Category: Business Insights

Metro PCS, now known as Metro by TMobile, is a nationwide prepaid wireless phone carrier. Although this company offers great pricing and service, MetroPCS phones may not be right for business needs. However, there is an easy and affordable way to utilize your Metro by TMobile phone as your business phone system. In this article, we tell you how you can transform your Metro phone. This way, you can optimize the way your company does business over the phone. And, along those lines, take advantage of a number of options you can gain.

Some Information About MetroPCS

No one likes signing their life away to huge nationwide cellular providers. Big companies like AT&T, Verizon, and even TMobile require annual service contracts. And, of course, with these contracts often come unsuspecting fees. Not to mention the situation you’d be in if you lose or break your phone. Without insurance, you could be left to pay your dues even if you don’t have a phone. Fortunately, companies like MetroPCS offer a way around these annual (or longer) phone contracts with prepaid wireless options. Instead of committing to a contract, MetroPCS customers can purchase prepaid services for their wireless devices. This way, they can avoid the contracts that other large cellular providers require. And, fortunately, they still use the same, great nationwide coverage that other providers offer.

Some History About MetroPCS

MetroPCS has been around since 1994 (back then, it was General Wireless). By 2005, it grew to service over 1.5 million people. This big growth and expansion caught the eye of another major cellular service provider, TMobile. In 2012, MetroPCS and TMobile merged. By 2013, MetroPCS existed no longer due to this merger. And, a new company, Metro by TMobile, was born. Currently, the company is one of the largest that offers prepaid phone plans. Plus, it was one of the first to offer unlimited phone services (phone, talk, and text).

The Need for Virtual Phone Numbers

If you’ve had MetroPCS phones, you know they offer one phone number for each phone. And, you know that they don’t offer business Metro PCS phone plans with the standard business phone features. However, the need to be able to do business on cellphones is increasing. Likewise, you may want to be able to use your phone for business reasons. Fortunately, virtual phone numbers offer this solution. And, this ensures you won’t have to consider being a Metro PCS customer.

Pairing Your MetroPCS Phone With Virtual Phone Numbers

Pairing MetroPCS phones with virtual phone numbers provide many benefits. First and foremost, you can choose any business phone number with any area code. And, you can add and subtract phone numbers whenever you need. Secondly, you can create a business phone system right on your mobile device. This also means you can use any of the business phone service features you need. These can include call forwarding, time of day routing, simultaneous ringing, extensions, and more. Third, you can keep your MetroPCS phone plans for personal lines. And, add virtual numbers for business on the same MetroPCS phones. This means you don’t have to sacrifice the great price of your personal phone plan for a business phone solution.

Finally, with virtual phone numbers, you can choose phone numbers with any area code you need. This way, you can establish business relationships from a remote location with specific consumer audiences. Furthermore, you can offer local phone numbers to customers without having to move to business locations.

Choosing Global Call Forwarding for Virtual Phone Numbers

Above all, if you’re a MetroPCS customer and want to use your MetroPCS phones for business, virtual phone numbers are the best solution. They provide all the customizable capabilities you need to handle your phone needs for your business. And, this saves you from having to pay high monthly business servicing fees. Additionally, it prevents you from even having to purchase costly business phone systems at all. To conclude, to start using your MetroPCS cellphone for business with virtual phone numbers, contact us now.

If your business makes phone calls, as all businesses do, you want to protect yourself in every way possible. For this reason, you may be wondering, “is it illegal to record phone calls?” Certainly, before investing in call recording services that could put your business at risk, it’s best to understand your rights. This way, you can be sure that you’re making the best decision for both your business and your consumers.

Understanding Consent for Recording Phone Calls

There is no one answer to the question, “is it illegal to record phone calls?” This is due to the fact that it could be illegal if you go about recording calls in the wrong way. To get around this, all you have to do is understand consent. But, there are both federal and state regulations that involve consent to recording calls. In simple terms, consent is having permission to record calls before doing so. Consent can come either by you, the person on the other end of the phone, or both.

Federal Consent Laws

According to federal regulations, it is legal to record phone calls if one of the two parties consents. This means that you can make a phone call and give consent to the call recording, as an employee or otherwise. Then, the other person (who answers the phone) doesn’t have to give their consent to record. This is the “one-party consent” law. But, this means that if you are not one of the two parties that were on the phone, you’ll need the consent of the person that’s called to record the phone call legally. However, only if you’re the one recording the calls (rather than the employee him/herself).

State Content Laws

It’s important to note that while there is one overall federal law that permits a “one-party consent” law, not all states adopt this concept. And, with different state laws, this could affect businesses recording calls in these states. For example, there are 38 states (plus Washington DC) that have a state “one-party-consent” law. So, if you’re not in one of these 38 states, you could need the consent of the calling party before recording any phone calls.

Getting Around any Legality with Recording Phone Calls

So, what if you find that you’re not in one of the 38 states that allow for “one-party-consent”? Or you just want to play it safe? You can always protect yourself legally in one way. Simply have a call recording play out a sequence. Use this to describe how the call is recording before a person connects to a person on the other end. This provides the consumer with the choice of whether or not to provide consent before the phone call even takes place. And, it protects businesses from any legal issues concerning call recording. States that require this consent before phone calls are “two-party-consent” law states. These US states include:

• California
• Florida
• Connecticut
• Montana
• Illinois
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Pennsylvania
• New Hampshire
• Washington
• And Hawaii in private call settings

Closing: Recording Your Business Calls

Be confident in your ability to record phone calls to protect your business from any potential threats. It is surely legal to record phone calls, it’s just about knowing your rights as a business owner or employee. Now that you know how to protect your business by learning about consent laws, you may be wondering, “How can I record my phone calls?” Well, with virtual phone numbers available from companies like Global Call Forwarding, it’s simple to set up and record any call you make through your business phone numbers. This is because virtual phone numbers use the internet to work on virtually any business phone system. Above all, they can utilize any business phone feature imaginable, including call recording.

If there’s one thing about being a successful business owner, it’s the need to consider who is keeping your business afloat – namely, your customers. While you may be involved in the day-to-day operations that help your organization function, considering how the customer factors into your long-term strategy often go overlooked. This is especially important for businesses that may have a popular product/service but may not have considered how to remain competitive after the initial buzz and hype has worn off. The secret? Building relationships with customers and winning their trust.

In this article, we’ll explore a number of ways that you can provide customer success and build better relationships with your customer base, ultimately gaining their trust, loyalty, and business for years to come.

Communication is Key

Perhaps the single most important factor in building relationships with customers is the ability to establish a relationship with your customers through direct communication. Easier said than done, of course.

First, you’ll want to offer as many ways as possible for customers to get in contact with your business and be accessible to them. This means that you should accommodate emails, live chat, in-person office hours, virtual phone numbers (domestic and international), the company’s social media presence, conference calls, discussion forums, and so forth. If a customer can’t get in contact with your business easily, expect to lose important connections.

Second, you’ll want to adjust how you communicate. Instead of just telling the customer about your business, you want to have conversations with them to create engagement. Ask probing questions, such as what they want, what doesn’t work, and then offer solutions to their problems that address these needs. Chances are if you’re hearing the same thing from several customers, there’s probably a silent majority that feels the same.

Additionally, make sure that your employees follow this same protocol of deeply listening to what customers are talking about. Customer service is often the front-line of what makes and breaks a successful company, so make sure that new employees are trained in deep listening. For extended conversation, make sure your staff returns voicemail messages, follows up on inquiries, and respond to emails promptly. All of these methods of communication will create trust with your brand.

Be Transparent

Because our world is so fast-paced, it’s not uncommon to hear how another business swindled its customer base or misrepresented its intentions from the get-go.

To be transparent, you need to keep your customers informed of any changes and be as forthright as possible. Customers are more understanding about the setbacks that a company may face, particularly if your brand has been transparent from the beginning. For instance, the founder of a company that continually addresses the customers that make the business possible can directly address possible controversies and conflicts (i.e. a price increase on products) before they escalate. And if your company is experiencing unprecedented growth, you can also make that clear to customers to show that your company is thriving thanks to their participation.

Always Exceed Expectations

Just as consumers get jaded by a company’s lack of ethics, potential customers are looking to bring companies into their lives that go above and beyond expectations. After all, your customers expect great products or services from you; otherwise, they will choose your competitors and seek solutions elsewhere.

In order to remain competitive, it is important to continually raise the bar on what your company offers to keep the spark alive and reestablish trust, again and again. One simple way to do so is to under-promise and over-deliver. It is the mistake of a new company, especially startups, to promise the world but have objectives continually delayed. By making too many promises and underperforming, you kill the trust and predictability that your business should be delivering. On the other hand, when you impress customers by keeping your word, they keep coming back.

Therefore, you need to continually exceed customer expectations faster than anticipated and ahead of schedule (if possible). As a side effect, if your company does experience unforeseen delays and setbacks, you are able to still have a timeframe in which to still deliver on your promises. Similarly, you may want to add additional items at no charge, samples for new products/services your company offers, and coupons that come from a spirit of gratitude and generosity.  

Show Genuine Appreciation

It is important to show appreciation for your customers, particularly the ones who have extended their own loyalty in your brand for a long time and/or have been with your company since the beginning. There are a number of ways that you can accomplish this, such as offering long-time customers a loyalty discount program, exclusive deals, and freebies. For smaller companies with VIPs, you can write handwritten letters with specific details to show that you spent the time and effort to convey your deep gratitude for their business.

Are you practicing ethical behavior? Do you know what ethical behavior is?

Ethics is the way to guide your moral compass. It establishes the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Ethics provides you with a system that will guide you towards making the best decisions when conducting business. The first step to ethics is to understand the difference between good, evil, and neutral possibilities. Sometimes doing the right thing will cost more than doing the wrong thing and you may be unsure whether it is worth it. All people go through ethical conundrums at some point or another. Ethics is not just deciding whether something is right or wrong; it is also about decision-making and taking action for your company and the people around you. Here are some ways to ensure that you are practicing ethical behavior in business.

If you are in a position of power at your company, then setting a good example for your employees should be among your top priorities. The company leaders that lack a strong moral compass and standing within their company can affect their employees negatively. This is because when an employee has an unreliable leader, chaos and fear can take over in an office. Employees trust the leaders who are open and honest with them and rule with fairness.

1. Respect your employees

All humans deserve respect, and your employees should recognize that you respect them because they are all at your company for a reason. As a leader, you should take an interest in your employees’ lives and commit your company to be one that allows their employees to grow.

2. Hire ethical people

When you set out to hire employees, make sure that these prospective employees have ethical guidelines that are in alignment with your company’s. The interview process should be rigorous, and all workers that apply must be researched thoroughly. Be sure to check references because not all can be revealed during the interview process.

3. Adapt to changes in values

Morals evolve between generations, and your company may be employing people from different age groups; from Millennials to baby boomers. Each of these groups has a somewhat different set of moral standards, and you should be understanding of the differences between them. If you find that the gap is vast, then consider hosting an ethics training workshop, so your employees will know precisely what is expected of them.

4. Set the tone

Practice what you preach. If you want your employees to act in a positive manner, then you must also act in that same manner by example. If you’re going to earn the trust of your employees, then there is no way around this. You can not expect more out of your employees than you expect of yourself.

5. Be accountable

We’re all human, which means that from time-to-time we are going to make mistakes. Instead of making up an excuse or passing the blame onto someone or something else, take responsibility for it. Own up to your mistakes. If you want to be an ethical leader, then you need to cut out the excuses and hold yourself accountable. Following this rule will help you to present a better role model for your employees as well. Owning up to mistakes also allows for more breathing room to make them. An employee shouldn’t fear for their job if they make one simple mistake.

6. Keep negativity off social media

Be mindful of the things that you put out on the internet because you can never be sure who is reading or watching. It is not an uncommon practice for a future employee to Google the executives in a company before they accept their offers. Remember to think twice before tweeting about a coworker or liking a controversial political meme on Instagram.

If you follow all of these guidelines, then you should be off to a great start at your company, however, if you feel that the workplace that you are currently in does not line-up with your particular set of values and ethics, then it might be time to rethink where you are working. If you always feel that people around you are not practicing what they preach and are not making the right ethical decisions themselves, then it may be time to move on and look elsewhere. If you try your best to set a moral standard at your place of work and you begin to see small changes in those around you, then you may just be setting yourself and your company up for even more success. Good luck!