. But how can you tell if your customers are satisfied with your products and services? It’s not as straightforward as it may seem, but there are some very useful methods and metrics available. Here is how to measure customer satisfaction that you can start applying to your business right now.

Customer Satisfaction Surveys

The satisfaction survey is the most popular approach to collecting information about a customer’s experience. The basic survey asks each customer how satisfied they are and usually has a few follow-up questions. You can utilize customer satisfaction surveys in three ways:

Email survey: An email survey is a good way to get an in-depth insight into your customer happiness. Although they have a lower response rate than other methods, they allow your customers to answer multiple questions.
In-app survey: For this method, you need to integrate a feedback bar on your website. An in-app survey will usually consist of just one or two questions.
Service survey: This type of survey focuses on customer service or delivery. The survey is taken immediately after the service was provided and can be done by email or live chat.

The standard customer satisfaction metric is to ask your customers to rate their satisfaction with your service, product, or business on a scale of 1-5 or 1-10. The advantages of this metric are its simplicity and its directness. The disadvantage is that customer satisfaction can be hard to rate, even for the customer.

Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The NPS measures the customers’ probability of referring your company to someone else. This is the most common way to gauge customer loyalty. Each customer is asked how likely he or she is to recommend your business on a scale of 1-10. The NPS is easier to answer than the customer satisfaction survey because it’s about the customer’s intention to refer rather than their emotional satisfaction. This data can easily be gathered using in-app or email surveys.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

This metric analyzes the effort it took to get the customer’s issue resolved. It is typically measured on a scale of 1-7. Market research shows that customers with a high effort score show a reduction in loyalty down the line. You need to aim for as low of a CES as possible.

Pricing Issues

Allowing your customers to express their feelings about pricing will give you useful information, not only about how they feel about the total price of your products or services but also how they feel about their value for the money.

Complaints

It essential that you evaluate complaints thoroughly every time you receive one. You can also broaden your analysis by checking out unsolicited feedback in online reviews and social media. When a customer contacts you with a specific issue, always get back to them and provide a possible solution quickly to restore their happiness.

Social Media Monitoring

The impact that social media has had on the relationship between customers and businesses cannot be overemphasized. This is mainly due to the fact that it enables customer experience to be shared with a much wider circle than ever before. That means it’s the perfect platform for you to find out how your customers feel about your brand. Facebook and Twitter are the obvious platforms but don’t forget the other ones like Yelp, Quora, and TripAdvisor. It’s also worthwhile to sign up for Google Alerts, as this will notify you when your brand is mentioned online. You should also try out Social mention. It’s a free tool that analyzes mentions of your brand in social media. It will give you information on the likelihood of your brand being discussed online and the ratio of positive to negative mentions.

Motivate your Customers to Participate

Once you have your customer satisfaction metrics in place, you need to make sure as many customers as possible are using them. Asking customers for their opinion will make them feel valued, but some people just don’t want to spend the time. This is where it helps to offer incentives. For example, adding a coupon, reward or additional information will often encourage them to participate in an online survey.

This is a valuable checklist of How to Measure Customer Satisfaction, that can help you get started with measuring your customer satisfaction. If you are struggling to come up with a survey that you think is right for your business, you will find many templates and suggestions online. Get started on satisfying your customers right now!

Drive Up Sales for Your E-Commerce Business with Outbound Calling

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 10th April 2020 blog, Call Management

Maintaining the sales growth rates can be overwhelming as businesses of different kinds go through high and low periods. But as an owner, you must ensure that your e-commerce business has the right tools to keep the rate steady, if not growing. Outbound calling is one such communication service that can help you reach and maintain the standards you set for the business.

Why Your E-Commerce Business Should Consider Outbound Calling

Outbound calling service is a virtual communication service offered by Global Call Forwarding. This service works to boost your outgoing call rate and supports your sales strategy. It enables you to call potential, recent, and recurring customers to offer customer support. Therefore, businesses that already have a large outgoing call volume or want to increase their outbound calling rate should consider this service.

If you get outbound calling alongside your virtual phone number plan from a cloud-based communications provider like Global Call Forwarding, then you will be able to route calls over the internet instead of traditional phone lines. This lets you expand your e-commerce business’ reach and connect with neighboring cities, states, and countries without having to worry about long-distance calling rates. You can interact with international customers without having to relocate.

Customize Your Caller ID

Global Call Forwarding offers this service with a customizable caller ID option. This means that you can display matching caller IDs of areas you are calling. For example, say you want to expand your business to Dubai, Mumbai, and London. If you purchase local or toll free numbers for these cities, then you can display their specific caller IDs when calling them. And so, when individuals receive your call, they will recognize a local or toll free number instead of a random international or “unknown” number.

Prospects are more likely to answer calls from numbers and calling codes they recognize. Additionally, they won’t hesitate to call back because they won’t be charged extra for calling a local number. And, they won’t be charged at all for calling a toll free one. This is how outbound calling can help you connect with new target groups, pitch your product, and generate more sales.

What Can You Achieve with this Service?

Besides merely selling to new prospects, you also want to satisfy your existing customers. Believe it or not, these are the customers that have the potential to form a fanbase for your service and recommend it to others. And, they can become recurring customers who use your service time and again because of good customer service and credibility. So, what are some ways your e-commerce business can use outbound calling to provide customer support?

Increase brand awareness
Welcome new customers
Generate leads through warm and cold calling
Verify customers and sales
Follow-up on purchases or inquires
Offer membership programs
Offer specials and promotions
Follow-up on abandoned carts or failed orders
Send out reminders for renewals and payments
Collect surveys and feedback

Get Outbound Calling

Getting outbound calling for your e-commerce business is simple. Find a provider that offers the service for a price that matches your budget. Watch for any additional features or tools that they provide as well. Global Call Forwarding offers outbound calling with call recording with each of our plans for a small additional fee.

To get the service, simply sign up for a new business number or port your existing number on our homepage. From the optional features, choose “Outbound Calling” and add it to your plan. Finalize your purchase and you can activate the service in less than a day. To learn more about our outbound calling service, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

On-Premise vs. Virtual Call Center Software: How to Choose

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 10th April 2020 blog, Call Center

Want to know if your business can benefit from an on-premise or virtual call center? Here we will run through a comparison between these two call center software types so that you can determine what is best for your needs.

The Call Center You Need: On-Premise or Virtual?

Deciding which software to use depends on the requirements, budget, and goals of your business. Let’s look at what each software type does and how each can be beneficial.

On-Premise Call Centers

On-premise call center software is run and controlled by the business itself. The hardware, software, and other infrastructure is held in-house. This means that the business is responsible for its maintenance, upgrades, and expenses. It also means that you have control over it and how it functions, which is a benefit for some companies. But others may not want to deal with hiring an IT team and the added costs.

Virtual Call Center Software

A virtual call center software is hosted by the server but runs on the cloud. This cloud call center handles customer support and success communications. The benefit of such a virtual call center is that all interaction between the business and its customers remains accessible from anywhere, via the internet. This includes inbound and outbound calls, email, instant messages, etc. Since customers are using digital channels to connect with businesses — such as email, instant messaging, etc — companies are switching to modern virtual call centers.

On-Premise vs Virtual Call Center Software

So, while both types of call center software have their advantages and disadvantages, how do you decide which is right for your business? It all depends on what you need and what you prioritize. Would you like full control of your inbound and outbound calling? Do you need to cut down costs? Determining what you want to get out of a call center software will help you identify which will work better for you.

Costs: An on-premise call center will require set-up costs. For example, you will need equipment, hardware, licenses, servers, and full-time agents. Additionally, you will have to spend on installations, upgrades, and maintenance.

On the other hand, using a virtual call center software will mean that you can build a virtual call center or virtual office and hire remote agents instead of needing on-site agents. Additionally, you won’t need to spend money on equipment or a physical office space. All of this helps increase savings.

Scalability and Reliability: Virtual call center software offers the same functionality and benefits of an on-premise solution. However, the former is far more scalable, reliable, and flexible. Changes to certain lines or numbers can be made quickly by the account manager or by contacting the provider.

Mobility: An on-premise call center will need an in-house team to run and maintain the system. This may even require you to be present on-site to ensure everything works according to the plan. If you desire a centralized, physical location, then an on-premise call center software will be more appropriate.

On the other hand, if you have employees working remotely or spread across the world, then a virtual call center will prove more beneficial, as everything can be monitored and tracked through the online account management system and your softphone. All you will need is a strong and reliable internet connection.

Advanced Features: An on-premise call center software can give you basic, traditional call center features such as call transfer, extensions, hold, voicemail, call logging, etc. However, a virtual call center will give you access to premium services such as advanced IVR, click-to-call, call recording and forwarding, and more.

Virtual Call Center Software with Global Call Forwarding

You can get the necessary tools to set up a virtual call center from a cloud-based phone service provider such as Global Call Forwarding. We offer local, international, and toll free numbers. Additionally, you can get advanced features such as Call Recording, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), Outbound Calling, Call Reports, and more. All of these services can support your virtual call center. To learn more about virtual call center software or to start setting one up for your business, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to talk to an expert.

What is Call Tracking?

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 8th April 2020 blog, Call Management

Want to get insights into customer preferences and behaviors? Call tracking can help you determine the best ways to reach your target audience and sell to them. Learn how virtual numbers can improve your call tracking process.

Call Tracking: The Basics

Call tracking is the process to identify where and how customers and prospects are interacting with your business and brand. As such, it helps you understand how your marketing efforts are performing, which can lead to more accurate forecasting. Marketing and sales teams use call tracking to determine the success of promotional campaigns and return on investment (ROI). This data and information can then help your teams strategize how to proceed with their efforts, what areas need improvement, and how.

Virtual Phone Numbers with Call Analytics

You can track incoming calls in different ways, either manually or with tracking software. The point is to find a process that suits your budget and is easy for your employees to use. You can choose to track calls manually where your reps conduct quick surveys at the end of the call. A question such as “How did you find our service?” may be enough. Or, you can use call tracking software or a tool that provides more data without taking time away from employees.

Tracking calls with a virtual phone number is one of the most inexpensive ways to get this data. A virtual phone service provider like Global Call Forwarding offers multiple virtual phone number types such as toll free, international, and local numbers. Additionally, they offer call log and activity reports that record the number of calls being made and how each call is faring.

Virtual numbers are cheaper than traditional phone lines because they route calls over the internet. Therefore, you can make and answer calls from anywhere, locally and internationally, and through any device. All you pay for is the virtual service provider’s subscription fee.

Location-Focused Tracking

You can initiate call tracking with virtual numbers by purchasing multiple numbers based on your needs and spreading them across different marketing and advertising platforms. For example, say you want to target different cities within the country or want to get the right marketing data on how different states are responding to your product. You can get local numbers for the cities you want to study and advertise those numbers in those specific areas. Then, when calls come in, you can calculate which cities your product is doing well in and which need help.

Campaign-Focused Tracking

Additionally, you could also spread virtual numbers across different advertising platforms. You can have a different number for each marketing campaign. For example, use a toll free number for posts on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, etc., You can also have local numbers in local directories, print media, etc. And you can use a different one along with your emails. This way, when calls come in, you will know where your callers are finding your product and interacting with it. Then, you can target those areas further or identify areas that need improvement and work on those.

Who Should Use This Service?

Companies in practically any industry — marketing, e-commerce, travel, etc. — can use call tracking to understand where their customers come from. Any business focusing on marketing efforts and testing out various campaigns can track calls to study where they are getting their leads from. Whether you’re a small business just starting out or a large established one with connections spread across the world, tracking your calls will give you insights into your audience’s preferences and behaviors.

Understand Your Customers Better

Call tracking helps you understand your target audience’s preferences and behaviors better. You will know where they look for products like yours, what is the best way to appeal to them and how to connect with them.

For more information on how virtual numbers can help your marketing efforts, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

Voicemail Greeting Tips

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 3rd April 2020 blog, Customer Service

One of the most important factors of marketing a business successfully is your voicemail greeting, yet all too often, this is overlooked. It’s crucial that you present yourself professionally on the phone. Here are some voicemail greeting tips to help you maximize the value of your voicemail service.

Eliminate Background Noise

Top of the voicemail greeting tips is to make sure you record your voicemail greeting in the right place, where there is no background noise such as noisy children, animals, or honking traffic. If your callers can hear background noise, it will not only impair your professional image, but it will also make your callers feel slighted. It will only take 5-10 minutes to record your message, so do it at home or in your office when you have some quiet time.

Show Your Brand’s Individuality

Your brand is unique, and your voicemail message should reflect that. Avoid using generic greetings like, “I can’t get to my phone right now, please leave a message.” Your voicemail gives you an opportunity to make your business stand out and stick in your callers’ minds. You can incorporate a fact or two about your business or something related to your mission statement. For example, “hi there, you’ve reached Brewster Farms. We provide the finest quality organic mushrooms for restaurants and domestic kitchens. Leave a message so we can help you stock up your larder.”

Keep Your Callers Engaged

Despite the brevity, a business voicemail has a lot in common with a business conversation. Imagine you are creating a dialogue between yourself and a potential customer. That will give you a much more upbeat tone, and your message will be engaging. They will leave the call with a good impression. A good way to encourage engagement is to ask callers to do something. For example, “we’ll get back to you ASAP if you include the name of your favorite movie in your message.” You may not realize it but when you smile, the tone of your voice completely changes. It will make your greeting sound much friendlier.

Write it Down and Practice

Not many people can pull off an unscripted voicemail message. So, unless you’re an experienced public speaker, you’re better off writing it down and rehearsing to avoid those awkward “ums” and “erms.” You’ll also sound clearer and more confident.

Update Your Greeting on a Regular Basis

By updating your greeting frequently, you can keep it fresh. You can easily do this by adding new information such as your latest special offer, or the newest inventory item. You can also mention who to contact while you are unavailable. Just make sure that all your greetings are time-sensitive.

Keep it Concise

Don’t ramble on during your voicemail greeting. Provide just the amount of information that’s needed. If you make your greeting too long, your callers will just hang up without bothering to listen to it, and that means you may be losing another customer. Your greeting certainly shouldn’t be so long that a caller has to call back to listen to it again because they didn’t catch all the information the first time. The optimal time length for your greeting is 20-25 seconds.

Set expectations

Always remember to let your callers know when they should expect you to return their call. And try to keep the wait time to a minimum. For example, let them know you will be available to return their call in two hours, or between 2 and 4 PM. Whatever the window you state in your greeting, remember to stick to your word. Customers will not be impressed if you don’t call them back when you promised to. If you forget to call them back or you are late calling them, it’s unlikely they will deal with your company again.

Check your greeting: Once you’ve completed your outgoing voicemail message, listen to it once or twice to make sure you said what you meant to say and be sure that it matched the professional expectations of your company. If you really want to see how effective it is, dial in from outside as a customer would and make sure the transition to voicemail is seamless.

A Simple Example

Here’s an example of a professional sounding greeting.

“Hello, this is Rebecca at Ambiguous Media. I will be in a meeting this morning, but I will be able to return calls between 1-3 PM Eastern Standard Time. If you need immediate assistance, please press 1, and your call will be transferred to our customer service manager. You can also reach me at rebecca@ambiguousmedia.com. I will be responding throughout the afternoon. Thanks for calling!”

Using these tips will keep you on track when you need to create or update your voicemail greeting. You will always sound professional, and your customers will never feel let down when they call, even when you are unable to answer.