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1st April 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

How to Create the Perfect IVR System for Your Medical Answering Service

1st April 2020 blog, Business Insights

1800 Numbers for Hotels, Resorts, and Timeshare Properties

30th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Push Your IT Business Towards Success with Good Customer Relations

26th March 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

How to Find the Right Toll Free Number Provider?

coronavirus communicating during isolation

24th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Coronavirus: How to Keep Communicating During Isolation

20th March 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

5G is Coming – What does that mean for you?

18th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Work from Home with These Virtual Business Options

17th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Avoid Coronavirus: Practical and Useful Information

communication solutions healthcare services

11th March 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

Extremely Useful Communication Solutions for Healthcare Services

How to Create the Perfect IVR System for Your Medical Answering Service

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 1st April 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

As a business owner, it is your job to provide good and quality customer service to callers investing in your business. Whether it is hiring highly skilled agents or using advanced communication tools, you need to take the right steps to present your business as professional and valuable. Getting an IVR system for your medical answering service is one such step in the right direction.

IVR System: A Business Phone Solution

An Interactive Voice Response or IVR system is an automated voice response that answers calls before an agent connects. The system interacts with the caller, identifies the purpose of the call, and assists them by redirecting them to the appropriate department or by presenting more menu options. The IVR system uses pre-recorded messages and predetermined rules to do so.

Call centers and answering services generally have a large incoming call volume. Using an IVR system can help them organize and distribute calls so that customers are better served. This system can complete simple tasks and free up agents to focus on more complex duties. In some advanced cases, the caller may not even need to speak with an agent to get their query resolved.

IVR is one of the premium business phone solutions available to businesses in different industries. Virtual phone service providers, like Global Call Forwarding, offer a customizable IVR system along with their phone service plans. You can use this feature alongside call forwarding, call recording, extensions, etc.

Designing the IVR System

So, what is the best way to set up an IVR system for your medical answering service? Designing this system depends on what you want your callers to be able to do when they call your business. Before you create the system, map out the different options that callers will have and what actions you want them to complete without interacting with an agent. Consider these questions:

What departments will callers have access to?
How many levels do you want your IVR to have?
What actions can callers complete through automation?
Why should the caller be directed to an agent?
Would you like to distribute calls based on geographic location or language preferences?

If you have multiple office locations or want to cater to different language preferences, you can start by distributing calls based on geographic location and language. Then, you can move on to sort out new patients and existing patients:

If you are a new patient, press 1.
If you are a recurring patient, press 2.

The next level can then provide more specific options:

To make an appointment, press 1.
To request a prescription refill, press 2.
For our office hours, press 3.
To review our directory, press 4.
For queries regarding insurance, press 5.
For customer service, press 6.

Based on caller input, you can either have pre-recorded messages that provide the necessary information or direct calls to specific individuals specialized in providing the required help.

Why Does Your Medical Answering Service Need an IVR System?

Medical businesses use IVR for a variety of reasons, whether they are clinics, hospitals, pharmacies, clinical research labs, etc. It can be used to collect or provide information, process renewals and payments, and more. Your medical answering service can use such automation to:

Schedule appointments
Collect new patient information
Provide drug information
Offer company updates
Process payments
Record prescription refill requests
Perform basic clinical trial screenings
Register complaints and issues
Provide recall information
Collect feedback, and more

Organize, Manage, Serve

Global Call Forwarding offers IVR with every one of our plans. And this is because we know how essential such a system can be for the efficient running of a business. Our IVR system is customizable and can help you organize your medical answering service’s communications better. Sign up for a new business number, or port your existing number, and take advantage of the many virtual communications tools and services available. Call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 for more information.

1800 Numbers for Hotels, Resorts, and Timeshare Properties

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 1st April 2020 blog, Business Insights

More and more businesses in the travel industry are using 1800 numbers as their contact numbers to offer callers a free way to call. Learn how getting a 1800 number can boost your company’s incoming call rate and help customers build trust in it.

Toll Free Numbers for the Travel and Tourism Industry

First, what are 1800 numbers? These numbers are toll free numbers provided by cloud-based phone service providers. They are a preferred communication solution because instead of charging callers, calls are charged to the business using the number. So, 1800 numbers or toll free numbers for travel agencies ensure that they remain accessible to customers traveling to or using their service. With 1800 numbers, you can:

Provide uninterrupted customer service and care
Encourage customers to call whenever they need
Connect with travelers from different parts of the world
Increase and diversify your customer base

1800 Numbers: Why They Work?

When you purchase 1800 numbers from a cloud-based phone service provider like Global Call Forwarding, you have access to toll free numbers for different countries across the globe, no matter where your hotel, resort, or timeshare is physically located. This means that you can get 1800 numbers for countries that you want to target or where you get more of your customers from. This gives travelers in these areas a free and reliable way to connect with your business. Furthermore, they can contact you even as they travel to different locations, in case there is an issue.

For instance, you can purchase 1800 numbers for the United States, Canada, Australia, or Mexico, to name a few locations. Now, travelers contacting your hotel, resort, or timeshare from these countries don’t have to think twice to call you. This makes it more likely that they will contact your business over your competitors. And, it increases your chances of converting those calls into sales.

1800 Numbers: Making International Communication Easy

The reason why travel and hospitality companies are getting 1800 numbers is because these numbers encourage people to call. Additionally, most individuals associate such toll free numbers with large and established companies, placing your business among their ranks.

Additionally, you can provide 24/7 service by having inbound calls routed to different numbers and lines during specific times of the day or based on location. This is especially helpful for travel companies that have offices in multiple locations. During your office’s off-hours, forward incoming calls to your office in a different time zone. Or, direct calls to the nearest location based on where the call is coming from. Organizing and distributing calls this way can ensure callers get the assistance and care they need in a language and culture they are familiar with.

Using Toll Free Numbers for Marketing Purposes

Most businesses are unaware of the fact that 1800 numbers can boost their marketing efforts and provide valuable insights. When you purchase multiple numbers for different locations, you can track incoming calls to understand which markets are more successful than others. In fact, you can even run different marketing campaigns and use call tracking to determine which campaign has more ROI.

Should Your Business Get 1800 Numbers

Yes, travel and hospitality businesses like hotels, resorts, and timeshares often deal with travelers from different parts of the world. It is, therefore, essential to build convenient communication channels so that these travelers can count on your business to make their experience worthwhile. Want to know more about 1800 numbers? Call us at 1 (561) 908-6171

Push Your IT Business Towards Success with Good Customer Relations

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 30th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

The most important part of running a business is maintaining good customer relations. Whether this relates to selling new products or offering troubleshooting services, your IT business must focus on how it interacts with its customers so that you can serve them better. This, in turn, will lead to greater customer satisfaction and retention.

Build Stronger Customer Relations

What are some ways you can create better customer relations and have them return for more?
Developing a useful and high-quality product and marketing it well must be the first step. It is, therefore, necessary to present your product as a solution or one that your target audience needs. Think from your customers’ perspective, what can you do to draw them closer to your service?

1. Make it Easier for Customers to Contact You

Not all customers are going to interact with your business in-person. They may come across your brand or product over the internet or through ads. But how do you convert the interest to sales? Give them a reason to call you. Most customers know what they are looking for and if your business provides that, they will make a purchase. But there are individuals who need more information. And so, calling your company with queries can ensure they understand your product and follow through to making the purchase.

Toll free numbers for IT companies provide a free way for interested individuals to call your employees. Whether it is a new customer or a returning one, being able to reach your company easily lets them know that you care about their business. Furthermore, high first call resolution rates, where callers are able to resolve issues on the first call, leads to higher customer satisfaction rates. And an IVR system for IT companies can help achieve this by directing callers to the right department. And in some cases, you can even set up the IVR to assist callers in completing tasks without the help of an agent or rep.

2. Track Quality Assurance

Besides making your business available and accessible, you want to ensure that employees are doing their best when interacting with customers. Here’s where quality assurance becomes significant. Do you need employees to be informative and educational? Should they follow a certain script or can they customize interactions based on who they speak with? Are they following up with callers, as promised?

Monitor quality assurance with call recording for IT companies. Use recordings to study employee interaction and customer behavior. Which tactics are more successful than others? Additionally, you can reward good customer service, further incentivizing employees to do well. You can also use recordings as training material to teach new employees what they should and should not do. Better training leads to better customer service which vastly improves customer relations.

Connect with New Customers

Another way to improve customer relations is to use outbound calling for IT companies and be in touch with potential and existing customers. You can use this service to call local and international audiences for a reasonable price and by evading high long-distance fees. With outbound calling, you can:

Welcome new customers
Help new customers with setting up products and services
Generate new leads
Collect feedback
Conduct market research
Follow up with clients
Offer company updates or information about new products
Reward customer success efforts, and more

Global Call Forwarding’s Outbound Calling service gives you the opportunity to connect with potential customers across the world. If you purchase multiple local and toll free numbers, you can override the caller ID to display specific numbers when calling certain areas or regions. For example, you can display a Dallas local number or a Mauritius toll free number when you call those regions.

Customer Satisfaction = Better Customer Relations = Closer to Success

Connect with target individuals and serve them better with these communication tools. Improve customer relations and watch your sales increase. For more information on how Global Call Forwarding’s services can help, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

How to Find the Right Toll Free Number Provider?

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 26th March 2020 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Choosing the right toll-free number provider can be a daunting task. Learn what toll-free numbers are, how businesses can use them, and how to find the right provider for your needs here.

Toll-Free Numbers: How to Choose the Right Provider?

Toll-free numbers offered by phone service providers make for an easy and free way for individuals to call a business. This is because calls made to these numbers charge the receiver instead of the caller. Large corporations and established companies will have a toll-free business number as their contact number to encourage interested and recurring customers to connect with them and, by extension, promote sales. You can get a toll-free number for the country you reside in. Calls made to this number from within the country will be toll-free.

Virtual Toll-Free Numbers

Virtual phone number providers, on the other hand, have more toll-free number options. Such cloud-based providers offer numbers with an international toll-free forwarding service. This enables your business to get a toll-free number for different countries spread across the world. Calls made to these numbers then get forwarded through the international forwarding service over the internet and are routed to a number of your choice.

Global Call Forwarding, for instance, offers virtual toll-free numbers for more than 160 countries across the world. For example, your business enterprise is based in London but you have clients and customers in India, Mexico, Canada, the U.S., and the U.A.E. You can get toll-free numbers for these countries, making it free for callers to call your enterprise. Calls are then forwarded to your London office for a cheaper rate than international calls usually charge.

Find the Ideal Feature Set

When thinking about which provider to go ahead with, consider the additional features and tools they offer. For example, do you have multiple offices working in different time zones? Then, you may take advantage of a time-related call forwarding service. Additionally, can your business benefit from tracking incoming calls to study where they are coming from, etc? Then, call logs and activity reports would be helpful. Furthermore, would you like to record business calls to see how employees are doing or to maintain compliance with regulations? And so on.

Global Call Forwarding offers the following features along with each plan:

Advanced IVR: automated voice response
Black and White Lists: to organize blocked numbers and accepted numbers
Call Transfer: manual transferring of calls between different departments
Customer Greeting: personalized greetings with company information
Dedicated Account Manager: account support to ensure smooth functioning
Failover Forwarding: forwarding calls to a set number of lines to ensure no call goes unanswered
Fax to Email: receive faxes in email format
Local Ringback Tones: plays the signal tone of the destination the phone is ringing in
Simultaneous Calling: calls multiple lines and numbers at a time to ensure no call is missed
Time of Day Routing: routes calls to different locations or numbers during certain times of the day
Voicemail to Email: receive voicemails as MP3 files in your inbox
24/7 Customer Support: to provide support and customer care

And, you can get these additional features:

Call Recording Software: record up to 100% of incoming and outgoing calls
Rollover Minutes: accumulate unused minutes to be used the next month
Inbound SMS Plan: receive texts from customers
Outbound Calling: call local and international customers with customizable caller IDs

Research Providers, Reviews Plans

Once you have an idea of what communication features and tools you want from your international toll-free number provider, research different providers and see what they have to offer. Compare prices alongside the quantity and quality of features offered. Most providers have free trials you can use to test the quality of service before you make a commitment. They will also have different plans based on different business types or sizes. This will give you a better understanding of how much time and money you would need to spend on the service per month.

Toll-Free Numbers: Making Communication Easier

Toll-free numbers are often associated with big businesses. Having a toll-free business number will further solidify your company’s professional image. To learn more about toll-free numbers and how Global Call Forwarding can help with your company’s communication system, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

Coronavirus: How to Keep Communicating During Isolation

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 24th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Coronavirus (COVID-19) has slowed our lives down and has practically brought the entire world to lockdown. In these uncertain times, it is easier than ever to lose contact with important people and connections. So, how do you maintain relations and keep communicating during isolation?

Coronavirus: Communicating During Quarantine

Coronavirus has taken the world by surprise, causing many of us to practice social distancing and work from home, if possible. In such times, communication becomes more important than ever. Whether it is checking in on family and friends or completing business tasks, the right tools can help you stay in contact and take care of business.

Keeping Business Communications going

Most non-essential companies have been ordered to shut down in different cities, states, and countries. However, there are still many companies that can conduct operations virtually or remotely. This involves putting faith in employees while also ensuring daily and weekly tasks or projects are completed. If your business is working remotely, here are some tools you and your team can use to make communication easier:

Office chat tools such as Slack, Google Chat, WhatsApp groups, etc.
Video conferencing tools such as Skype, Google Meet, Zoom, etc.
Virtual numbers with call forwarding to forward incoming business calls to personal or home phone lines.
Toll free numbers to make it free for customers and clients to reach you.

Most chat and video conferencing tools are available for free. They work over your internet or WiFi connection and offer good quality calls. This will help you be in quick and constant contact with your remote employees. You can create group chats for different departments as well as collaborate by sharing important files and documents.

You can also get virtual numbers such as toll free numbers from Global Call Forwarding, or port your existing number. Virtual numbers work over the internet and through an online account management system. You can set up incoming customer calls to be forwarded to specific employee numbers. For example, you can have calls made to your customer service line directed to your customer service team working remotely. Or, have them sent to your receptionist who then directs them to the right department.

Presently, to keep things even more convenient and cost-effective, you can get $5 off Global Call Forwarding’s Value, Power, Premium, and Enterprise plans with the COVID19 promo code. This will help you maintain essential communications between your business and its valued customers with call forwarding, even during a pandemic like coronavirus. Purchasing and setting up a virtual number is quick and easy.

Personal Communications

Social distancing is much harder for some people over others. But it does not mean that you need to stop all kinds of interaction. With technological advances, it is possible to stay connected even in uncertain times through communication apps such as:

Instant messaging over the internet using iMessage, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, etc.
Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc.
Video chats: Google Hangouts, Skype, Google Duo, WhatsApp, etc.

These apps and tools make it easy to keep in touch with friends and family through texts and video capabilities. You can create and share audio, images, videos, GIFs, etc. In fact, Netflix has an interesting and fun “Netflix Party” feature that even lets you watch shows and movies with your loved ones along with a group chat element. While virtual, this still maintains some degree of social interaction that can be comforting during this time.

Stay Positive and Keep Talking

Everything does not need to come to a halt during the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to the internet and virtual communication capabilities, you can still stay in touch with the people you care about. Whether it’s grandparents stuck indoors or employees working from home or keeping a sick friend company, stay positive and keep communicating.

5G is Coming – What does that mean for you?

Global Call Forwarding 20th March 2020 blog, Cloud Telephony

4th Generation technology (4G) is what we’ve all become most familiar with as we use our cell phones to send text messages, download information, and search the web. 5G (5th Generation) technology will take 4G to a new level. The infrastructure of 5G is modeled around software, which limits the interruptions that tend to affect 4G connectivity, such as dead zones and wifi interruptions. This is good news for business owners who prefer mobility to a traditional office space. As the number of virtual businesses continues to increase, working on-the-go is becoming the new normal, which means an interruption in mobile connection can negatively impact companies and professional relationships.

Technology excites us because it’s constantly evolving and introducing us to new concepts. Looking back over the past five years, technologies now exist that we would have never thought possible. These innovative systems are changing the way we work and live on a daily basis. 5G is one of those technologies that will make the unimaginable tangible and easily accessible.

So, 5G is coming, what does that mean for you? Most of us are working with mobile technologies as we run businesses and hire team members within our company. We know what 5G can do for the general consumer, but 5G will also change the world of business. With 5G, workers can get more done. 5G will also serve as a competitive tool that increases productivity and opens the door for new employment and business opportunities.

What 5G means for your business

Almost everyone has a cell phone to make phone calls, handle work-related tasks, and also download apps, games, and music. As mobile technology continues to improve and connect more networks, our devices are already operating at a speed that may have seemed impossible in the past.

5g coming soon — Source: Stockphoto.com O#23559 – ID#100196235700

Here are some points to consider:

If you download a movie or large files, how long does it take? For many people, the answer to this would be a few minutes or maybe even an hour. 5G technology is 10 times faster than 4G, meaning that data transfers in seconds instead of minutes. With 5G, large downloads could take about 5 seconds.

Unlike 4G technology, 5G has been built around the concept of software instead of hardware. Therefore, 5G is less expensive to use and update. 5G technology pairs perfectly with virtual phone systems because virtual phone numbers are also based on software and online connectivity, instead of hardware that has to be replaced every time changes occur within the system or upgrades are needed.

5G is Coming. What does that mean for your customers?

Consider the fact that we are all consumers living in a world where we are constantly introduced to more technology. These technologies are smart and the response times continue to get shorter. As a business owner, you can’t remain competitive if you don’t offer immediate solutions and customer service.

If you are an entrepreneur using a virtual phone number to provide customer service, the amount of time it takes you or your team members to assist customers will have a direct impact on your number of sales and loyal customers. The amount of time modern consumers are willing to wait continues to shorten, but the instant transfer of information with 5G means information will be available at our fingertips almost instantly.

5G is Coming – What does that mean for your employees?

You can expect customers to call your virtual phone number in need of assistance. To properly assist them, you will need to have their information and product guides readily available when needed. Today, pulling up information during a call means sifting through multiple files and online databases. With the introduction of 5G, software connections will be far more advanced.

5G will allow needed information to be shown instantaneously without the usual delays. This upgrade will help customer service representatives better assist callers because they will be able to diagnose and work on the issue quickly.

Working quickly brings more business because agents can handle more calls. Simultaneously, customers will feel that you are more reliable. With such a powerful increase in speed and reliability, your company can accommodate more sales and incoming calls. As agents work faster, there will also be more time for them to take breaks and handle other important tasks.

5G is Coming – What does that mean for your metrics?

Sharing current information with everyone at the call center is one of the best ways to analyze strategies and create new approaches. One of the main details to track is the reason why callers are exiting phone calls. Were they on hold too long? Did they find the answers they needed?

While some companies receive customer reports and other key metrics on a weekly basis, 5G will allow companies to generate and update reports in real time. This high level of transparency will naturally motivate everyone to do their best. With 5G, you can expect higher levels of productivity and healthy competition as a result.

Work from Home with These Virtual Business Options

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 18th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

Fears of the coronavirus (COVID-19) have put cities and countries on lockdown and forced businesses to shut down. Fortunately, most businesses and job positions have the opportunity and ability to use virtual business tools and ask employees to work from home. And this is made easy with the advancements in technology. So, what are some options your business can adopt during these uncertain times?

Virtual Business Tools

Whether you’re a small business or a large company, you may choose to allow your employees to work from home. At least, for the next few weeks as everyone keeps an eye on the growth and spread of the coronavirus. Virtual business tools can help your business stay on track even as employees work from home. These tools include virtual numbers with call forwarding abilities, management systems, chat tools, video conferencing, and more. The following article will include some options to consider:

Get a Virtual Phone Number

You can easily get a virtual number from a service provider like Global Call Forwarding or port your existing number to us today. Doing this will allow you to take advantage of other virtual communication tools that can help immediately. You can use call forwarding, call transfer, outbound calling, customized greetings, and more. This will help your business maintain communication with its customers and clients.

Getting or porting your number with us is quick and easy. You can have the number ready to use in a few minutes. And you can then have business calls forwarded to your home office or personal line, or have it directed to your customer support team members’ phone lines. In fact, our Simultaneous Ringing feature enables you to have all incoming calls ring on multiple phone lines. This could be your number, your sales team’s home or personal lines, and so on. This ensures that someone will answer the phone and business can still continue. And so, sales and customer support teams can continue to serve existing customers thereby not degrading the quality and standard of your service.

You can set up interactive voice response (IVR), an automated system, to answer calls and greet customers by offering them company updates revolving around the coronavirus. Or, simply add a custom greeting that lets callers know your business is still running and you can still provide them the service they need. Additionally, you can transfer calls to other team members or have calls forwarded to them during specific times of the day. There are many cloud communication tools available, but which ones your business needs depends on what services you want to offer.

Video Conferencing and Chat Tools

Video chatting and conferencing is another virtual business tool that can be used for remote working. You can stay connected with your employees and track their progress or conduct online meetings with video conferencing apps such as Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and so on. You can schedule meetings, share screens to demonstrate the material, share important files, and documents, and more.

Online Content and Project Management Systems

Take your tasks online. Use online project management systems or apps to remain connected with employees as well as track tasks and projects that need to be completed. You can have different team members work and collaborate on a task and watch its progress. Set deadlines, due dates, and log time for important and prioritized projects. Some popular systems are Teamwork, Slack, Monday, Trello, etc.

Be Productive and Efficient Even When Working Remotely

Most businesses worry that remote working will decrease productivity and slow down the overall success rate. This can be countered with virtual options which ensure that employees can stay on task even outside the office location. For more information on how our cloud communication tools can support your work-from-home days, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to talk to an expert.

Avoid Coronavirus: Practical and Useful Information

Meryl D'Sa-Wilson 17th March 2020 blog, Business Insights

It’s no secret, everyone has the coronavirus on their mind. And while a global pandemic can be overwhelming and terrifying, it is important to focus on the things that we can control. So, what are some things you and your family can do to avoid the coronavirus?

How to Avoid Coronavirus?

News outlets are flooded with information (and misinformation) about the virus, its spread, and how one can avoid contracting it. In such a time, where there is an abundance of information and data available, it becomes necessary to go to the right sources. Governmental websites and global health websites are the best places to get news about the virus on a local and global level. You can track COVID-19’s movement globally and locally with data provided by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) here. Make sure you have the right information and do as recommended by health professionals.

Keep a Watch on Symptoms

First and foremost, keep an eye on possible symptoms. According to the CDC, the main symptoms relating to COVID-19 are:

Fever,
Cough,
and Shortness of breath.

Emergency symptoms include:

Difficulty breathing,
Pain or pressure in the chest,
Disorientation, and
Bluish lips or face.

At the first sign of these symptoms, you must contact your healthcare provider for advice and next steps.

Work from Home and Setting Up Virtual Communications

Thanks to advancements in technology, it is quite possible to switch to virtual business mode and work from outside of your office. You can set up virtual communications for your business by buying or porting your virtual business number to a virtual phone service provider like Global Call Forwarding and forward incoming calls to your and your employees’ personal or home phones temporarily. Right now, you can get $5 off our Value, Power, Premium, and Enterprise plans with the COVID19 promo code so you can maintain important communications even during this time. You can quickly purchase and set up a toll free number and forward incoming calls to our personal or home phone. This way, customers in need of your service can still contact you free of cost and no matter where you work.

Additionally, you will want to set up video conferencing and chat opportunities to schedule and conduct online meetings and discussions. Video conferencing apps and software like Zoom or Skype can enable video conversations. Furthermore, your teams can also use online content management tools like G Suite, Microsoft Projects, etc. These systems help keep track of important tasks and projects and ensure that work continues on.

As with the threat of any disease or illness, the recommendation is to always use preventative measures. The same goes for the coronavirus. Part of social distancing includes staying and working from home. This will reduce the risk of being exposed to others who may have the virus at your workplace or ride-shares, and so on.

Social Distancing, Self Isolation, and Quarantine

You’ll notice the overuse of terms such as “social distancing,” “self-isolation,” “quarantine,” and “flattening the curve” in the media regarding COVID-19. But what do these terms mean and how do you know what needs to be done? John Hopkins Medicine defines these terms for us.

Social Distancing: Means to avoid large crowds such as social events, sporting events, festivals, concerts, and more. The general recommendation is to avoid places and groups with more than 50 people. Social distancing means deliberately increasing physical space between you and other people. Maintain at least six feet of distance. Cancel plans, switch to video meetings, work from home, and so on.

Quarantine: Individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 will be asked to self-quarantine. The recommendation for this quarantine is to stay at home for at least 14 days to ensure you do not have the virus and do not spread it to others. If you have recently returned from traveling to a place where the virus is currently active or have been in close contact with someone who has the virus, then self-quarantine is the next step for you.

Self Isolation: People who have confirmed they have Covid-19 will be asked to self-isolate, which basically means keeping those infected away from those who are not. You can self isolate at home or the hospital or at a care facility. Protective equipment may be used to keep the germs at bay.

Flattening the Curve: Refers to using protective measures to slow the rate of the virus’ spread. The motive behind these measures is to ensure that doctors, hospitals, and clinics have rooms and supplies for infected individuals and patients.

Be Aware and Stay Safe

Coronavirus is a fast-spreading virus affecting individuals, businesses, and economies across the world. It has been a hard few months and it may continue for a few more. Do what you need to do, to keep yourself and your family members safe.

Keep in mind, you can get $5 off our Value, Power, Premium, and Enterprise plans right now with our COVID19 promo code. So, if your business is looking to transition to entirely virtual/ working from home, there is no better time to get a virtual number. For more information about cloud communication tools offered by Global Call Forwarding, call us at 1 (888) 908 6171.

Extremely Useful Communication Solutions for Healthcare Services

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

Maintaining strong internal and external communication is important for businesses of every kind. Whether to schedule appointments, answer queries, or collaborate between different departments, having a strong communication system is essential to the successful running of healthcare services. Global Call Forwarding offers resourceful communication solutions that can help increase sales and enhance customer relations.

Communication Solutions: Why Healthcare Services Must Pay Attention to Their Communication System

Callers—patients, users, doctors, nurse practitioners, and more—often connect with a healthcare service for a variety of reasons. Healthcare services such as clinics, hospitals, therapy and rehabilitation, online and virtual patient care, medical insurance businesses, and pharmaceutical companies need a well-built communication system to:

Handle and store patient information
Schedule appointments
Maintain communication between doctors, patients, and pharmacies
Provide caller switch drug information to users and medical professionals
Screen for clinical trial
Fill and refill prescriptions
Register complaints and concerns
Provide recall hotlines
File insurance claims
Collect feedback, and more.

Let’s have a look at four core communication solutions—toll free numbers, call recording software, outbound calling, and IVR—that can reinvent how your healthcare service communicates.

1) Toll Free Business Numbers

Toll free business numbers are one of the most popular communication solutions available. They help further solidify a reliable means of communication and support incoming call volumes. Calls made to such numbers are free for the caller as they charge the receiver instead. This makes it easy and free for callers to quickly get in touch with your business and not have to worry about paying high long-distance fees.

Furthermore, you can use extensions to demonstrate professionalism. Callers can then instantly connect with the right department or professional for their needs. You can have extensions for different activities such as scheduling appointments, drug information, complaints and suggestions, prescriptions renewal requests, etc.

2) Call Recording Software

A call recording software, offered by virtual phone service providers, enables you to record and review calls. You can choose to record all incoming and outgoing calls or only certain types of calls. In fact, businesses offering phone therapy prefer recording calls for documentation purposes.

Call recording for healthcare services ensures your service is HIPPA and MIPPA compliant while also keeping records of important transactions and payments. Additionally, it lets you collect customer data quickly and with fewer errors, as opposed to manual note-taking. This data can then be used to review patient files, clinical trial screening, and collection of feedback. Another reason why a call recording software is beneficial to healthcare service is that it helps reduce liabilities based on false claims and misunderstandings by acting as evidence.

An additional benefit is that you can review recorded calls for quality assurance purposes and to study consumer behavior and preferences. This can give you insights into better ways to serve your customers.

3) Outbound Calling

An outbound calling service is generally used by sales and customer support teams. This service encourages and supports outbound sales and enhances customer support efforts. Your healthcare service can use outbound calling to connect with customers regarding recent visits, renewal and payment reminders, recalls, or to inform them of company updates and promotions.

What outbound calling does best is it gives you a means to building strong relationships with callers by letting you follow up with them and increase satisfaction. Such interaction can go a long way in increasing confidence and trust in your business.

Global Call Forwarding also offers outbound call recording software that lets you review and study outgoing calls to identify areas of strength and weakness.

4) Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

An interactive voice response (IVR) is an automated response that answers incoming calls and presents callers with a set of menus. A common example of IVR is a prerecorded voice asking callers to “Press 1 for [insert language preference], 2 for [insert language preference].” The next level can target more specific categories or departments. For example, “to make an appointment, Press 1. For billing and payments, Press 2. To renew your prescription, Press 3,” and so on.

Having an IVR system integrated within your communication system can help your employees handle incoming call volumes by distributing them. Callers are able to complete simple tasks by interacting with the automated voice and prerecorded messages. And if their case or concern is too complex, they can be transferred to an employee or agent. Having your system set up this way only strengthens the image of your service as an established one that takes customer care seriously. Learn more about how to create a perfect IVR system for your business.

Consider Investing in These Communication Solutions

The best way to know what works for you and your business is to research and give the service or product a chance to work. You can get these communication solutions from the world’s most trusted provider, Global Call Forwarding for a reasonable price. Sign up or call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 to learn more.