Call Management

Phone number masking is a popular cloud communication feature being used by companies around the world for various reasons. In this post, we will go through different examples of number masking in use. In other words, how are companies using this service, and how do they benefit from it?

But first, we need to understand what number masking is and how it works.

Let’s dive in.

What is Number Masking?

Number masking, also known as call masking, is a VoIP feature that allows you to hide or “mask” your phone number. You can choose to completely hide the number from displaying on caller IDs or replace it with a different number, which is called caller ID override.

How Does a Number Masking Solution Work?

Once subscribed to a cloud phone service provider, you can set up call masking within their features. This will let you hide or display another phone number in place of your original or personal number. Then, when you call someone, they will see your masked number and won’t be privy to the actual number.

You can set up phone number masking in a few ways:

• Connecting our phone numbers to your PBX system
• Changing your outbound caller ID through the GCF control panel or account dashboard
• Changing your caller ID through the softphone app

You can get a call masking service from a cloud phone number provider like Global Call Forwarding that has the capability to hide or display specific phone numbers.

If you have a phone number plan with Global Call Forwarding, you can update your caller ID and use call masking in all three ways mentioned above.

Note: FCC rules prohibit anyone from using phone number masking with the intent to defraud, cause harm or wrongly obtain anything of value. We reserve the right to cooperate with legal authorities and/or injured third parties in the investigation of any suspected crime or civil wrong.

Who Uses Masked Numbers? Use Cases

Why use a masked number? From individuals to businesses, many different users would want to mask their number and avoid displaying their original phone number. Here are some use cases of number masking:

1. Remote Teams

Number masking comes in handy when your employees work remotely and need to make customer calls from their own phones. By masking their phone number, they can protect their personal information and make calls from the business number instead. This way, they appear professional and maintain credibility when calling customers.

2. Global Reach

Like with remote teams, global teams can use call masking when placing calls to customers in different regions and countries. Here, instead of hiding the number, they can show a local phone number that your business owns for a particular region or country. For example, an employee in the US calling a customer in Mexico can override the caller ID to display a local Mexico phone number instead of their personal US number. Customers are more likely to answer when they see calls coming from a local caller ID.

3. Vendor-Buyer Interactions

When managing vendor and buyer interactions — such as with a delivery service or online marketplace — it is essential to track leads and maintain excellent customer service. And part of this is facilitating vendor-buyer relationships in a comfortable and secure manner.

Masking the phone numbers of your vendors and customers ensures their privacy and protection. They can contact each other during the time of the order and not outside of that. This makes sure no one is bothered on their personal line outside of the business interaction.

You can use number masking to manage vendor-buyer interactions and driver-customer communication. Some common examples for where number masking proves helpful:

• Ride sharing apps like Uber, Lyft
• Delivery services like Doordash, Uber Eats, FedEX
• Online marketplaces like Etsy, Amazon
• Pet sitting like Rover, Spruce
• Other services like TaskRabbit, ChoreRelief

Number Masking Solution from Global Call Forwarding

You can get phone number masking with our Outbound Calling software. Simply add this service to your existing phone plan or purchase a phone plan with us.

Check our pricing page for more details, or talk to an expert today!

The growth rate for call centers and contact centers continues to rise, with more businesses looking to outsource their sales and customer service. And with advancements in telecommunications and global telephony, it is easier than ever to increase profits and revenue with a contact center.

But this is harder to achieve with outdated and vulnerable technology. With the right legacy contact center modernization, you can transform your contact center into a customer experience center.

What is Legacy Contact Center Transformation?

Legacy contact center transformation or modernization is the process of replacing or modernizing legacy phone systems and contact center technologies with new, modern ones. For most businesses, this might mean switching over to a cloud-based contact center software or using contact center as a service (CCaaS).

When you upgrade or transform your contact center, you set your company and your employees up for success. This is because you use modern technology to improve quality and scalability. And you pay for the contact center tech you need with flexible terms.

Need for Legacy Contact Center Transformation

The primary purpose of a contact center is to offer customer service and sales support to different businesses. As your contact center adds on new clients and companies, you will need advanced technology to support your teams.

For example, you may onboard clients from different countries or who have customers spread across globally. In this circumstance, you will need to provide customer service and sales globally. Legacy systems may support global coverage, but they are not as cost-effective as cloud-based solutions built for virtual and global scalability. The same goes for contact centers that want to offer remote or hybrid work capabilities. Cloud-based solutions are easier to manage than traditional legacy systems.

With legacy systems, you will:

• Need to purchase, install, and maintain heavy-duty hardware
• Run your contact center on outdated technology
• Enter long-term contracts and overpay for basic, essential services
• Lack flexibility and scalability to support your remote, flexible, and global teams

This is why many businesses are gradually switching to cloud communications solutions.

What Does Contact Center Modernization Look Like

With legacy contact center transformation, you open up new avenues of growth and modernization within your business.

Advanced and cloud-based technology
Cloud contact center solutions come equipped with modern features and tools to help your teams do their jobs well. Use SIP trunking to make high-quality voice calls and route calls automatically to the correct department or employee based on preset rules. Forward calls internationally without paying high international calling rates.

Local, remote, and global teams
You have the opportunity to bring in advanced technology and features to support your local, remote, and global teams. You can offer services in neighboring countries as well as remote locations without increasing your budget. This lets you offer your customers more varied solutions.

Benefits of Contact Center Modernization

So, why do you need to transform your contact center? Here are some key benefits of investing in legacy contact center transformation for your company:

1. Newer systems come with advanced features and improved functionality
Use fast and updated technology to offer high-quality service. Gain access to multiple advanced and premium features and functionality to manage your contact center as you want to.

2. Easier to install and maintain
A cloud-based contact center is quick to set up and does not require additional hardware or software to run. You can, therefore, get your teams up and running with little to no downtime, whether they work in-office or remotely. Additionally, you do not have to worry about maintaining and updating your contact center tech as the provider takes care of those factors.

3. Enterprise-grade security and reliability
Since they are not always updated with modern security measures, legacy systems have security vulnerabilities that leave them prone to cyberattacks. But with new technology and software, you can expect improved security and encryption that will keep your contact center and customer data safe.

4. Unlimited scalability to let your contact center grow efficiently
Modern contact center solutions are designed to help your business grow easily without incurring more expenses. This means that you do not need to buy additional services or equipment to add new lines, support larger call volumes, or offer services in different regions. You simply add them to your existing system and not worry about downtime. Adding them to the existing system lets you control all communications in one place through one provider instead of dealing with multiple service providers.

5. Reduce contact center costs
By bundling contact center technologies, you can save on hardware and software costs. Additionally, your business can save on the high cost of dealing with cyberattacks and retrieving lost data with increased security.

Cloud contact center providers will also help you expand your reach beyond geographic borders with low-cost local and international toll free numbers and international call forwarding. This means you can scale your business easily without crossing your budget.

6. Access to integrations
In the name of efficiency, modern phone system solutions let you integrate your business communication system with other business tools so that your users can access all important information in one place. This enables them to be more productive and efficient and leads your contact center to drive desired results.

7. Set your staff up for success
Your teams can use various features to create a custom phone system that works best for your needs. Modern contact center solutions help them do their jobs without any hiccups or issues. Through this, you can support your local, remote, and international team with the right technology and resources.

How to Transition from a Legacy Contact Center

According to a recent report, nearly all IT buyers and decision-makers plan to modernize IT infrastructure to increase operational efficiency. However, IT teams face increased pressure to strike the perfect balance between supporting key services, aligning with the budget, and setting up a foundation that is forever-scalable. And so, a lot goes into deciding how to modernize your legacy infrastructure.

To transform your contact center into one that supports your employees and customers effectively, you first need to develop a plan of action. This entails how you will modernize your system, what provider you choose, and when you will begin the process.

1. Consider Important Factors

Before you set out to transform your legacy contact center, you first need to consider a few key factors:

1. Workload and IT architecture — What is your current communication infrastructure? What areas can benefit from modernization? Audit existing technologies, software, hardware, location of teams, and so on. This will help you determine each department’s value and functionality and how you can use modernization to improve ROI.

2. Operational changes — Next, look at your existing workflow. Where can you optimize processes and productivity? What new technology do you need to achieve these changes? Get feedback from your teams and employees to determine how you can use modernization to help them become more efficient.

3. Finances — Then, evaluate your budget. How much can you spend on this upgrade? You will notice that upgrading your contact center will prove cost-effective in the long run, when compared to using legacy systems. But it is a good idea to keep track of what needs to be updated and what takes priority within the budget.

4. Security and reliability — Next, what security measures do you want your communication infrastructure to have? How does your new provider protect from data loss and cyberattacks? Discuss with your internal IT team to understand what to expect from your new contact center technology.

5. Prepare for possible downtime — Finally, you will need to plan for possible costly downtime and impacts on business continuity. You can discuss a timeline of the upgrade with your IT team and contact center provider to get an idea of how long the process will take and how you can prepare for any disasters and upgrade smoothly.

2. Choose a Cloud Contact Center Provider

The next step is to research and find a cloud contact center provider to help you achieve your modernization goals. Use your audit to identify the changes, features, and technology you need from your new contact center.

Then shop around to see what most providers offer. Compare different providers based on:

• Features and services they offer,
• Extent of global reach,
• Pricing options and flexibility,
• Contact center migration process,
• Responsive customer service and technical support,
• Customer reviews and testimonials.

Then, analyze each provider and decide on one that fits your needs and budget.

3. Weigh Your Options

Next, consider how you will conduct the digital transformation. Will you switch over entirely or in parts? This again warrants a conversation with your provider and internal IT team; together, you will have to determine the best solution for your setup.

1. Complete Replacement
Migrate in a single move. All solutions, telephony, and agents are moved over to the new system at the same time.

Pro tip: Use this solution if your current systems need an urgent upgrade or you want to consolidate multiple vendors into one platform.

2. Phased Migration
Migrate one solution at a time. You may first migrate telephony (inbound and outbound voice), then digital services (email and live chat), and then self-service (knowledge base and automation), or in an order that works for you.

3. Phased Telephony
Switch in parts. Some agents continue to use the legacy system and solutions while others switch over to the new setup. Then, once the others have successfully switched over, the rest of the agents can switch over too.

Pro tip: Use phased migration if you are not ready to switch over completely and don’t want to risk costly downtime or losing data.

4. Begin Your Contact Center Migration

Once you’ve settled on a provider and a migration plan, you can start the process of transforming your contact center. Prepare your employees by informing them of upcoming changes and training that may be required. Create guides and tutorials that will help them onboard quickly. Let them know what the disaster and backup plan entails and who to reach out to if something fails.

Transforming Legacy Systems with Global Call Forwarding

Global Call Forwarding is a cloud-based global telephony provider that provides businesses with phone system solutions. We can help you get cloud contact center solutions and create a phone system that is flexible, scalable, and efficient. Want to learn more? Speak with our telecom experts today, or chat with us online!

With any business move, you want to plan and prepare effectively so that you can make the right decision. Similarly, before you set out to offer 24/7 global customer support, you need to consider a few factors from deciding your customer support infrastructure to finding a global telephony provider.

Here is a detailed guide for businesses preparing to expand internationally and offer global customer support.

Gearing Up to Offer 24/7 Global Customer Support

In this guide to offering global customer support, we will cover the basics of providing global customer support:

1. Does Your Business Need to Offer Global Customer Support?
2. Benefits of 24/7 Customer Service
3. How Can Your Business Offer 24/7 Support?
4. 9 Things You Need to Do Before Providing Global Customer Support

Does Your Business Need to Offer Global Customer Support?

The short answer is — it depends on your company and business goals. Does your company plan to expand internationally? Do you have customers in multiple countries spread across the globe? Do you want to offer more responsive and 24/7 customer support?

Global customer support is a way of offering 24/7 customer service by positioning your support teams globally. This way, you can access a broader customer base, establish a local presence in target markets, and increase international sales.

Benefits of 24/7 Customer Service

So, why should your business consider offering global customer support and technical support?

1. Get more global customers
2. Expand global reach and coverage
3. Add new markets and regions to your business’ customer base
4. Meet rising customer expectations
5. Balance the workload across multiple support teams
6. Retain more customers by offering responsive support
7. Increase revenue and sales

How Can Your Business Offer 24/7 Support?

There are a few different ways your business can offer global 24/7 customer support:

1. Phone support — Routing inbound calls to customer support agents wherever they are located.
2. Email and ticketing software — One of the most popular 24/7 support options to help customers report an issue and receive automated responses till a customer support agent is available for assistance.
3. Live chat and chatbots — Offer troubleshooting support via chat, answer simple requests, and collect customer data.
4. Self-service support — Offer Knowledge Base and support articles, FAQs, and tutorials that answer common questions and resolve issues without live interaction.
5. Automated support — Includes AI chatbots, interactive voice response (IVR systems), email automation, and so on.

However, what you offer depends on your resources and budget. You may find phone service providers or customer service solutions that offer a bundle of these services together for discounted rates. Consider your options before making a decision.

9 Things You Need to Do Before Providing Global Customer Support

There are a couple of things you need to watch for before you set out to offer 24/7 global customer support — from finding new technology to using automation to streamline business processes.

Here are 9 factors to consider if you want to offer 24/7 global support:

1. Decide How Your Business Will Offer Global Global Support

The first thing you need to consider while preparing your business for global support is to decide how you will offer service and assistance internationally. Depending on your resources and budget, you can find a global customer support solution that allows you to reach a wider audience and increase international sales.

The most common setup for international customer support is offering global voice support accompanied by email, live chat, and self-service support. But you can configure your setup to meet your business needs and goals. Here are some ways you can offer support:

1. Phone calls with in-house customer service agents with advanced routing
2. Outsourcing customer support calls to call centers and contact centers
3. Live chat and chatbots
4. Email support and ticketing
5. Video support and conferencing
6. Social media management
7. Self-service support

2. Choosing a Global Telephony Provider

Next, you need to find a global telephony provider who can support voice and business communication requirements. Determine the different factors your business needs to offer global customer support efficiently. Then, look for a provider with solutions that help your employees accomplish these goals. Some features and services to look for in a global telephony provider include:

• Voice coverage in target countries and regions.
• Cloud phone numbers such as local and toll free numbers from countries worldwide.
• Advanced call routing and international call forwarding.
• Cloud IVR or auto-attendants.
• Support for other communication channels such as email, voicemail, text messaging, fax, etc.
• API to integrate into your existing system.
• Softphones to let users make and receive calls from any location or device.
• 24/7 technical and customer support.

These aside, you can get access to other premium services and tools. Review what different providers have to offer so you can find the right fit for your business.

3. Choosing Between On-Premise Support vs. Call Center Outsourcing

At this point, you will also need to decide whether you want to run this on-premise with cloud call center technology or outsource to an omnichannel call center.

On-Premise Cloud Call Center Software

Cloud call center software comes equipped with various features and tools that help you offer global customer support from your headquarters, satellite offices, and remote agents. Your business can adopt a follow the sun support model by routing calls to employees in different regions.

In other words, with cloud-based software, you can hire employees in multiple locations and connect them to your centralized hub. You do not need additional services for these employees. Simply route calls to different locations during different hours. This gives you more flexibility and control over your customer support.

Additionally, since most providers offer different pricing options, you can choose one that works well within your budget. This way, you can cut down on outsourcing calls by managing everything with in-house and remote teams.

Call Center Outsourcing

Call center offshoring companies specialize in customer support and have access to the technology to offer quality service. So, if you don’t want the hassle of running your own call center, you can outsource to centers offering global and multichannel support. This can prove beneficial to your business if you do not have the infrastructure to support global teams.

Related: Top 16 BPO Call Centers in the United States

4. Plan for the Costs of Running a 24/7 Support Service

Next, you need to pay attention to the costs of running a 24/7 global support service. This varies based on a few different factors:

• The areas and regions you want to cover
• On-premise cloud call center software:
  • • Number of users (in-house and remote)
  • Call center software costs + additional premium services ($15-$100 per month)
  • Any equipment, if needed, such as desk phones, headsets, etc.
  • Staffing and training costs ($15-$25 per hr)
• Call center outsourcing costs ($25-100 per hour per agent)
• Additional services such as creating a knowledge base and online support center for customers and agents.

Shop around to see where you might be able to cut down costs. For example, you can have your company’s in-house content team work on the knowledge base and support center. Or, you can use a provider that offers multiple services and equipment under one discounted price and that covers a large global network. Speak with different providers to understand what options you have available to accommodate your business needs and decide accordingly.

5. Position Teams in New Markets

Once you have the plan and technology to support your global customer service, you can start placing teams in new regions and markets. You can do this cost-effectively by opening up small satellite offices or hiring remote agents. Then, you can integrate these users into your centralized hub.

It is important to create a process for how exactly your business will offer global customer support. Think about:

• What call routing strategies you will use and how calls will be routed,
• What other communication channels will these teams have access to,
• How will agents report to their managers,
• What skills and experience do you need your agents to have,
• What customer relationship management (CRM) software will you use to record customer interactions and information, and so on.

6. Set Up Call Forwarding and Advanced Routing

Next, set up call routing and forwarding rules. Cloud-based phone service providers will offer advanced call routing that allows your business to route calls based on different predetermined and custom rules. You can set and adjust these rules to match your customer support infrastructure. Here are some common call routing strategies:

• Time-based routing — Routes calls to specific locations or lines based on the time the call comes in.
• Geographic call routing or georouting — Routes calls to specific locations or numbers based on the caller’s location.
• Skill-based routing — Forwards calls to the right department or agent based on certain skills such as language or departmental knowledge.
• Simultaneous ringing — Enables multiple phones to ring at the same time when a call comes in.
• Sequential forwarding — Routes calls down a predetermined list of users.

7. Hire Employees with the Necessary Skills

Hire the right employees to represent your company. This means paying attention to different cultures, customs, and languages for the regions you offer services. You want to find agents who can speak multiple languages, are culturally sensitive, and practice international phone etiquette. Whether you hire locally or outsource to a BPO, you want to ensure they represent your company and brand appropriately. Conducting training sessions and refreshing company values and missions is a good way to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Related: How to Create a CX Strategy for Global Customer Support

8. Build a Self-Service Support Center Accessible Online

Next, you should also prepare a knowledge base or support center online to make it easy for customers and agents to get help and support. This can be filled with FAQs, how-to guides, tutorials and webinars, articles, troubleshooting help, and more.

It is a good idea to have one that your customers can access through your website and another available internally for your agents. This way, customers can get help for quick and straightforward problems while agents have access to support information for more complex issues.

9. Create Efficient Processes with Automation

Lastly, you may want to consider using automation and AI tools to automate your processes and make your teams more efficient. You could use an interactive voice response system (IVR) or auto-attendant to route calls based on your predetermined rules automatically. You could also set automated responses to trigger when customers send emails, submit query forms, submit a ticket, and so on. Another common use of AI is to have a chatbot assist web visitors in getting answers, submitting tickets, etc.

How Can Global Call Forwarding Help?

Global Call Forwarding is a global telephony provider that offers various cloud communication solutions — from international phone numbers to advanced call routing. You can customize your business communication system to create one that is compatible with your global customer service. Call us to learn more about our services or chat with us online! We can help you reach your customers no matter where they are!

Looking to transition to cloud communications? Cloud contact center solutions are designed to help businesses with effective call management, call monitoring and analytics, global expansion, and more.

Understand what a cloud contact center solution is, how it works, and how it can benefit your business.

How Do Cloud Contact Centers Work?

First, what is a cloud contact center?

What is a Cloud Contact Center? A cloud contact center is a comprehensive set of cloud-based tools and services for business communication. These tools can be used by contact centers and service teams in medium-large organizations that need multiple communication channels, advanced call management, remote communication management, reports and analytics.

They are also known as cloud-based contact centers, virtual call centers, and cloud call centers.

A cloud contact center offers various cloud-based solutions for phone service that offer more control over business communications. With these solutions, you can manage your calls and agents, conduct performance analysis by tracking data and metrics, and improve overall customer satisfaction.

These contact centers work over the cloud; that is, they need an internet connection. This allows businesses to access and use cloud contact center features from any location, enabling remote work and global expansion.

Choosing Between Cloud-Based Contact Centers and Traditional Contact Centers

Which is more suitable for your business call center software? To make a decision, you first need to understand what each type entails and the service and costs of each. Let’s look at the difference between a cloud-based contact center and on-premise software:

Cloud Contact Center: Top Features

Cloud-based contact centers come with various features, tools, and services designed for call management and customer support. You can customize and personalize these features to meet your business’ exact needs. Here are the top features of a cloud-based contact center:

Access to Cloud Phone Numbers

Choose from a large inventory of cloud phone numbers available from around the world. These numbers give callers (your customers) a chance to call for free or local calling rates, even if they are located in different countries. This is because of international call forwarding (more on that below).

Global Call Forwarding offers virtual phone numbers from more than 160 countries around the world. You can get:

• Toll-free numbers
• International toll-free numbers (ITFS numbers)
• Local phone numbers
• Mobile numbers (for certain countries).

Buy cloud phone numbers for your contact center and offer global customer support over the phone. Customers from other countries can call your business without worrying about paying high long-distance calling fees.

International Call Forwarding

An international call forwarding service lets businesses forward or re-route incoming international calls to any location in the world. For example, your company is headquartered in New York, but you have a large client base in Mexico. Your Mexican customers can call your Mexico toll-free number, and you can have these calls forwarded to headquarters in the US. This way, customers get to contact you for free, and you get the call where your customer support teams are located. And no one pays international calling rates!

Advanced Call Routing

An advanced call routing feature offers you multiple ways and strategies to forward inbound calls. You can set rules beforehand to manage incoming calls during specific times or heavy traffic periods. You can have calls routed to different locations, offices, and employees. Or have calls ring on multiple devices simultaneously or run through a set sequence. There is a lot to play around with—the key is to identify what routing strategy works best for your business. Here are some key call routing strategies:

• Time-based routing
• Geo routing
• Skill-based routing
• Simultaneous ring
• Sequential forwarding
• Holiday rules

Learn about the benefits of advanced call routing for your contact center.

Hosted Call Recording

Use a cloud call center recording software to record incoming and outgoing calls. No additional recording software or equipment is needed. You can save these recordings on your computer or in the cloud for future reference. There are many benefits of recording business calls; these include:

• Easy record-keeping
• Monitoring quality assurance
• Studying customer preferences and behaviors
• Protecting from liabilities and misunderstandings
• Recording important transactions
• Conducting employee or agent performance analysis
• Adhering to compliance requirements in specific industries and sectors, and so on.

Cloud IVR System

An interactive voice response system or IVR lets you introduce automation within your customer service efforts. The automated voice system answers incoming calls, identifies the purpose of the call, and proceeds to assist the caller. It may provide the caller with a menu of options, pre-recorded messages packed with helpful information, or transfer the caller to the correct department or agent.

You can get a highly customizable IVR system — like the one at Global Call Forwarding — to manage and route calls effectively. Set up rules for routing and forwarding. Add custom greetings and messages to highlight company updates, new hours, new products, service issues, etc.

Outbound Calling

Customers are less likely to answer out-of-state or international calls with caller IDs they don’t recognize. You can use an outbound calling service to increase global coverage and make your customers comfortable answering your call. This is a turnkey solution to help businesses make long-distance and international calls with custom caller IDs.

Softphone Apps

A softphone — also known as a contact center dialer — is an app you can download on your phone or desktop and use as a dialer. You can make and receive business calls with your business phone number instead of your personal number. Softphones are designed to help you make calls, update contact history, access voicemail, transfer calls to other employees, and more, all from the comfort of your devices.

Check out our GCF softphone and how it can help your employees connect from any location and maintain business continuity.

Automated Callback Options

Automated callback options make it easy for your business to connect with customers who cannot easily reach you. These may be customers in remote locations or web visitors who would benefit from your business calling them instead of waiting in long call queues.

Global Call Forwarding offers two types of automated callback services — CallMe Click and CallMe Trigger — to help you connect with your international customers. Customers either submit a short form on your website (CallMe Click) or call a trigger number (CallMe Trigger) to receive an immediate callback from your business.

With our high-availability network and global coverage, you can convert more prospects and web visitors into customers. Reduce friction and improve customer experience by making your business more accessible to interested customers.

5 Benefits of Cloud Contact Centers

There are reasons why companies (small and large) are moving their communications to the cloud — from reducing costs to getting access to better and more advanced services. So, how can your business benefit from a cloud contact center solution?

1. Improved Call Management

With various cloud communication tools, you can design and control the way incoming calls come into your business. You can route calls in a way that works best for your needs. During high traffic periods, you can set up call forwarding rules as backups if your main office is busy.

Or, you may route calls to specific locations and regions to meet your customers’ preferences (language, time zone, culture, etc). Try out different routing strategies to find one that supports your business’ call needs.

2. Increased Global Coverage

Virtual phone numbers make it easy to connect with global customers for low calling rates. By getting access to cloud phone numbers from more than 160 countries worldwide, you can take your business to new markets and increase your global coverage. And your business does not need to be in these regions to do business in them.

Additionally, when you use local and toll-free numbers, you allow customers to call your business for free or local calling rates, even if your business is located internationally. All of this makes your business more reachable to global customers and increases your international sales.

3. Workforce Flexibility

By using cloud contact center solutions, your business can open up to remote working and telecommuting options. You don’t need to stick to hiring and working within your geographical boundaries. Look for and hire talent in other countries and keep remote teams connected efficiently with virtual communication tools.

4. Scalability and Growth Support

The best part about cloud contact center solutions is that you can grow your business at your own pace. As you grow, you can add or remove additional lines and services to meet your needs. Get new numbers for new markets. Adjust call forwarding and routing rules to align with your customer support goals. Pay only for what you need and when you need it.

4. Uninterrupted Business Continuity

When you experience a power or internet outage or your office is affected by a disaster, a cloud phone system can prove useful. You can route calls to another office location, remote employees, or to your smartphone instead. This way, business can continue without interruption.

5. Low Costs for High Quality

Finally, by switching to the cloud, your company can cut down tremendously on communication-related costs. This is because you don’t need additional or special equipment to run a cloud contact center software. And since you can enter new countries and regions virtually, you do not need to open multiple office locations.

Another advantage is that you can access multiple communication tools within this one software. So, you do not need to subscribe to multiple services for your business communication needs.

Need Cloud-Based Phone Solutions?

Get cloud contact center solutions for your business today! Speak with our experts to understand how our features and services can support your communication needs. Call us at 1 (888) 908 6171 or chat with us online!

Want to offer your customers support and sales in the time and location most convenient for them? You can use geo-routing to route incoming calls to the closest location or based on the caller ID. This way, you can match the call with the nearest customer support center in the closest time zone and region.

What is Geographic Call Routing?

Geographic call routing — also known as geo-routing, caller ID routing, and location-based routing — is an advanced call routing feature. Call routing is a cloud phone service feature that answers calls and routes callers to specific phone lines, extensions, or locations based on pre-set rules. With geographic call routing, these calls are routed based on the caller’s phone number and area code. And you can route calls to:

• Business’ closest location
• Centralized call center
• Company hub
• Satellite offices
• Remote agents located in specific regions
• Locations needing more business, and so on.

How Does Geographic Call Routing Work?

There are a few different ways you can set up geo-routing for your business. You can route calls based on location by either:

1. Automatically routing calls based on the country code and caller ID, or
2. Asking callers to select their location from a preset menu.

You will need to use a cloud IVR (an automated voice response system) or auto-attendant to manage incoming calls. You can then set rules for the system to follow and route calls accordingly.

Based on how advanced your IVR is, you can set it to recognize the country code of incoming calls and then route calls to a predetermined location where your employees or agents can answer the phone and assist customers.

Alternatively, you can set up the IVR system to ask callers to type in a number that corresponds to their location and have the IVR route the call to the nearest office location or service center.

Basically, with geographic call routing, you get to choose which areas or regions route calls to which locations, satellite offices, or call centers.

Who Can Benefit from Geo-Routing?

Geographic routing is ideal for companies with multiple locations or a large global customer base. It helps connect customers to agents or employees in their time zone, region, and language. This helps further improve caller experience as callers get assistance matching their time and preferences.

How to Set Up Geo-Routing?

Global Call Forwarding offers various advanced call routing options such as time-based routing, geo-routing, skill-based routing, simultaneous ringing, and sequential forwarding. These features come included with our cloud phone number plans, and so you do not need to purchase additional services.

You can get and set up geographic routing for your business with Global Call Forwarding in a few steps:

1. Get cloud phone numbers for target countries and regions.
2. Log in to your control panel.
3. Choose a phone service line and click on Settings.
   
4. Select Call Forwarding.
5. Then, click on the IVR and Manage IVR Applications. This will take you to our IVR Manager.
   
6. Click on Create New Application.
   
7. Then, under Advanced Actions, choose Caller ID Routing.
   
8. Set up a new rule to route calls based on caller ID.
   

5 Benefits of Geographic Call Routing

But why should your business consider routing calls geographically? Advanced call routing features such as geo-routing have many benefits, from improving caller experience to offering advanced call management solutions. Here is why your business should consider getting geographic call routing for your business communication system:

1. Simplified Call Process

Since callers are automatically routed to the right location or agent, they do not need to be manually routed or transferred. In other words, no talking to the wrong people and getting bounced around. geo-routing reduces the number of interactions by letting the caller reach the right destination on the first try. This also means reduced hold times and less waiting for your customers.

2. One Number for Multiple Locations

Geographic call routing is a good solution for businesses with customers and locations in different parts of the world. Instead of using multiple phone numbers for each region, you can simply use one number and forward incoming calls to the most appropriate locations.

3. Offer 24/7 Global Customer Support

By routing calls based on the caller’s location, you can extend customer support hours by adopting a follow the sun support model. Such an approach lets you route calls from one location to another during different times of the day and based on the caller’s location.

As such, you can route calls coming in from one region to your customer support team in that region or time zone instead of your primary support center. This way, you offer support outside regular business hours, and your reps won’t need to work overtime to manage after-hours calls.

This allows your business to offer customer support globally by letting incoming calls route to the closest customer service or sales teams instead of your headquarters.

4. Local Call Reports

You can also use geographic call routing to get localized call reports. Track international phone calls to get a better idea of where your calls are coming from and where your customers are located. This will help you determine what marketing and sales efforts are working according to plan and which regions need more nurturing.

5. Increased Customer Satisfaction

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, geo-routing helps your business offer excellent customer support and increase customer satisfaction. It does so by reducing wait and hold times, allowing callers to connect at convenient times, and ensuring callers reach the right agent quickly. After all, no one wants to be waiting on the phone for hours.

Ready to Get Geographic Call Routing for Your Business?

At the core of any business, you want to do everything you can to improve customer experience. The easier you make experiences for callers, the more likely they will become recurring customers. And routing calls based on the caller’s location can reduce wait times and make your business more customer-friendly.

Try out geographic call routing for your business today with Global Call Forwarding. Sign up online or speak with our representatives to learn more about how this service fits your business.

What does a global telephony provider offer and does your business need one? Here is a quick guide to global telephony and how you can use a global telephony provider to enter new markets, grow your global customer base, and increase international sales.

Everything You Need to Know About Global Telephony

A global telephony provider offers various cloud communications services that help businesses connect with global customers worldwide. From generating points of contact with phone numbers to offering cost-effective and high-quality voice service, your business can enter the global stage and increase international sales without increasing overhead costs.

For example, you can test new markets and gradually expand to them virtually, without opening physical offices in these locations. Use global telephony solutions to take your business global and make it easy for international customers to connect with you — whether for sales or customer support.

After all, easy and centralized business communication can lead to more sales and satisfied customers.

Global Telephony and VoIP

Global telephony providers use voice over IP or VoIP technology to enable communication over the internet. By doing so, users can make and receive calls from an internet connection. This offers flexibility in terms of where the user uses the service and what devices they wish to use.

VoIP is known for ensuring high voice quality with low interruptions and downtime. This makes a VoIP phone service provider a valuable asset to any business wanting a robust communication system.

Features of a Global Telephony Provider

So, what does a global telephony provider offer you that a regular phone service provider doesn’t? A bunch of easy-to-use and advanced features and services like:

• Cloud phone numbers — Use local and international business numbers from countries around the world.
• International call forwarding — Forward calls from one location to another to maintain connectivity beyond geographical boundaries.
• Advanced call routing — Route calls to specific locations, lines, employees, call centers, or voicemail inbox based on pre-set rules.
  • Time-based routing — Route calls based on the time the call comes in.
  • Geographic routing — Route calls based on the location of the caller.
• Outbound calling — Make outbound calls from any device using custom caller IDs.
• Flexible voice options — Connect with customers in remote locations.
• Softphones and web dialers — Make and receive calls from any location or device using a web-based app or browser extension.
• Integrations and API — Integrate with other apps and services your business uses.

These features and services support a global communication system. Your business can expand its services and offer global support without bearing the brunt and high costs of international trade.

Want to know what services Global Call Forwarding offers? Check out our services or chat with a representative now!

Benefits of Using a Global Telephony Provider

So, why should your business use a telephony provider, and what can your business achieve by using a global communication system? By using a global telephony provider, your business can:

1. Make and receive high-quality local and international calls.
2. Make it easy (and sometimes free) for global customers to call and connect with your business.
3. Access a suite of advanced business communication features.
4. Offer 24/7 sales and support.
5. Access new markets and target audiences.
6. Manage remote and global teams efficiently.
7. Establish and maintain a global network and presence.
8. Increase overall profit and ROI.

How to Choose a Global Telephony Provider?

When you’re ready to upgrade your legacy phone system, here’s what you should keep in mind when choosing a VoIP service or global telephony provider:

1. Research Different Providers

Start by familiarizing yourself with different providers and the features and benefits they offer. Some important questions to consider when analyzing whether a provider is suitable for your needs:

• Do they offer services for your target countries and regions?
• How are these services priced?
• Are they a CPaaS cloud-based service provider?
• Is their communication system built on a private infrastructure?
• What security do they offer?
• Is there a discount for bundling up or purchasing wholesale numbers?
• Do they offer an API to integrate within your existing system?
• Is the provider a licensed carrier?
• Is their network highly available with multiple connections? Have they partnered with local and regional providers?

Another important factor to pay attention to is their communication infrastructure. You want a provider that has a facilities-based infrastructure that supports cloud communication and global coverage. A regular PSTN provider won’t be able to do this. On the other hand, global telephony providers with facilities-based infrastructure can support real-time cloud communications at scale with high quality and global coverage.

2. Review Costs and Plans

Compare the different plans and prices each of the providers offer:

• Do they offer a free trial or freemium?
• Is the trial long enough for you to determine the quality of service?

It is also a good idea to check for hidden fees and long-term commitments:

• Do you have to pay any set-up or installation fees?
• What is their cancellation or refund policy?

Remember: You do not want to be caught in a long-term contract with a low-quality provider.

3. Review Customer Testimonials

Next, you want to read through customer stories and reviews to see how the provider’s service has been used. Reviews are a great place to gauge the quality of service but also to understand the personality of the brand itself. Here are some things to consider when looking at customer reviews and testimonials:

• Do they serve customers in your field or industry?
• What problems has their service solved?
• What have customers been able to achieve with this provider’s service?
• How do they resolve issues or negative customer reviews?

You should also ask about the state of their customer service teams:

• Do they offer 24/7 support?
• Do they have dedicated account managers who are easy to contact?
• What customer support channels do they offer: phone, email, chat, online support center?

Take Your Telephony Global with Global Call Forwarding

Choosing a provider that meets your needs and budget can be tricky—especially if you do not know what to look for. However, with the right information and approach, you can find one that will help you achieve your global expansion goals.

So, why choose Global Call Forwarding as your global telephony provider?

Global Call Forwarding is a leading provider of local and international toll free numbers that come with an array of advanced call management features. We have been in business for over 25 years, offering high-quality solutions to our customers. When you sign up with us, you get a dedicated account manager to manage your business communication system along with 24/7 responsive customer and technical support.

With Global Call Forwarding, you can upgrade your legacy phone system and scale your business as and when you need. Want to learn more about our business phone solutions? Chat with our experts or call us today at 1-888-908-6171.

Related: Global Call Forwarding vs Legacy Telecom Carriers

Many businesses still struggle with outdated communications infrastructure in 2024.

Legacy phone systems lose functionality and decline in value over time. They will eventually cost you and your team valuable resources and attention.

The good news is there are plenty of options to modernize legacy systems. Modernizing your phone system will not only reduce costs, but can also drastically improve the efficiency of your business operations.

What is a Legacy Phone System?

A legacy system is a software, hardware, or application that is built on obsolete technologies, but still used in critical business processes. A legacy phone system is essentially an inflexible and outdated business phone system that does not deliver modern features.

The most common legacy phone systems involve T1 connections, POTS lines, legacy operators, and PRI configurations. A setup that still leverages copper-based wiring or analog channels is considered a “legacy system.”

Why Should You Modernize Your Legacy Phone System?

Legacy system modernization can provide many excellent opportunities for your business.

The common saying to “not fix what isn’t broken” does not apply to digital transformation. Businesses today must replace older, inefficient systems and adopt more modern technologies in order to stay competitive over the next decade.

In fact, according to a recent report, nearly all IT buyers and decision-makers plan to modernize IT infrastructure to drive meaningful outcomes and increase operational efficiency.

7 Reasons to Modernize Your Phone System

Your legacy phone system will cost you in many different ways. Here are some of the most common reasons to modernize your business phone system.

• High Costs

In order to set up an old-school business phone system, you would need to purchase and install clunky hardware. There are also oftentimes hidden fees for hardware usage and technical support. On top of that, legacy telecom carriers usually try to lock their customers into long-term contracts.

• Maintenance

Maintaining a legacy phone system can be time-consuming. Updating the software, hardware, and underlying infrastructure can consume valuable resources that could instead be put towards other projects.

Repairs are also a pain as the manufacturer might no longer make your parts. You might have to resort to buying used hardware of questionable quality.

Troubleshooting outdated tech can be even more of a headache. Maintenance could require someone on-hand who is properly trained in using your specific phone system. As your technology systems age, there will be fewer qualified engineers and technicians available to help.

• Flexibility

The 2020 pandemic proved the importance of flexible infrastructure that is quick adapt to everchanging business needs. With the rise of telecommuting and remote work, employees should be using a cloud-based phone system that enables them to work from anywhere in order to ensure business continuity.

Another thing to consider is changing office locations or global expansion. You’ll need to uninstall, transport, and reinstall your equipment. This can be a confusing and time-consuming process. Modern phone systems, on the other hand, can be set up instantly.

• Scalability

What happens when your growing business needs to hire new employees, open new offices, etc.? It’s not easy to scale a legacy phone system.

For one, a traditional business phone system can only support a finite number of phone lines. If you exceed that number, you’ll need to add additional ports or buy more equipment.

Similarly, if you need to support a larger call volume, you’ll need to buy extra equipment to increase call capacity. If your legacy phone system is not able to support incoming call traffic, callers will hit busy signals and / or abandon their calls. This could result in lost revenue.

• Features

Many modern UC providers offer advanced service features and access to call detail records. These can help improve customer experience and internal reporting.

Your current phone system might allow you to answer calls, but it could be missing a lot of functionality that many cloud phone systems offer.

• Security

Legacy systems have security vulnerabilities, and if you’re still using one, it could be liable to hacks, cyber-attacks, etc. If your IT department is constantly spending time trying to patch holes or recover from security breaches, they won’t be able to focus on more profitable projects.

Don’t make yourself a target. In 2020 alone, there were more than 1000 data breaches.

By upgrading to a cloud phone system, you’ll be able to implement best practices for VoIP security to ensure the confidentiality of your business communications.

• Integrations

Integrations are all the rage these days. It’s important to sync your business phone system with other tools in order to maximize workforce efficiency. Legacy systems don’t offer voice integrations or other capabilities that modern systems can. If they do offer an integration, lots of customization is likely needed.

Legacy versus Modern Phone Systems

You might be thinking that it’s time to upgrade your phone system. Luckily, cloud phone systems prove a better alternative to legacy telecom.

• Modern phone systems are cloud-based. This means you don’t need any extra equipment. You simply connect them to your IP network.
• Modern phone systems are generally much more affordable. You aren’t locked into a long-term contract. You can always upgrade or downgrade your plans as you choose.
• Both legacy and cloud communications are very reliable. Modern phone systems, in general are more secure and provide much better functionality.

There’s simply no reason to stick with your outdated phone system. If you haven’t started to upgrade your legacy technology, now is the time. But how exactly could you go about doing so?

Upgrade Your Legacy Phone System

Before making a big change — such as upgrading your existing phone system — you need to evaluate what your current systems and determine the best ways to move forward. This will help you transition with limited downtime. Here are a few factors to consider.

1. Workload and IT architecture
To understand the depth of an upgrade needed, you first need to understand how your legacy phone system works and which facilities modernization. Audit your technologies (hardphones, softphones, features, etc.) and infrastructure to determine their functionality, value, and ROI.

2. Operational changes
In an attempt to optimize processes, workflow, and productivity, think of strategies to improve efficiency. How can newer technologies help you achieve these goals? These changes may include new skills, training, software, teams, etc. When noting down these changes, keep costs and timelines in mind.

3. Finances
Evaluate your business spending and budget and identify ways and resources to support such an upgrade. While most businesses are worried about the costs of upgrading their systems, holding onto legacy systems may prove more expensive. This is because your business will have to invest in other service providers to scale up, which increases costs over time. Additionally, maintaining and updating outdated legacy systems tends to be more expensive than signing up for a new one.

4. Security and risks
Lastly, consider potential risks your business may face. This means possible downtimes, impacts to processes, timeline of the upgrade, etc. Also consider the risks of keeping your legacy system the way it is. If you decide to modernize your legacy system, plan to protect your systems and data before, during, and after the process. This is to protect data loss, maintain compliance, reduce downtime, and upgrade smoothly.

When to Upgrade Your Phone System?

So, how do you know when it’s time to upgrade your phone system? It is time to consider modernizing your legacy system if you need to:

1. Update outdated technology.
2. Stop overpaying for basic services and features.
3. Meet the increase in customer demands.
4. Facilitate an easy move to a new office location.
5. If you are implementing a hybrid work culture.
6. Gain access to better features and voice quality.
7. Prepare for disaster.
8. Protect from cyberattacks and keep data secure.
9. Increase flexibility and mobility.
10. Scale effectively without over-budgeting.

How to Upgrade Your Legacy Phone System

Modernizing a legacy phone system means updating and transforming your architecture to prepare for new technological developments. For business phone services and business comms, this means migrating your phone system to the cloud and adopting UCaaS to prepare for digitization. This enables collaboration, remote work, and increased efficiency. The best ways to modernize legacy systems and upgrade your phone system include:

1. Complete Renewal
This involves taking down your existing system and technology and replacing it with cloud communications

2. Gradual or Incremental Changes
This involves replacing certain parts of your existing legacy system one at a time. While this method may seem cost-effective, you may end up with more and more outdated systems building over each other, leading to further complexity.

3. Minor Patch-ups
This approach looks for quick fixes and workarounds to make the system functional. While this approach may add additional features and functionality, it does not improve the overall performance of the system.

4. Enhance Existing Systems
This method is by far the most cost-effective and efficient one. It involves making improvements and upgrading your existing legacy phone system to work alongside new technology and software. Integrations, no-code software, and APIs can help enhance such systems.

Global Call Forwarding Can Help

A legacy phone system can be difficult to upgrade because of its importance in critical day-to-day operations. There are companies, however, that specialize in legacy phone system modernization.

Global Call Forwarding is one of those companies. We offer a cloud PBX that will improve the effectiveness and profitability of your business or department.

• A no-code solution that is easy to implement.
• Higher voice quality service for lower costs. Very reliable.
• Access to user-friendly software (online control panel, accessible from anywhere).
• Increased geographic reach and coverage (business phone numbers for more than 160 countries globally).
• Access to modern features and services such as international call forwarding, advanced call routing options, automated voice response, etc.
• Quick scalability with multiple redundancies and low downtime.

And when you have these key features in place, your business can improve customer experience and employee satisfaction. Your business can be on par with competitors and even gain a competitive advantage with modern, reliable solutions!

Depending on your business, it can be a quick process or it could take some time. Contact us today to learn more about upgrading your legacy phone system and moving to the cloud.

Improving caller experience goes a long way in retaining existing clients and attracting new customers to your business. But how can you make it so callers don’t have a hard time reaching your business and getting answers? Here we highlight the various benefits of an advanced call routing service so you can make your business reachable and reliable to your local and global customers.

How Can Advanced Call Routing Support Your Business?

Advanced call routing gives businesses an array of routing options to choose from. These are smart call routing strategies designed for optimal efficiency. Whether you have offices and employees in multiple locations or want to cater to global customers who call during off-hours, you can route business calls to multiple locations, lines, or numbers in a way that ensures no calls go unanswered and that all callers reach the right department at the right time.

Here are the key benefits of using an advanced call routing service.

1. Help Callers Reach the Right Employee

With smart call routing, your system that routes calls can identify the purpose of the call by asking questions and providing the caller with different menu options. Then, the automated system transfers the caller to the right department, employee, or agent for assistance. With this, you can:

• Connect callers with agents within their time zone or location, and
• Connect callers with employees they have previously interacted with

Doing so ensures smooth transfers and enhanced customer experience. Customers can connect with the employee best-suited to assist them in making a purchase or resolving an issue, without any hurdles.

2. Reduce Wait Times and Call Abandonment Rates

With advanced call routing, you can route and ring calls on multiple phones simultaneously. Or, you can ring calls sequentially down a predetermined list of employees; when one is busy, the call moves to the next in line. This increases the chances of the caller connecting with an employee quickly which reduces wait times. Additionally, the less time a caller spends waiting in a call queue means they are less likely to abandon a call. This means callers are getting their queries resolved quickly — probably during the first call — leading to higher customer satisfaction scores.

3. Reduce the Number of Missed Calls

Since you can route calls to different locations and offices, you may choose to forward calls coming in outside of business hours to remote agents or employees in other locations and time zones. This way, callers still get support and your employees do not have to work odd shifts or work overtime. And by ensuring that callers connect with someone — even during off-hours — you can reduce the number of calls missed or unanswered.

4. Adopt a Follow the Sun Support Model

Whether you are a big multinational company or a small business wanting to extend services to neighboring countries and regions, follow the sun routing will help you offer 24/7, round-the-clock support — even if your business is not located around the globe. You can make your business reachable to customers and callers, no matter where they are, by routing incoming calls to your business locations and remote agents in different regions and time zones.

5. Provide Global Customer Support

Part of any global customer support strategy is to make your business available to your customers wherever they are. You can do so by opening different field offices in key target markets and locations. Or, by offering multichannel customer support that is monitored 24/7 via live chat, phone, email, etc.

In the same vein, advanced call routing with international call forwarding allows you to forward incoming calls from one location to another without worrying about international calling fees. And you can route these calls to specific offices or multiple locations, as needed. Together, these services can improve the way your business offers support to global customers.

6. Offer Voicemail and Self-Service Options

If your employees or agents are busy and callers are left waiting, offer them voicemail and self-service options. Let callers opt-out of the IVR system and leave a voicemail with contact information. This way, as soon as an agent is available, they can call the customer back and the customer does not have to wait on the phone.

You may even let your callers know, via pre-recorded messages, that they can submit a ticket, or check out your online support guide. These are self-service options they can use to get assistance quickly on their own, without having to talk to a rep on the phone. In fact, you can even design your IVR system to offer troubleshooting help and answers to common questions. The advanced routing system will send callers to the right pre-recorded message based on their input.

7. Add Custom Greetings and Messages

As customers navigate your IVR system, inform them of new features and services, company information and updates, and so on with pre-recorded messages (human, not automated). You can use custom greetings for certain groups of customers (predetermined by the number they call from), holiday greetings for big holidays, and so on. This makes your business appear more human rather than having just an automated response on the phone.

8. Balance Out Employee Workload

By routing calls effectively, you can distribute the workload among your employees. This way, no single employee is inundated with numerous calls and responsibilities while others stay idle. Balancing the workload will enable your business to manage high call volumes more efficiently.

9. Improve Customer Satisfaction

Finally, all of the these strategies, benefits, and use cases help your business offer better customer support. And when you offer reliable and responsive support, you increase customer satisfaction and gain more loyal customers.

Get Advanced Call Routing Today

Think a call routing service can help you optimize your business communication system? Learn about Global Call Forwarding’s advanced call routing and international call routing services. Call us today at 1 (888) 908 6171 or chat with our representatives online!