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The blog for Global Call Forwarding has articles on the latest customer service trends, telecommunications technologies, and business news.
get virtual phone system
6th December 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

6 Reasons to Get a Virtual Phone System

6th December 2017 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Options for Sprint Wireline International Toll-Free Number Customers

mobile providers logos
5th December 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

Mobile Providers With The Best And Worst Customer Service

telecom terminology
5th December 2017 blog, Technology

Telecom Terminology 101

International Phone Number Providers in South America
1st December 2017 blog, Business Phone Numbers

International Phone Number Providers in South America

paper cups telephone
29th November 2017 blog, Business Insights

How to Make a Telephone with Paper and Plastic Cups

29th November 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

How to Use Verizon Call Forwarding

A complete guide to virtual call center software.
28th November 2017 blog, Call Center

Call Center Regulations

How to add Call Forwarding on Costco Phones
21st November 2017 blog, Business Insights

What is the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

6 Reasons to Get a Virtual Phone System

6th December 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

Virtual phone systems are becoming increasingly popular for business communications. This is because they present a way to reduce communication costs while allowing you to expand your business’ reach. Learn more about why you should choose a virtual phone system for your enterprise needs below.

Why You Should Get a Virtual Phone System

Virtual phone systems are business phone systems that come equipped with enhanced communication features to help you organize and manage calls better. With virtual or cloud phone systems, you can cut out landlines and expensive hardware upgrades. And, you can make room for global expansion, inexpensive international calling, and extended call forwarding capabilities.

This type of phone system is growing in popularity and takes your business communications to the next level. So why does your business need a virtual phone system?

Related: How to Set Up a Virtual Phone System?

1. Global Coverage

A virtual phone system gives you access to virtual numbers not only for your city and country but for other countries as well. You can get a local or toll free number for a different country and offer customer service to an international clientele.

Additionally, you can work from any place that has a reliable internet connection. This is mainly what separates a virtual system from other options. And since most public places now have easy WiFi access, you don’t have to worry about missing the next big conference call while traveling for work.

Calls can be routed to your smartphone, home office, and more so you can answer calls while on-the-go or while working from home. This kind of flexibility means you can stay completely connected to your network no matter what’s going on, or where you happen to be.

2. Flexibility and Scalability

An ideal phone system is both flexible and scalable, so you can grow as much as you need. A virtual phone system has unlimited capabilities. For example, you can add phone numbers, SIP lines, and update routing information as you go. Virtual phone systems work for small companies just as well as large ones. Therefore, there is no pressure to find a new system for communicating with customers if your company expands overnight.

More than that, many startups and midsize companies don’t necessarily want their clients to know just how small their business is. A virtual phone system gives you the tools that display the appearance of a company with vast resources at your disposal. You will be able to use toll free numbers and vanity numbers to improve professionalism and credibility.

3. Cost-Effective Communication

When your business relies heavily on new revenue, you need to have the right resources to cut down on costs. Cloud phone systems help you cut down on communication costs by reducing your monthly local and international calling bills.

Additionally, everything you need to run the system is online and stored on the cloud. This means you do not need to buy additional software or hardware or worry about its maintenance. Plus, since the system is easy to manage and use, you are also cutting down on training costs. A new employee can get started using a virtual phone system almost right away.

4. Keep Work and Personal Calls Separate

New and solo-business owners often make the mistake of using a personal cell phone or home number when they first set up a line for communications. This can get your work and personal calls mixed up, blurring the line between personal and professional time. For example, you might get interrupted by customer service complaints while spending time with your family.

Instead, a virtual phone system will still allow you to use the same cell phone or landline (device), but offer you different phone numbers, different outgoing messages, and different forwarding rules. For example, a 1-800 toll free number and your local area code number can both be directed to your smartphone. However, you can also control when you receive incoming calls from each. So no matter where you spend your time, you can be free from distractions, keeping work and personal lives separate.

5. Use Automation

Virtual phone systems also come with automation features that help cut down time spent on menial tasks. A common example of telephone automation is an efficient and well-designed IVR system. An interactive voice response system answers incoming calls and interacts with the customer through pre-recorded messages and rules.

With such a system, callers can get answers to simple questions such as business hours or location information without the need of an employee. Advanced IVR technology can even process payments, register complaints, activate accounts, etc., on its own. Instead of having an employee answer the same question multiple times a day, the IVR will explain these points through a pre-recorded menu. This will save time and free your employees up to handle more complicated tasks.

6. Block Spammers

Finally, you can block out potential spam and fraud calls. You are less inclined to answer calls from unfamiliar numbers or area codes. These calls may present new sales opportunities or telemarketing hassles. In other words, one is a valuable opportunity, the other a waste of time.

Virtual phone systems offer call screening and black and white lists for this reason entirely. You can prioritize or block certain numbers. Or, you can automatically redirect a caller to a different number. This feature is also useful if you would rather have sales calls go directly to the sales department instead of your office line. Callers won’t know if they are put on certain lists or being redirected.

Get Your Virtual Phone System Now!

In light of these benefits, if you are in the market to purchase a virtual phone system, we at Global Call Forwarding can help. Speak with our experts or sign up for a virtual number and start building your phone system today.

Options for Sprint Wireline International Toll-Free Number Customers

6th December 2017 blog, Business Phone Numbers

In September 2017, Sprint ceased operations of its wireline consumer long-distance service and all the service’s associated features. The discontinuance need not have detrimental results for Sprint customers, because they can easily turn to modern alternatives that will allow for cost effective long distance calling. One solution is to obtain international toll-free numbers from alternative carriers.

What is a Virtual Phone Number?

A virtual number is one that is programmed strictly for the purpose of forwarding calls to another number. Virtual numbers do not require any dedicated hardware. Calls can be forwarded to existing landlines, call centers, mobile phones, or to a voicemail box. Virtual international numbers allow your company to have a virtual presence in many countries throughout the world. Your clients, colleagues, and competitors will not ever need to know that you do not have a local physical presence.

Virtual numbers don’t have to be international. You can even take advantage of them if you are in the United States. For example, let’s say you have a real estate business that is headquartered in New York, but you want to attract customers in Philadelphia. You could get a virtual phone number with a Philly area code. These calls will be transferred instantly and seamlessly to your main business line, without any caller realizing you may not actually be in Philadelphia, enabling you to have a local presence that can propel your business in this new market.

Which Replacement Carrier Should I choose?

You should consider a carrier that provides virtual international toll-free numbers, such as Global Call Forwarding. This type of service has a number of advantages.

  • Cost efficiency: Because regional and international calls to your virtual business numbers can be redirected via toll-free Internet links, the call is answered without any additional cost to the customer.
  • Local business presence: Marketing surveys show that current and potential clients prefer to deal with local customer service providers. Having virtual business numbers allows you to establish a local presence without having to relocate or send staff to a different area. Virtual numbers also permit you to provide more personalized customer service.
  • Business image: Having a professional image is crucial, particularly if you are a start-up or small business. Virtual numbers can enhance your business profile by allowing you to create different business departments, functions or locations, even when you are working out of a non-traditional office space.
  • Consistency: When you sign up for virtual phone numbers, they are never tied to a specific device. In spite of this, your customers can always reach you by dialing the same number, wherever you are working from, without a concern over who is going to answer.
  • Security: When you use the virtual international number you can log all your calls, which enables you to easily keep track of your call costs. You can see who called, where they called from and when they called. You can also block unwanted numbers to set call limits and reduce your costs. Caller IDs can help you blacklist and whitelist numbers or redirect calls, so you don’t waste time or money.
  • Brand continuity: If you are juggling several products or services through different sources, a virtual number can help you maintain the integrity and continuity of your brand. Even if you have already established a client base who use certain numbers, emails and contact names, you can still port each of these channels to your new virtual communications system.

Advanced customizable features: Global Call Forwarding offers a suite of additional features including SMS email forwarding, black and white listing, rollover minutes, time of day routing, customized greeting, local ringback tone, and simultaneous ringing.

How International Toll-Free Numbers Can Help you Track Marketing Effectiveness

Tracking your phone calls can help you learn which of your marketing strategies are effective and which campaigns are not working. Right now, you may mistakenly think that several of your marketing plans are bringing in results. However, the only way to be sure is to actually verify your hunch with data. When you log and track your calls, you will be able to attribute your phone calls, which allows you to trace them directly to their sources.

Not only will this prevent you from wasting money on advertising, but it will also boost your return on investment. By tracking your calls you can see immediately which of your marketing efforts are converting leads to customers. This will help you better understand exactly how your customers are getting to you.

Call tracking also allows you to recapture dead leads and lost clients. You can gear follow-up calls to specific customer concerns. The extra information gleaned from call tracking enables you to know what a customer wants/ needs in order to complete an unfinished transaction.

If you are not able to clearly see what’s working for your company now, how can you make the right decisions for the future? One suggestion we can offer is to use call tracking with your virtual international toll free numbers. This can work in a number of ways to your advantage, and it can help you determine what the most effective marketing channels are. Then, you will be able to focus your efforts, and your budget accordingly to see the best results.

Can I Keep My Current Phone Number

Yes, you can retain your current number if you choose a virtual toll-free number. You also have the option to transfer your existing toll-free numbers to Global Call Forwarding. It’s a very user-friendly process, and you can complete it all in just a few easy steps. If you opt for our Value Service or higher, we will even waive the porting fees.

Do I Have to Add Onto or Replace My Current Phone System?

With Global Call Forwarding, this is not necessary. Virtual regional and international toll-free number services integrate with your existing phone system. They do not require additional equipment or software.

If you were a former Sprint Wireline International Toll-Free Number Customer, there’s no need to worry about this service being decommissioned. You can get everything you had from this service and more from a reliable virtual international call forwarding service such as Global Call Forwarding. This way you will be able to keep your international customers, allow them to call you toll—free wherever you are, and you won’t even have to change your current toll-free numbers. You get to save money, your customers will remain satisfied, and affordable communication will be available for all.

Mobile Providers With The Best And Worst Customer Service

5th December 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

When you have a mobile phone connection, you know you’re going to have to resort to calling customer service at some point. It could be for information related to your account or for help with an issue, but what you always seek from your wireless carrier is prompt and accurate service. However, when it comes to customer service, mobile carriers usually rank the lowest out there.

Mobile service providers have earned a bad name for their lousy customer service. Poor network and high tariffs aside, mobile service providers are often known to be rude and ill-tempered. Although, that scenario seems to be changing, as mobile companies are realizing the competition. Many have been upping their game in order to retain customers.

Every year, mobile providers are ranked according to the quality of customer service they provide. The ratings keep changing every year, based on the feedback from customers. This year’s survey proves that humans are still more popular than AI-powered robots. Mobile companies, who use robots or other means of automatic customer service, are found to be artificial and less personal by customers. As a result, they tumble in the rankings.

Let’s take a look at the five mobile companies ranked from best to worst according to customer service.

1. Verizon

Verizon is one of the largest mobile carriers with over 147.2 million subscribers. What makes this company so highly rated is its network coverage and reliability. Aside from that, Verizon ranks as having the best customer service among all major carriers. Online support, social media, and phone communication are some of the areas aced by Verizon. They also have a vast range of online resources that answer all questions customers may have about a phone or service.

2. T-Mobile

The country’s third largest mobile carrier right now, with over 73.9 million subscribers, T-Mobile is a strong contender to Verizon. Not only is the service fast and reliable, but the customer service is also decent. The customer service representatives are prompt and helpful, but there are a few issues that keep the company from the top spot. The links to helpful resources on the website are hard to locate, and the representatives often make their responses difficult to understand.

3. AT&T

What made AT&T tumble on the list is the use of automated operators. Customers prefer talking to a human being, and their use of AI automation tools are deemed too artificial by customers. To their benefit, AT&T has a website full of helpful resources where customers can find answers to questions. AT&T is one of the strongest mobile carriers in the country, with over 136 million subscribers.

4. Cricket

Cricket is one of the best prepaid carriers when it comes to customer service, owing to a very helpful website. It is also one of the few carriers to provide an online chat system. Cricket is also responsive – albeit, brief – if you ask questions on social media.

5. Sprint

Finishing at the fifth spot is Sprint, with over 60 million subscribers. In terms of customer service, the company is helpful, responsive, and easy to reach, both through email and on social media. What keeps it from the top spot is the fact that Sprint representatives are known to continuously provide inaccurate information.

The Importance of Customer Service

Customer service forms an essential part of every business. But not every business thinks “the customer is always right.” Not every company is concerned with customer satisfaction, yet it’s those who don’t put profit over the customer’s experience are the ones who ultimately succeed in this competitive market. Consider Verizon’s success in being the most popular service provider.

Any business that is serious about succeeding knows the importance of solid customer service. It’s about treating your customers like one of your own. Top-notch customer service just doesn’t happen when your only aim is extracting more money from your customers. It happens when you go out of your way to provide your customers with a little extra every time.

There are a number of reasons why customer service is so important to a business. Some of them are:

Customer retention is less expensive

Compared to customer acquisition, retaining customers is far less expensive. There are a number of expensive strategies involved in generating new business, but existing customers can easily be retained by providing excellent customer service. Even if your products are expensive, your customers will stay if they get quality service. It is very hard and expensive to get new customers, and a business should do whatever it takes to retain them.

Customer service builds trust

When you hold a track record of providing great customer service, you build the reputation of being a company that values its customers. These days, people will stick with a company only if they have good reason to. If they are dissatisfied with one business, there are many others they could easily move to. As a result, businesses have to work harder to keep customers and build trust in the brand. Quality customer service could be the key to customer loyalty.

Customer service reduces problems

When customers are dissatisfied with your service, a number of problems can arise. You will get a barrage of complaints from all corners, you will probably earn bad reviews online, and even legal cases. When you provide excellent customer service, take your customers’ feedback to heart, and solve their issues quickly, there will be far less problems for your business. Customer service prevents friction between a business and its customers, ensuring both parties remain happy.

Word-of-mouth advertising

Customer service results in word-of-mouth advertising for your business, and it’s something money cannot buy. When customers have a good experience with your company, they are more likely to recommend it to others. This results in new customers for your business, who are more keen to trust your business, simply by the power of word of mouth. This proves there really is no end-point for great customer service; you have no way to gauge the long-lasting effects!

Customer service increases the life of a business

With quality customer service, a business will keep generating new customers. When a business keeps getting new customers, while retaining the existing ones, the longevity increases and the business can last for years.

It is true that mobile carrier customer service has always had a reputation for being below the mark, but with rising competition, companies have realized they need to work hard to keep their customers. Some mobile carriers have been ahead of the game when it comes to providing great customer support, and they are reaping the benefits. For others who haven’t, hopefully they will up their game in order to remain in business and alongside their competitors.

Telecom Terminology 101

5th December 2017 blog, Technology

Written descriptions of telecom or telecommunications topics use technical jargon and words not in most people’s day-to-day lexicon. Therefore, the following glossary gives definitions of some of the terms most frequently used in telecom discussions as an aid to non-technical readers.

Application Programming Interface – An Application Programming Interface (API) is software that facilitates communication between two computer programs. Global Call Forwarding’s voice API gives customers an interface between their software and Global Call Forwarding’s network. The API allows customers to obtain information such as call detail records and monthly usage.

Bandwidth – Bandwidth is the data transfer rate of a network in bits per second (bps) where “bit” is a binary digit (either 0 or 1). Messaging conversations require a bandwidth of fewer than 1,000 bits per second (Kbps). Modern networks operate at millions of bits per second (Mbps) or trillions (giga) of bits per second (Gbps).

Broadband – Broadband is a term for a high-speed internet connection, usually having a bandwidth greater than 256 Kbps.

Call Forwarding – Call forwarding is a service provided by Global Call Forwarding (GCF) for the local or international toll-free numbers that it sells. When a call is made to those numbers, GCF forwards those calls to subscribers’ numbers located anywhere in the world.

Cloud – The cloud is a network of servers each having different functions. Some of the servers run applications while others store data. Cloud-based services, like Google, Amazon or Facebook, own the servers.

CPaaS – Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) is a cloud-based delivery model that allows organizations to add real-time communications capabilities to software and applications.

Fiber-Optic Communication – Fiber-optic communication occurs by passing light signals through optical fibers. This method of communication is favored for transmitting telephone signals, internet communication, and cable television signals because of its immunity to electromagnetic interference.

4G LTE – “4G” stands for the fourth generation of mobile data technology, and “LTE” stands for Long Term Evolution. The radio sector of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU-R) set the standards for 4G bandwidth at 100 Mbps for mobile use (smartphones and tablets) and 1 Gbps for stationary use (hotspots). Since the standards were unreachable, LTE indicates that the technology is in pursuit of the standards.

5G – “5G” stands for fifth-generation mobile networks or wireless systems, and 5G systems will provide improvements over LTE for coverage, efficiency, and reduced latency. It should deliver bandwidth over 10 Mbps for tens of thousands of users, 100 Mbps in metropolitan areas, 1 Gbps simultaneously for workers in the same office, and simultaneous connections for thousands of wireless sensors.

Interactive Voice Response – With Interactive Voice Response (IVR), a computer answers incoming calls, prompts callers for information, and forwards calls to their proper destinations. This is a free feature to businesses buying virtual numbers. The feature is programmable and customizable to suit business needs.

Internet – The internet is a network of billions of computers. Cables or wireless signals connect these computers to form the network through various service providers.

Millimeter Waves – Millimeter waves (mmWaves) have wavelengths between 10 and 1 millimeters (mm). They travel at extremely high frequencies from 30 to 300 GHz where Hz stands for Hertz or cycles per second, a unit of measure for frequency. Because of their ability to transmit large amounts of data, mmWave technology is a candidate for 5G networks.

Modem and Router – A router connects your network to the computer and wireless devices, and the modem connects the network to the internet. Many internet service providers distribute combined modem–router units to their customers.

MMS – MMS stands for multimedia messaging service, which permits the sending of messages composed of text, slideshows, videos, and single images.

Net Neutrality – Net Neutrality is a principle whereby Internet Service Providers (ISPs) must treat all data on the internet equally. They cannot discriminate or charge differently based on application, attached equipment, communication method, content, platform, user, or website. With net neutrality, ISPs cannot intentionally block, slow down, or charge money for specific websites and online content.

PBX – PBX is an acronym for Private Branch Exchange. A private branch exchange is an internal telephone network for businesses or enterprises. A number of external lines connect into the PBX, which switches calls to and from the company’s extensions.

Sequential Forwarding – After a set number of rings, this feature forwards unanswered calls to a maximum of four sequential numbers.

SMS – SMS stands for short message service, commonly known as text messages. The maximum length of an SMS text is 918 characters. However, if a message is over 160 characters, it is broken down into separate messages of 153 characters or less.

Telecommunication – Telecommunication is the transmission of content, including messages, images, and data. Electromagnetic systems, such as wire, radio, or optical, are the transmission methods. Electromagnetic systems operate because of physical interactions between electrically charged particles.

Time-of-Day Routing – Time-of-day routing forwards calls based time of receipt. For example, the feature may route calls between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm to a business number. For all other times, it may forward calls to home numbers, voicemail, or mobile numbers.

Vanity Phone Numbers – A vanity phone number is one with an easily remembered number or character sequence. For example, a memorable sequence of digits could be 1-888-888-8888. An easily remembers character sequence may relate to a business such as 1-800-TSHIRTS for a tee shirt store.

Virtual Phone Numbers – The local numbers, which GCF sells, are virtual phone numbers. They differ from standard local numbers because GCF forwards the incoming calls to phones anywhere in the world. The virtual local number gives any company a virtual office in the community where the number is located.

VoIP – VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which is a phone service that transmits calls over the internet as opposed to transmitting through a traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). VoIP systems are particularly attractive to companies that have under-utilized network capacity.

Web – The web or World Wide Web consists of web pages on the internet computers or servers. The code for the web pages uses Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Universal Resource Locators (URLs) make up the addresses of the web pages. Persons that wish to visit a web page enter the URL in their internet browser, which connects to the site.

International Phone Number Providers in South America

1st December 2017 blog, Business Phone Numbers

Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Ecuador, Perú… the continent of South America is a dream destination and one of the most exceptional for travel and exploration. Bounded by the Pacific and Atlantic oceans as well as the Caribbean Sea, South America is home to tropical islands, stunning waterfalls, and the longest mountain range on earth.

Whether or not your enterprise is located in one of South America’s select countries, you may still want to make vital company connections in any one of these regions. Luckily there are many options for international telecommunications services. Global Call Forwarding takes an in-depth look at each of the following providers and how they may benefit your brand. Our team has reviewed features and packaged pricing options so you can make a truly informed decision when choosing the best services for your needs.

First it is important to choose which types of virtual phone numbers that will suit your needs, such as an International Toll Free Service (ITFS), toll free numbers, or local Direct Inward Dialing (DID) numbers. Once you have an idea about how you want to structure your company’s communications processes, you can read up on the international phone number providers in South America below.

Virtual Numbers in South America: Global Call Forwarding

It may be challenging to find a partner that has full coverage over South America, however Global Call Forwarding offers a range of services available in Argentina, Brazil, Venezuela, and Ecuador. As you may remember reading previously, not all service providers cover every country, so be vigilant in your research. South America’s economy is made up of about 432 million people.

Global Call Forwarding Features

Global Call Forwarding is one of the best international phone number providers in South America, and a wide array of customizable services are offered. These include customized greetings and local ringback tones, call routing based on time, and black & white lists to help your employees better prioritize callers. Simultaneous ringing and sequential forwarding are best for international call centers and larger operations. You may view Global Call Forwarding’s worldwide rates here on their website. These options, along with the number of countries serviced make Global Call Forwarding an excellent option to work with for international numbers in South America.

Whether you want to manage dozens of international numbers, or you’re seeking a simple solution to streamline vital business functions, Global Call Forwarding’s team of professionals are some of the most reliable in the industry. With many years of experience in the field of telecommunications, they strive to provide a quality and cost-effective service for your company.

Packaged Carrier Provider: TollFreeForwarding.com

Tollfreeforwarding.com offers services in major countries in South America. Keep in mind, however, that some countries have more options than others. For instance, your organization in Brazil may use all the local numbers, toll free numbers, and mobile numbers you want with no exceptions. But in Paraguay, you do not have all of these choices available. You might only be limited to just one.

Though based in the United States, Toll Free Forwarding does have a strong international focus, especially in Colombia, Chile, and Venezuela. When phone numbers are used in combination with features such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR) or time of day routing, you can build up a custom service all on your own. And if a member of your team ever has any issues, you can call their designated customer support line based on timezone. Some reviewers say Tollfreeforwarding.com is both responsive and friendly. You may have to keep an eye on the time of day, though, as the times available differ depending on the day of the week.

How Does Pricing Work?

Tollfreeforwarding.com bases its pricing on your enterprise, whether you are a small startup, a growing company, or a large organization. High volume clients enjoy more benefits, such as a dedicated account manager and support team. Your business pays for services by minute “bundles.” The tiered pricing system begins as a “pay as you go” and graduates up to 250 minutes, 701 minutes, 1,300 minutes, 2,592 minutes, and 5,000 minutes. As you continue to expand services in South America, you can change tiers accordingly.

Online Number Providers: VoxBone and DIDWW

Voxbone

Voxbone is an international phone number provider in South America, however, it does not cover all countries. Currently, they offer no service in Venezuela, Uruguay, Paraguay, Guyana, Ecuador, or Bolivia. Despite this, all of their packages include unlimited usage of local landline phone numbers, which is good news. Also, there are no unexpected per-minute fees for inbound calls. If you want add-ons with your plan, you can choose from outbound calling, emergency callings, SMS and text messaging, number porting, and more.

Voxbone pricing is described on their website as “flat as pancakes.” These flat monthly rates allow you to readily understand the price of inbound and outbound communications ahead of time. To view your estimated price, simply choose your country and how many landline numbers you need.

DIDWW

DIDWW is a telecommunications company with many options for virtual and digital numbers. This provider covers a total of 73 countries globally, including most South American countries with a few exceptions. Using their cloud technology, you can redirect calls made to your toll free phone numbers using their simple online dashboard. Other features include call conferencing, call recording, online voicemail service, and a voice menu so your business can stay up to date on the latest communications technologies.

Exact DIDWW coverage and pricing requires you to enter your company name and email into their database first. However, they do promise simple, global, and transparent pricing for all of their clients. A description of billing categories can be found here on their website.

Notes About Online Number Providers

Online number providers must have a large library of numbers and area codes to choose from, and all of them need to be activated quickly and easily. This will allow for a smooth transition for your employees, customers, and vendors in South America.

When it comes to pricing, online number providers can charge your organization per month, per minute, or per channel with some limitations. When shopping for your perfect fit, keep in mind that excellent customer service is key, and before you commit to anything you should have all the necessary details. If it is not clearly explained on their website, we advise you to get in touch with their customer service department for clarification. You want a reliable partnership with an international phone number provider in South America that you can trust.

How to Make a Telephone with Paper and Plastic Cups

29th November 2017 blog, Business Insights

With iPhones and Snapchat it’s difficult to imagine kids growing up without the excitement of making telephones out of paper cups and string. It seems like every childhood friendship consisted of wishing you lived close enough to each other to communicate through your bedroom windows with the latest and greatest in “cup and string telephone technology.” It made you feel like you were getting one over on your parents, while it gave you and your friend a sense of adventure and autonomy. Secret late-night chats about hypothetical missions or the latest gossip… those were the days!

Just because we have actual technology, like virtual phone numbers, that lets us do this much easier, does not mean it’s not still fun though, and making telephones is a great ways to teach kids about sound waves and how a traditional telephone works. Let’s take a look at how to make an effective cup and string telephone.

Steps to Make a Telephone out of Paper Cups and String

For materials you’ll need to buy two paper (or plastic) cups and a non-stretchable string, and you’ll need a pair of scissors. Here are the steps to make a paper cup telephone:

  1. Poke a hole in the bottom of each cup with the scissors or another small, sharp object.
    (Optional) Decorate your cups with markers to customize your own personal cup telephone.
  2. Cut the string to your desired length – we recommend you start with anywhere from 60 to 100 feet (we’ll talk about the science behind this later in the post).
  3. Thread each end of the string through the holes in the cups and tie knots in each end to prevent the string from pulling back through the cups. You may also use paper clips to keep the strings attached.
  4. Then, both you and your partner begin walking away from each other until the string is tight. Careful not to rip the string out, but you will need some tension in order for the sound waves to carry.
  5. Finally, as you hold your cup to your ear, your partner can begin sending you secret messages through their cup. Play with the length of the string to see how shorter or longer strings make the message more or less clear. Have fun!

Science Behind the Cup and String Telephone

While this activity is certainly fun and harkens childhood treehouse fantasies, it is also an excellent chance to learn about telephone technology and sound waves. We can communicate with each other because the sound waves our voices make are put out into the air around us. These waves do dissipate if directed into the air, which is why it is easier to hear people that are physically closer to us than farther away – this is why we shout from long distances.

Sounds travel between the two cups through the following process: when the first person speaks into their cup, their voice creates sound waves which then vibrate the bottom of the cup, making it move back and forth about 1000 times per second – or faster! This vibration travels down the string so long as there is tension and it is not a stretchable string (kite string or cotton twine are good ones to use). Once the vibrations reach the other cup, the second person should be able to hear what the first said. You can speak at normal volumes because the sound waves aren’t lost in the air. But, if your string becomes too long, this can also cause the sound waves to weaken and your message won’t be delivered to the other person. This is why it would be fun to experiment with string lengths to see when the message is clearest, and when it starts to fade. You can also experiment with different kinds of cups, whether they are small, big, plastic, paper, or styrofoam. All of these adjustments will affect the clarity and volume of your message.

A traditional telephone operates in much the same way as this rudimentary version. With actual telephones, an electric current replaces the string, and an aspect known as the diaphragm converts your sound waves to electrical energy, and it travels to your friend’s phone via the established telephone network. Transferring the waves to electrical energy allows the waves to travel further. This is a very oversimplified explanation, but for the sake of comparison, it accomplishes the task of comparing the transference of sound waves to a second party.

How Telephones Work Today – Softphones / Virtual Numbers

The technology we use today even with our high tech smartphones is very similar to the technology that has always existed. Instead of converting our sound waves into electrical signals, they are converted to radio signals. Then those signals are picked up by radio towers and sent to our friend’s phone, which then translates those radio signals back to sound waves.

Virtual numbers also work in a similar way. When you buy a virtual number, it is simply a number that is not assigned to a specific telephone line. Instead, these numbers are programmed to be forwarded to another established landline, cell number, or softphone. The rationale behind this is that during the week from 9-5 you can forward the number to your office phone, and on the weekends, you can forward the calls to your cell phone. The reason people find these numbers and this flexibility attractive is that you can give out a local phone number to a local business even though you may be operating your company in an entirely different locale or country. You can even use these phone numbers over the internet on your computer, so if there is no cellular service, but you have wifi, you can still dial and receive calls.

Back to the Basics

No matter how technologically advanced we become as a society, it’s fun to get back to the basics and have some good old fashioned fun with crafts and friends. It’s good to remember the basics behind some of the things we take for granted, especially with the many conveniences of modern technology. Whether you’re in a small midwestern United States town or the bustling city of Toronto, you’ll see folks walking around talking on their cell phones. It’s safe to say that a good portion of these individuals couldn’t tell you how their phones really worked. It might be time for them to sit down and make a cup and string telephone to understand the fundamentals of the amazing technology we have available at our fingertips!

How to Use Verizon Call Forwarding

29th November 2017 blog, Cloud Telephony

Call forwarding is not a complicated feature to use. In fact, the instructions to follow in activating this feature are not difficult at all. You will be tasked to enter and press a few buttons, and if you are successful in activating the service, you can reap the benefits of using Verizon call forwarding. For some people, call forwarding is simple and uncomplicated, but if you have special needs and preferences, you will need to learn more about it in order to get the most out of it.

What is Verizon Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a feature that is normally used by people for personal or business purposes. Also known as call diversion, this allows the phone call to be redirected to an entirely different phone number if the original number being called is unavailable or if no one picks up the call. If you are signed up under Verizon, you can set the Verizon call forwarding feature by following a few simple steps.

How to Activate Verizon Call Forwarding

You need to use your mobile phone to activate Verizon call forwarding.
These are the steps to follow to start forwarding calls with Verizon:

  1. Dial *72
  2. Enter the phone number that you are going to forward the calls to.
  3. If it is successful, you will start receiving calls whenever your original number is not available.

Another way to activate call forwarding is by following these steps:

  1. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/callforwarding.
  2. Follow the prompts that will allow you to forward the calls to your desired number; it’s quite easy!

How to Turn Off Call Forwarding

If you would like to turn off the Verizon call forwarding service, follow these steps:

  1. Dial *73 from your mobile phone number.
  2. Go to My Verizon. You can access this through your laptop or any other chosen device. Follow the given steps in order to turn off call forwarding services.

This can also be done using your iPhone or other smartphone device.

Call Forwarding – Will it be Expensive?

The cost of adding a call forwarding plan will depend on your circumstances, budget, and how pertinent to your needs it is.

Many people are interested in trying out Verizon call forwarding but they are concerned about its affordability. The amount you will be billed will depend according to the plan that you have chosen. Even if you answer the phone from your landline, the amount you will have to pay may actually be the same, depending on the terms of the service.

However, the only time you should expect to be billed additionally is when you choose to take long distance calls, unless this is also included in your plan. If you opt for a simple phone plan with call forwarding on Verizon, and you decide to have extra features added, you may be charged a certain fee for this.

Also take note that Verizon call forwarding to international phone numbers may require certain fees depending on the Verizon calling plan you have acquired.

Troubleshooting: Why Can’t People Contact Me?

Whenever someone tries to call you and they get a busy tone on your forwarded number, there may be something wrong with the Verizon call forwarding service. Check the following:

  • Did you input the correct number when you were asked to place it?
  • You may have placed additional numbers in the field; verify that you haven’t.
  • You may have forgotten to place the area code.

Double check the number you placed. If you know that it is correct, you can contact Verizon to let them know of the problem. You may be given some instructions on how to troubleshoot the issues you are facing. You can also try call forwarding for iPhone as long as you have followed all of the instructions mentioned above.

The Advantages of Call Forwarding

Now that you know the basic details of using a call forwarding service, you should become more familiar with call forwarding for iPhone with Verizon and the benefits that you can get. Here are some of the ways call forwarding may be of benefit to you:

  1. You allow yourself to become more available to different markets – This is more ideal if you have a business. You allow yourself to answer the calls of your customers whenever they need you. If you cannot be available all the time, you can forward customer calls to some of your employees who will take the calls on your behalf.
  2. You do not have to rely heavily on voicemail. You may think that voicemail is good but when you need to utilize Verizon call forwarding for your business, or you need it for personal purposes, people can speak to a real person instead of being asked to leave a message.
  3. It can be more convenient for a lot of people. You can be reached even when you are not at your usual location and you can also turn the feature off if you do not need it. Just do not forget to turn it off. You might end up being disturbed on your “off” days when you are trying to take a breather.
  4. If you have your own business, you improve your chances of becoming more recognized in the industry because customers know that you are available for them. You can also use some features of call forwarding through a toll-free number. A lot of people may prefer using toll-free numbers versus calling international virtual phone numbers for the obvious reason of saving money on calls.
  5. It will allow you to track sales easily. There are customers who may call your business the moment they see your contact number on your website. You can analyze the web traffic you are getting, and see if it corresponds to sales.

One of the disadvantages you may encounter when you use Verizon call forwarding is if you forget to turn off the function and you do not have a mobile phone nearby. You need your mobile phone to turn off this feature. Check out the different ways that you can turn off the call forwarding feature whenever you need to; it may offer some much-needed convenience in certain situations!

Call Center Regulations

28th November 2017 blog, Call Center

Customer call centers are the bedrock of large businesses’ customer service. Many businesses set up call centers to take incoming calls from customers who need help or have questions about their products or services. While some businesses only use their call center to receive calls, others also use it to make outbound calls for the purpose of soliciting new clients.

Call Center Laws

It is important to know that there are specific federal laws that affect the operation of call centers. These include the Telephone, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the Consumer Protection Act, and the U.S. Department of Labor Hourly Worker Requirements.

While some of these may seem surprising, it is important to know that many call center managers are not aware they can be in violation of call center regulations.

Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Call centers that are making outbound calls to solicit sales must follow the regulations mandated by the TCPA. This body regulates the times that telemarketers may call and their persons they may call.

  • Call centers must not call residential numbers before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.
  • During each call, the customer service agent must tell the recipient which company he or she represents and must also give his or her name and phone number.
  • Call centers must abide by the regulations of the Do Not Call Registry.
  • Auto-dialed and automated or pre-recorded calls may not be made for telemarketing purposes without the recipient’s written consent.

The TCPA permits individuals to file lawsuits and claim damages if a call center violates the regulations.

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

All the main U.S. health insurance companies utilize customer service call centers. Their purpose is to handle inquiries from current or prospective insurance policy subscribers as well as dealing with provider inquiries, verifications of eligibility, and claim authorizations. All call center workers dealing with patient information must at all times adhere to the regulations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. HIPAA was passed in 1996 and mandates the privacy of each individual’s health information. The act is designed to protect patients and their medical information. Call center staff are not allowed to discuss the details of private patient information with anyone other than the patient or a person whom the patient has authorized. Any call center that violates HIPAA regulations is subject to legal action and penalties on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Contractual Requirements

Each individual client to whom a call center provides service is classed as a separate contract. Call centers must, at all times, follow federal mandates for these clients, as well as following the client’s specific requirements. For example, a contract may specify that calls are to be answered live instead of being routed through an automated system. Another contract may request that calls are answered within a specific time frame. If a call center is unionized, it is also required to meet union regulations as well. All specific contractual obligations must be followed at all times.

U.S. Department of Labor Hourly Worker Requirements

Usually, call center employees are paid at an hourly rate. For call centers in the United States, the U.S. Department of Labor administers the Fair Labor Standards Act, which states how workers who are paid hourly must be treated. The employer is required to pay at least the national minimum wage unless the state minimum wage is higher. Furthermore, hourly employees who work more than 40 hours per week must be paid an overtime rate, the amount of which should be of one and a half times their normal hourly wage.

It is up to the call center manager to ensure that there are enough people in the call center to handle the expected call volume at any given time. Call center managers often use virtual software to predict how many call center agents will be needed to handle the projected volume in half-hour increments. This helps ensure that workers get their required break times.

Regulations Regarding Recording Customer Calls

If you record customer calls and you are taking information about the customer’s credit cards, then you need to know that this is against PCI-DSS standards, which prohibits the storage of the CVV2 number (the three- or four-digit number listed on the back of the card). This number may not be stored at any time or in any form even at a high level of encryption. If your company is recording calls and you are not stopping call recording when the customer gives out the CVV2 number, then you are violating PCI-DSS regulations. The simple solution to this problem is to pause the voice recording when the customer is inputting their credit card details so that the call center agent can enter it manually and it will not be stored in the recording.

Regulations Regarding Outbound Calls

Many companies have a recorded announcement stating that incoming calls may be recorded for the improvement of customer services.

However, few organizations provide this information when making outgoing calls to customers. And even fewer take into consideration that they are recording their employee’s conversations as well as those of their customers. At this point, it should be noted that if you are going to record a telephone conversation, all parties must be notified before you commence recording. To avoid legal action, your call center must advise all parties that they will be recorded, and give them the opportunity to opt out if they so desire. It must also be clear that in order to opt out they should hang up. In order to avoid any legal complications with this issue, the easiest option is to ask your employees and contractors to sign a notice of consent form agreeing that their calls may be monitored and recorded.

Network Regulations

You also need to ensure that your call center network system is secure enough to be compliant with PCI guidelines. This means not only having an effective firewall and router but also implementing internal processes that will provide additional layers of protection. You should impose restrictions on all traffic from networks which are considered to be unsafe and never permit direct access between network components containing customer data and the internet.

To make sure your call center agents are aware of security protocols and call center regulations, you should add these issues to the employee training program, and make sure to update your team regularly so that they do not forget to keep all calls 100 percent compliant.

What is the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)

21st November 2017 blog, Business Insights

Have you ever heard a sales pitch on your answering machine and wondered how it got there? Telemarketing messages are notorious in the eyes of the public, often seen as annoyances, especially if the person who received it never signed up for it in the first place. In response to this, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) was born.

First passed in 1991 by former President George H. W. Bush, the TCPA was put into effect for the purpose of restricting telemarketing, or telephone solicitations. This act mainly addresses automatic dialing systems, “robocalls,” pre-recorded voice messages, and other artificial messages. The hope of the TCPA is not to take revenue away from businesses, but to limit and regulate these communications for the sake of consumer privacy. After all, no one appreciates an unsolicited sales call before or after working hours, or when they’re trying to spend some time with their family.

The TCPA Rules

So what are the parameters of the TCPA? Unless the consumer has given express consent beforehand, corporations or businesses cannot call residential homes before the hours of 8am or after 9pm local time. This act not only applies to calling, but to fax messages and text messages (SMS) as well.

The TCPA requires that companies keep something called a “Do Not Call” list. If a consumer requests to be on this list, they cannot be contacted for sales purposes. “Do Not Call” or DNC, must always be honored by the organization and its employees. The Federal Communications Commission does not regulate this list, but every organization must manage their own. All organizations must have a prepared written policy so that if a consumer requests it, they can read the guidelines on their own.

The TCPA Exceptions

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act still allows for businesses to communicate with their clients. If you would like to leave a pre recorded message, all you have to do is meet the following criteria to stay within the boundaries of the TCPA rules:

On the message, you say the name of the organization or entity calling, and which individual is being contacted.
List a phone number where the organization can be reached. Keep in mind that this number must be different than the one associated with the pre recorded message player.
State the main purpose or reason for the call. The purpose, of course, should not be telemarketing.

“Telemarketing” refers to a message given for commercial purposes, the purpose of investment or rental properties, or selling goods and services. As long as the pre recorded calls do not contain telemarketing messages, your organization should be safe. If someone chooses to “opt in” to telemarketing messages, then consent must be given in the form of a written message, electronic form, or signature.

Another restriction applies to emergency lines. Companies are prohibited from using automated equipment to an emergency line, such as 911, poison control centers, fire stations, physicians’ offices, or law enforcement agencies.

Fortunately, many businesses are not impacted by the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, especially if you must leave informational messages with your audience. This includes airlines announcing flight changes or cancellations. Calls for the purpose of debt collection also do not count as telemarketing calls. Again, if there’s no sale involved, then there’s no violation.

What Happens in Case of a Violation?

When organizations are unsure about the rules of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, they risk some very hefty fines and fees. A violation of the TCPA can result in a consumer suing for $500 or up to $1500 on each offense. If any revenue is lost because of the violation(s), then the consumer may sue for that amount as well.

Even the largest agencies are at risk. For instance, did you know that Resort Marketing Group, who represents Carnival and Royal Caribbean cruise lines, violated the TCPA by spamming thousands with recorded calls without their consent? They advertised cruises by leaving unwanted messages on consumers’ phones. Now, as a result, any individuals who were called during that time have the ability to be compensated and receive financial gain.

How to Comply with the TCPA?

Companies with call centers and telemarketing capabilities should not be on the wrong side of the law. It’s a very serious issue. Business owners must adjust their operations to comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act if they have not done so already. If they don’t, they may face some very expensive legal fees later on, just like Resort Marketing Group.

Written procedures, proper training, and regularly updated Do Not Call lists are all factors that ensure you remain free of fines. Businesses can also utilize technology to organize consent information from customers. Keep your teams vigilant about your communications processes both internally and with third party marketing partners so that there are no big issues down the line.

If you want to leave an informational message with a customer, it should remain neutral in terms of content. This means that anything you say should be free of ads, sales, or promotions. If you’re unsure how to word a message, then pre-written scripts could be a great tool for you. Give these scripts to employees and call centers so that every team member is following the right instructions.

Analytics software is another way to keep in line with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act regulations, such as a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. These analytics help businesses understand how to provide the most optimal and consistent experience for their customers.

Your Resource For TCPA Compliance

Global Call Forwarding is your resource for the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. We have local and toll free phone numbers for you to use in over 140 different countries. Our state of the art network offers features such as call recording, call transfer, SMS to email, local ringback tones, and more. For more information about the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, we can answer your questions and concerns. It’s time to invest in an industry-leading service for better quality communications. Contact our team today.