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What is Intelligent Call Routing?

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Simple call routing strategies are a thing of the past in successful business phone networks. These strategies have become outdated as they often generated long wait times, multiple transfers, and …Read More »

3-Way Calling: Benefits & How to Get

The image above shows 3-way voice calling.

It’s no secret that collaboration and communication are two driving forces behind any well-functioning sales or customer support team. Your reps need to be able to communicate with others (co-workers, …Read More »

How to Add Global Coverage to Your Business Phone System

The photo above shows global coverage being added to a phone system

The global economy is much broader and more lucrative. So, expanding to new markets is in your business’s best interest. Advanced technology makes it easier than ever to expand your …Read More »

What is Remote Call Forwarding?

Picture above shows what remote call forwarding is.

With the growing acceptance of remote and flexible working, it is important to equip your business with cloud-based tools that ensure employees continue working even if they cannot be present …Read More »

Understanding the UAE Local Numbering Plan

A complete guide to the UAE's local numbering plan

UAE phone numbers, especially those from Dubai with the coveted (04) prefix, are highly sought-after in the global business landscape. Global Call Forwarding receives dozens of requests for Dubai local …Read More »

What are Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Their Benefits?

What are call detail records (CDR)?

As the name implies, call detail records (CDRs) register all details of incoming and outgoing calls on your system. Whether you’re operating on a VoIP system, wireless phone, or PSTN, …Read More »

What Is An SMS Forwarding Number?

What Is SMS?

A Short Message Service (SMS) is a component of most, if not all, telephone, internet, and mobile phone systems. The service makes use of standard communication systems that allows mobile phones to send and receive short text messages.

There are applications that have text-to-voice facilities where text messages can be sent to landlines as automated voice calls. By 2010, it was reported that there were 3.5 billion users, making up about 80% of mobile phone subscribers.

SMS, as it is used today was developed based on radio telegraphy technology in radio memo pagers, which made use of standardized telephone protocols.

buy virtual phone numbers sms
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Short Message Services (SMS) has become a very reliable tool in mobile advertising, which has become a major tool in direct sales marketing. Based on marketing research from 2014, it was revealed that the global Short Message Service is thriving and was estimated to be worth about $100 billion. This figure only accounts for about 50% of total revenue generated by mobile phone messaging.

SMS was originally developed for GSM networks, but with advancement in telecommunication technology, the service is now available over a wide range of networks across the globe. SMS is now available on 3G and 4G networks.

It is important to note that not all text messaging systems make use of SMS. There are alternative methods of sending text messages as current communication technologies has made it possible with innovations like iMessage by Apple on their iPhone and iPad, RIM’s BBM on their Blackberry devices and email messaging platforms. All of which uses standard mail protocols like SMTP over TCP/IP.

What is SMS Forwarding?

SMS has become the world’s primary means of communication. This is because it is fast and very affordable. Receiving inconvenient phone calls, for example, if you happen to be at a busy train station or at a club, is completely unnecessary. All you need to do is send an SMS.

SMS forwarding is a feature for DIDs which allows you to receive messages from a single or multiple sources on one number. For many, SMS forwarding is a great way of keeping personal details or contact info private and free from intrusion.

SMS forwarding services is a new feature that usually comes with call forwarding services. You can forward incoming messages to a predetermined email address via a SMS forwarding number that is enabled to receive texts.

SMS Forwarding For Personal Use

SMS forwarding is also great for individuals who have multiple numbers and need to keep things in one place. Instead of having to access all of your numbers to receive messages, you can have them forwarded to a single number which will indicate which of your numbers the message originated from.

SMS forwarding is a very useful communication tool. People who have lost their number, or have recently changed their mobile numbers can have incoming SMS forwarded to their new numbers. This ensures that they do not lose communication with important contacts.

SMS forwarding is also great for receiving confirmation codes after signing up for a service. There are many people who do not like to exchange personal information publicly – especially on the internet. Therefore, a SMS forwarding service comes in handy.

SMS Forwarding For Business Use

Apart from call forwarding, businesses also make use of SMS forwarding as a means of keeping the communication lines open and more accessible to their customers. Businesses are able to receive incoming texts from their customers in email format.

For many customers, texting is their preferred means of communication. It would make great business sense to have SMS forwarding as an alternative to call forwarding. By providing an SMS forwarding number to your customers, you have given them a great opportunity to easily make reservations, inquiries, and provide product and service feedback.

Global Call Forwarding provides SMS forwarding for businesses that can be customized via their online platform where changes can be made, as well as allowing customers to view account records and activities for total convenience.

What is An SMS Forwarding Number?

An SMS forwarding number is a number that is activated and used to forward text messages to a mobile number or an email address. SMS forwarding numbers are similar to regular virtual phone numbers. Having an SMS forwarding number can allow you to receive incoming text messages and forward them to a landline as a voice call.

SMS forwarding numbers are usually offered as an add-on when you subscribe to Global Call Forwarding. They can also be assigned as a stand-alone service for personal and business use.

How SMS Forwarding Works

SMS forwarding works by simply sending incoming messages to a mobile phone number or email address that is predetermined by the subscriber. For instance, a subscriber can choose to get an SMS enabled number for the sake of receiving text messages from selected countries.

When a text message is sent to an SMS forwarding number, the text message is automatically forwarded to a receiving email or mobile phone number with the sender’s ID. This way, subscribers can track where text messages originated from.

Subscribers can access analytics and other details of incoming text messages via their online control panel. Details such as time, location of where texts originate from, and content can be viewed. Having access to the details of incoming texts can be useful to the growth of your business. This can also be used to increase the efficiency of customer services and feedback.

Customers can also take advantage of email to SMS gateway services to forward messages to mobile phones. SMS gateways vary from one service provider to another, so do not expect the same offerings from all.

SMS Forwarding Plans

Global Call Forwarding stands at the forefront by offering different SMS forwarding plans. These plans come with different levels of usage, so there is something for every type of use; from basic individual plans to business enterprise plans.

Subscribers can be billed on a per-text basis or based on the number of texts that are included in plan. A virtual SMS forwarding number can also be provided as an add-on to other services that are offered.

Start-up Business Tips and Resources

What Is A Startup Business?

A startup business is a newly emerged, fast-growing entrepreneurial venture that is designed to meet a specific marketplace need by developing a practical business model based on services, innovative products, a process, or a platform.

In recent years, the terminology, “startup” has become very popular among millennial and young individuals with a strong business mindset. Startup businesses have evolved to be more of a cultural movement with an outlook that is a complete deviation from standard or traditional companies.

The modern day startup business offices are not like the typical offices where a certain dress code is mandatory and a formal setting is to be maintained. Startup founders are often seen wearing casual clothes to meetings; office spaces can look very casual with a very youthful and vibrant atmosphere.

What Is The Difference Between a Startup Business and a Small Business?

Sometimes when you hear the word “startup” being thrown around, many begin to imagine coders, software and app developers, and the likes.

There are so many misconceptions about how this term is being used to describe businesses, that it’s often assumed it can only be applied to tech companies. However, the reality is that a “startup business” does not necessarily mean that it is strictly technology-focused. Startup businesses and small businesses share a number of similarities, but there are a few differences that distinguish both ventures.

Growth

One major difference between startup businesses and traditional small businesses is the way growth is being conceptualized. Startup businesses are designed to grow really fast, that is, they typically tend to rely on technology in order to reach a larger market.

A specific instance of startups is how apps can go from having just a few users upon launch, to millions of users in a matter of a couple months; this is the typical format of many startups.

On the other hand, traditional small businesses are designed to scale up at a slower pace. They usually do not have access to financial support to grow fast and generate revenue like startup businesses, so the growth is more incremental.

Funding

The ways that startup businesses and small businesses seek funding can be quite different. While startup businesses often rely on direct funding from venture capitalists or angel investors, small businesses often have to rely on loans and grants. Generally, startup businesses tend to get more help from their investors as they are actively involved in the operations. However, small businesses will usually report to their banks with respect to their loans or grants.

How to Start a Business

There are a number of obvious reasons why more people are quitting their jobs and starting businesses. Firstly, many people do not get the satisfaction they expect from their jobs. Secondly, there is a shortage of jobs in the labour market – which drives many people to seek out opportunities by establishing their own businesses. Another reason is the fact that many individuals have ideas that provide solution to a specific market need.

While many have great business aspirations, they often do not have a clear picture of what starting and growing a business entails. Many will fail as a result of a lack of preparation or market research. Becoming an entrepreneur is not as easy as many want it to be. It requires hard work, time, and a lot of effort.

Here are a few tips for startups and guidelines that will help you to start your business and make it successful.

Brainstorming

This is one of the most important phases of starting a business. Every business opportunity starts with an idea. These ideas often come in the form of solutions to a problem or they must be able to fill a gap. Whatever your ideas may be, there are many ways by which you can turn them into a viable business.

The brainstorming phase should include extensive research into the field or industry you plan to set up your business. You must identify companies that are already providing a similar solution and think up ways you can offer your services differently at a better rate.

Develop a Business Plan

This stage requires you to go into more details about your business idea. This is the stage where your ideas begin to materialize. A business plan will show in clear terms whether your business will be profitable or not. Also, you need to answer questions like:

  1. Who are your customers?
  2. Target market and size?
  3. How will your business be financed? Will you need to apply for a loan or invest your own money?

A well-written business plan will help you answer these questions.

Business Structure
It is important to identify what type of business structure you want to run. The type of entity that your business is will determine a lot of things like how it is being taxed and its liabilities. If you want to run your business alone, then you must consider a sole proprietorship. Alternatively, a partnership is where there are two or more people involved. There are also other options like a corporation and Limited Liability Corporation.

Register Your Business
Before your business can run as a legal structure, you need to register it at the appropriate government agency. This process will involve registering your business name as well as providing other information about your business.

Determine the Type of Technology to Be Deployed
Every business today is being run with a set of tech tools to improve their efficiency. It is important for you to determine what type of technology will be suitable for your kind of business. Technology such as mobile apps, social media, and enterprise software are tools that can help your business become successful.

Insurance
Many businesses overlook insurance as something that they can get away with until they need it. There are various types of insurance coverage. But it is important to choose the type that best suits your business.

Build a Team
Unless you plan to run a ‘one man’ business, you are going to be faced with the task of hiring the best team to get your business running. The process of hiring a team must be tailored to the gaps that need to be filled in operations. Proper division of tasks and assigning roles to your team can play a major role in whether your business survives or not.

Branding and Advertising
A marketing plan should be put together in order to maximize your advertising and marketing efforts. A proper media campaign should be carried out to spread word about your business along with the products or services that it are being offered.

Four Key Points that a Startup Needs to Succeed:

  1. Customers – You need to identify a need that has not been met by the market. Determine whether you can provide solutions and if the market is right for you.
  2. Product – Your products or services must directly help your customer solve a problem or meet a need or desire. If it’s a product, make it very simple and adaptable to use.
  3. Timing – Every business opportunity has a limited window or period during which it will be viable. Entering a market too early or too late usually comes with great risks due to market uncertainties. The best timing is often when there is already a customer base that has not had their needs satisfied.
  4. Competition – Excess competition against an influx of new customers can make the market quite tough for new entrants. However, this offers many opportunities to disruptions that can take on the competition by creating new opportunities.
  5. Finance – Maximizing profit with minimum risks and costs.

Related: Business Phone Solutions

Top Reasons Why International Medical Tourists Prefer Calling Toll-Free

It goes without saying that Asia is slowly turning into a major hub for medical tourism. Over the last decade, certain locations such as India, Singapore, the UAE, South Korea, and Thailand have emerged as the leading countries to promote medical tourism.

Moreover, most hospitals and medical clinics in the aforementioned countries have launched their own websites and also offer toll-free numbers for foreigners to call in order to begin learning about the options they offer in regards to medical tourism. Offering a toll-free number particularly has numerous notable advantages for foreigners because of the following:

It is accessible for free

Customers don’t need to pay for the call, no matter from which country they make the call. This helps them save substantially on international call costs which can be high. Thus your toll-free number becomes an effective marketing tool to engage customers and makes it easier for them to connect overall. This is an immensely powerful business tool!

Positive branding

Since perception certainly matters, a toll-free number gives prospective patients a suitable initial impression. You may even flip the switch for a vanity number that spells out a special word or name to enhance brand recall. Some hospitals build entire brands from their toll-free numbers, such as 1-800-MEDICARE, or 1-800-HEART. The phone number becomes the principal marketing strategy.

Enhances customer service

An easy to remember toll-free number makes it very easy for prospective patients to reach your hospital when they have urgent queries. Most people still seek instant gratification, and a toll-free number is often the best way to satisfy them because it provides the human touch, a voice on the other line, and is a salient tool for providing personalized and convenient customer service.

Flexibility

Toll-free numbers may be forwarded to any cell phone, IP phone, or landline number. Moreover, they are portable, no contracts are required, and the number is transferrable to a different service provider anytime. Moreover, the forwarding calls feature comes for free and enables you to take your business anywhere, whether in the hospital or on the road.

Ensures international presence: Your international presence definitely grows with a toll free number. With newer mobile apps being launched almost every day to help consumers reach out, it’s getting easier for hospitals and medical centers to sell to international customers. The number makes you more accessible to your international customers by providing them with an easy, cost-free way to reach you when they have questions about visiting your facility for treatment.

Affordability

Toll-free numbers, these days, are easy to setup and affordable even for startup hospitals and small medical centers. This is more so as cloud-based call forwarding phone systems make it all the more convenient and cheaper for them. Most major providers offer convenient monthly plans with all-inclusive rates or pay-as-you-go options that don’t require contracts or deposits.

Single point of contact

The number also serves as a single point of contact for the hospital where an international patient can call with any query pertaining to his treatment, services offered and costs, etc. The number is also the sole point for sales and information regarding surgical and medical packages; discounts offered, auxiliary facilities such as foreign exchange, interpreters, local transportation, board & lodging available for those accompanying the patient. Once someone from abroad gets this information readily, it becomes easier for them to decide on the hospital more quickly.

Customer care & support

A vital function of a toll-free number is to provide customer service to its customer base. This particular feature is usable by hospitals to resourcefully and better handle consumer needs and resolve doubts.

Removes obstacles

Research shows that the average customer usually hesitates to dial a hospital’s landline number directly. On the other hand, this doesn’t happen with toll-free numbers which are known to eliminate any uncertainty in the caller’s mind. This ‘free’ aspect encourages an increased number of inquiries and actual visits to foreign hospitals for treatment. Of course, this, in turn, translates into higher profit margins for hospitals. Moreover, additional advantages such as voicemail also help solve routine questions and concerns.

24/7 customer support

A fantastic advantage of toll-free numbers is ’round the clock customer support’ that eliminates time constraints. Those seeking treatment can dial anytime throughout the day or night and not have to be concerned about time differences at all, at their own convenience. This certainly helps to establish long-term relationships with patients.

Cost reduction

Subscription rates for toll-free numbers are comparatively lower than regular telephone devices. A phone line is sufficient enough for using the number. Moreover, installation charges are also minimal, and service providers are also offering additional services such as voice mail, unwanted call elimination, and message centers. This greatly helps in reducing operational costs through restriction of the workforce.

Thus, medical tourism, which is slowly gaining popularity for its cost-efficiency, quality services, professional treatment, use of state-of-the-art medical technology, and the opportunity it offers for traveling abroad, has everything to gain and nothing to lose from a toll-free number.

4 Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business in the 2nd Half of 2017

We hope that 2017 has been good to your business so far. But no matter what happened, there is still time to grow in the 2nd half of the year.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasted that global growth would recover from the slowdown in 2016. Halfway through the year, 2017’s outlook remains optimistic, particularly for emerging economies in Asia and the Pacific.

There are plenty of opportunities to grow your business, but you should be using the right marketing strategies. Here are our top 4 marketing strategies to grow your business in the 2nd half of 2017:

1. Mobile Advertising – Marketing Strategies

According to the independent web analytics company StatCounter, mobile exceeded desktop by internet usage, for the first time ever in October 2016. If you make no other changes your business in 2017, you should ensure that your website is mobile-friendly.

Websites benefit from mobile-responsiveness for two key reasons. First, conversions typically increase when mobile users can navigate more easily. Second, Google favors responsive websites in its mobile search results. Check out Google’s Mobile Playbook!

Not sure if your website is mobile-friendly? Test this by grabbing the right side of your browser window and dragging it to the left. Responsive websites will properly deliver your content, while content on an unresponsive website will look cut off or jumbled.

You can also test the mobile responsiveness of your website and view statistics for mobile traffic with Google Analytics. This can be a good way to gauge the responsiveness of your website and identify any necessary changes.

However, success in today’s mobile-centric marketplace requires more than just having a responsive website. New technologies and marketing platforms come out every day and there is great untapped potential as businesses start to adapt. We identified two trending ideas in 2017:

Mobile app: creating an app is more affordable than ever and the potential uses are unlimited. Sell goods and services or improve your overall mobile experience with an app.

Mobile payments: enable customers to pay you with a simple tap on their smartphone. Mobile payment services like Google Wallet, PayPal and Apple Pay are becoming more popular this year.

2. International Marketing Strategies

The global gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow 3.5 percent in 2017. The Asia-Pacific region in particular, is estimated to grow at 5.5 percent. Meanwhile, there are booming economies and lots of money to be made all over the world.

New technologies and marketing tools enable businesses to transact with foreign market like never before. International marketing can offer a huge ROI – when it’s done correctly.

Brand awareness is crucial. However, building brand awareness doesn’t necessarily require a major investment – if you have a website. Considering its massive worldwide reach, advertising on search engines and social media is relatively inexpensive. You might also want to try international SEO.

Accessibility is also important when doing business internationally. We wrote about the top reasons to get a virtual phone number for your business, and accessibility is the first reason. Customers feel more comfortable transacting with a business when the business offers a local phone number or support hotline.

Companies use international call forwarding to offer a contact point to customers and prospects in foreign markets. A local or toll free virtual number can serve as a sales or booking hotline or it can serve to let customers know that your business is reachable over the phone. Confused about international call forwarding? Allow us to explain.

Opportunities exist all over the world and there are new marketing strategies to grow your business internationally.

3. Email Marketing Strategies

Email marketing isn’t a new strategy by any means, but it can still bring in new business.
The key to a successful email marketing campaign is providing relevant, valuable and helpful information (think DIY guides, industry news, and blog content). Email marketing should not be used to blast out unwanted sales pitches.

With the help of eMailmonday.com, we identified four top email marketing trends for the 2nd half of 2017:

  • Responsive emails
    It depends on your industry and target market, but anywhere from 20-75% of emails get opened on a mobile device. By sending mobile friendly emails, you can reduce barriers to engagement.
    Adapt to the mobile trend by attaching by attaching interactive photo sliders and image galleries to your emails. It’s also useful to include promotional offers and implement buy-it-now functionality in your outbound emails.
  • Deliver an omnichannel experience
    An omnichannel experience builds brand familiarity and helps customers connect with your business. It involves an integrated multi-channel approach that allows customers to easily transition from emails to shopping online, on a desktop or mobile device.Walgreens and Starbucks deliver a consistent experience through email, websites and mobile apps.
  • HTML5 video attachments
    HTML5 video attachments help companies build connections with their audiences through providing high-value content.
  • Automation
    14.2% of people surveyed by a 2017 Litmus study believe that 2017 will be the year of automated emails. There are some tools like MailChimp and Active Campaign to help with email automation.
    Welcome emails and abandoned carts emails can generate a big chunk of revenue for a lot of companies.

4. Digital Advertising

Advertising across several digital channels is one of the top marketing strategies in 2017. This is commonly referred to as cross-channel advertising, and it can be done through direct deals with publishers (think Google AdWords, Facebook for Business) and with cross-channel advertising software.

Top digital advertising mediums include paid search, social media and mobile ads. Paid search puts your product in front of a huge audience with high conversion rates, since visitors are already searching for similar products. Social media advertising is a fast-growing segment that can significantly expand your reach and boost brand awareness. We predict Facebook’s continued ascent as a major marketing outlet in 2017. Lastly, mobile ads like banner ads, mobile video ads and in-app ads are becoming more targeted.

No matter what your digital advertising strategy, here are some things to keep in mind:

    • Cohesive data: it is important to document all available data points to form a cohesive, integrated consumer database across multiple channels
    • Consistent message: it is important to deliver a consistent message to build familiarity with prospective customers.

What marketing strategies do you use to grow your business?

4 Things to Consider When Setting Up International Call Forwarding

Answering phone calls from your customers is an important part of doing business. Current customers and prospects might call a business for customer support or to make a purchase. While email is an effective way to communicate, many consumers still prefer to do business over the phone.

Businesses have a few options to communicate with international customers: most popular are email and phone. Emails can easily be sent and received internationally with no restrictions, but international phone calls are a different story. Check out this page about how to make an international phone call.

For one, callers need to pay international calling costs. Secondly, dialing international phone numbers with foreign country codes can be confusing. The bottom line is that customers prefer not to make long distance calls.

In order to eliminate international calling costs and country code prefixes, smart businesses set up international call forwarding. Basically, any business can avail local or toll-free numbers in their top markets, and forward calls internationally to any destination. This is known as international call forwarding.

International call forwarding is easy to set up. However, each business has unique telecom needs. Here are 4 things to consider when setting up international call forwarding:

What are your top markets?

Which countries drive most of your sales? We recommend getting virtual numbers in at least your top 3-5 markets. This will ensure that you capture the most business and maximize earnings potential.

The best international call forwarding service providers offer phone numbers in more than 100 countries and thousands of cities worldwide. It’s important to determine your top markets, and get numbers in those countries. Customers will prefer to dial a familiar phone number in their native markets.

  1. National, local or toll-free?

    There are choices to be made when you set up international call forwarding. One of the most important decisions a call forwarding subscriber makes is which type of virtual number he avails. Subscribers can choose either national, local or toll-free numbers, depending on the needs of their business. What’s the difference, you might ask?

    The best virtual number for your business depends on your unique requirements. National numbers will give your business a national presence in a target market. They can be dialed nationwide, and internationally. Local phone numbers have area codes that correspond to particular cities. Finally, toll-free numbers are free phone numbers that can be dialed from within a specific country.

    The type of number depends on your business because each phone number has different advantages.

  2. How do you plan to use international call forwarding?

    There are many ways to use the service. Before setting up international call forwarding, you should determine how you plan to use the service.Many subscribers publish contact numbers on their website or in marketing materials. It enables any business to advertise a business phone number, and in some cases, a virtual office location.

    In addition, some subscribers use their virtual numbers as a booking hotline or for customer support. There are many ways to use international call forwarding, and it is important to determine how you will use the number before activating your service.

  3. How much traffic do you expect?

    This is a good question to answer because it determines which plan is best suited for your business. The cost of an international call forwarding plan will vary depending on the number of included minutes.

    If you feature the number in an advertisement or marketing materials, expect heavy call traffic. The same goes for hotlines- booking hotlines and reservation numbers typically receive a lot of traffic. On the other hand, an alternate backup phone number might not receive as many incoming calls.

    It’s prudent to have a good forecast of how many minutes you will need but rest assured if you are still uncertain. Global Call Forwarding allows subscribers to upgrade their plans free of charge.

Tips for other call forwarding subscribers

We hope these tips help you when setting up international call forwarding. Can you think of anything else to consider? It’s our priority to help businesses connect with their customers.

Things to Add to Your Marketing Strategy for the Hotel and Hospitality Industry

Hotel and Hospitality Overview

There has been record-breaking growth in the travel and hospitality industry in recent years. In 2015, business travel grossed $1.2 trillion, five percent more than in 2014. In the US, the growth rate of leisure bookings was significantly better than that of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This was due to renewed consumer confidence and a shift in household spending from goods to services. Deloitte projects travel and hotel industry growth to continue through 2017.

Factors that are helping to reshape the travel landscape include global economic shifts, innovation, geopolitical turmoil, pandemics, and rising consumer demands. In 2016, major hotel groups, including Marriott, Hilton and InterContinental, reported steady earnings. However, online purveyors, such as Airbnb, will present significant challenges to sectors of the industry sustaining growth in 2017.

Cyber attacks and data breaches are expected to increase. Food safety incidents in hotel restaurants, will also be more common due to the demand for locally sourced, organic foods. Hotel personnel should expect consumers to have increased expectations in the coming year. Non-travel brands like Amazon, Starbucks and Seamless feature innovation and speedy services to consumers, and they will be expecting the same from their travel hosts.

Hotels need to harness the power of mobile for their guests to remove pain points and improve their travel experience. Streamlining business processes will help in that regard and result in reduced operating costs. In addition, hotels should shift to enabling technologies to benefit from the Internet of Things (IoT), which is the internetworking of connected and mobile devices, smart devices, sensors, electronics, computers, machines, etc.

Stay Connected to Your Markets

Stay connected to your markets using virtual phone numbers. Virtual phone numbers are local phone numbers and toll free numbers. Your customers call these numbers, and international call forwarding services connect those calls to your virtual call center or virtual phone number.

Global Call Forwarding provides its core service to various luxury hotel brands. One particular subscriber has two toll free numbers in North America and six local phone numbers servicing the following areas around the world.

  • Caribbean, Mexico, and Central and South America
  • Europe, Middle East and Africa
  • Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan

When club members call local phone numbers or toll free numbers, they feel they are dealing locally. However, they may be connecting to virtual call centers or virtual phone systems halfway around the globe, through the “magic” of international call forwarding.

Global Hotel Rankings by Rooms

In 2016, Marriott acquired Starwood Hotels giving Marriott the largest number of rooms in the world. The following table shows the top 10 hotel groups worldwide at the end of 2016 and their respective number of rooms.

Hotel Group Number of Rooms
Marriott + Starwood 1,108,852
Hilton Worldwide 751,350
IHG 744,368
Wyndham Hotel Group 678,042
Jin Jiang + Plateno + Vienna Hotel Group 572,340
Accor Hotels + & FRHI 554,517
Choice 507,483
Home Inns 321,802
Best Western 311,870
Huazhu 278,843

Tourism Outlook for Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and the United States

Here are the latest projections for these hot tourism areas.

Philippines

Business Mirror projects an upward trend of the hospitality industry in the Philippines until 2018. A vibrant influx of foreign investment is partially fueling this trend. According to the Department of Tourism, foreign tourist arrivals have been rising since 2015. Much of the increase is due to Korean and American travelers.

Business and domestic market travel are also increasing. The business portion is due to meetings, conventions and exhibitions. The gaming industry is also generating growth. For example, Entertainment City in Parañaque City by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is helping to make the Philippines a top tourist destination in the world.

Foreign hotel brands are moving into the country to capitalize on this business increase. The aggregate supply of rooms may reach 18,000 in 2017 and 20,000 by 2018.

Indonesia

Indonesia has 12 major hotel markets: Bali, Bandung, Bintan, Bogor, Jakarta, Lombok, Makassar, Medan, Palembang, Semarang, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Market performance varies from market to market. However, from 2015 to 2016, Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) had been declining because room supply was outpacing demand.

However, HVS Indonesia Hotel Watch 2016 predicts that demand will surpass incoming room supply in the leisure and upscale market segments. For Jakarta and Bali market segments, the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in RevPAR was 5.1% and 5.8%, respectively. Secondary markets (Bogor, Makassar and Surabaya) will suffer a RevPAR performance dip due to the addition of branded midscale and budget rooms. Bandung, Lombok and Palembang will become hot markets due to their short-term demand outlook. Considering all Indonesian markets, room supply in 2015 was 71,970 rooms. In 2018, there will be 93,930 available rooms. That is a 14.2% increase in CAGR.

Thailand

According to the US News and World Report, Thailand ranks high in the following categories: Business Opportunities, Heritage, Best Country for Investment, Adventure, and Rising Economy. Thailand is Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy because of tourist spending mainly from China. The six major airports in Thailand are handling a record number of travelers. Furthermore, for newcomers to Bangkok, Ritz Carlton Residence Bangkok, Waldorf Astoria, and Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 will be adding 5,500 additional rooms to the city.

United States

STR Hospitality Net sees slower growth for the US hotel industry through 2017. Projections suggest a drop in occupancy but increases in demand, supply, RevPAR, and Average Daily Rate (ADR) for rooms.

Have you had good experiences traveling to these countries? Any travel plans for 2017? We would love to hear your thoughts.

Small Business Marketing Trends

The year 2017 promises to be an exciting year for small businesses, and small business owners will need to prepare for changing marketing trends. This article discusses some marketing strategies that companies will use this year. Some of these may be perfect for your business.

Mobile Friendly Websites

In recent years, more people search and use websites on mobile devices than on desktops. Therefore, your websites should be mobile-centric, i.e. optimized for mobile use. Better yet, get a mobile app for your business. There are many available DIY app builders. Take a look at this list of the Best App Makers of 2017.With them, you can build an inexpensive mobile app. A Gallup poll reported that 75% of Americans check their mobiles hourly and use apps 90% of the time.

Consumers are becoming comfortable making mobile payments using mobile pay services. You may want to advertise and offer this service.

New marketing channels that are available to small businesses are mobile-only, downloaded apps such as Periscope, Instagram or Snapchat. These apps are not available on desktops, but they are very popular and have a wide audience.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is not a new trend. However, it continues to be one of the most effective techniques for getting and retaining customers. In a March 2016 survey of US SMB Retail Professionals, over 80% of respondents rated email over other marketing methods for acquisition and retention of customers. Furthermore, a 2014 Email Marketing Industry Census found that 68% of respondent companies rated email marketing over SEO (organic search), content marketing, paid search, offline direct marketing, social media, affiliate marketing, mobile marketing, and online display advertising.

Video Content

Consumers prefer to watch videos than to read text. Videos increase the reach and duration of marketing content, drive leads and sales and, as a result, contribute to the bottom line. In fact, predictions are that global mobile video traffic will increase exponentially from 3.6 million terabytes per month in 2016 to 23 million terabytes per month in 2019. Small business owners should consider increasing the video content on their web pages as well as adding videos to their social media.

Improvement of Blogs

SEO practices affect blog writing. However, if a blog is not useful or informative, readers are likely to leave the website. Therefore, this year is a good time to improve the content of your blogs. Use industry experts or professionals for writing and make sure the content is topical and on point. Your business will benefit from the changes.

International Call Forwarding Service

Global Call Forwarding (GCF) provides an international call forwarding service used by many successful global businesses, both big and small. We provide toll free numbers and local phone numbers to clients in over 150 countries and thousands of cities. We have an advanced network structure and provide customers with 24/7 technical support.

Using either local phone numbers or toll free numbers, your business will have a virtual office in your global marketplaces. The local phone numbers and toll free numbers portray a local presence to your customers. GCF forwards calls made to those numbers to specified destinations. It is a toll free call.

In addition to the many standard features that one expects, such as voice mail, customized greetings, and rollover minutes, GCF’s international call forwarding service provides service features that help small businesses manage call flows. These specialized features are Advanced Call Forwarding, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and Auto-Attendant.

Advanced Call Forwarding

Incoming calls can be directed to standard landlines, mobile phones, or computers using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The destination can be anywhere in the world. Subscribers to the international call forwarding service can customize receiving phones based on time of day, day of the week, holiday schedules, etc. The combinations are unlimited. Calls from non-English speakers (such as Thai, Tagalog, Cantonese or Mandarin) can be routed to agents that speak those languages. Advanced call forwarding is a very useful tool for small businesses.

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

The IVR is a computerized system that greets incoming callers and transfers their calls to the proper department or extension. You can program the IVR to meet your specific business needs. Customization includes greetings, announcements, prompts, extensions, and email destinations. A free PBX service is part of the IVR. This is what allows customers to establish a private telephone network, which connects incoming calls to the appropriate extension.

Auto-Attendant

The auto-attendant answers incoming calls and gives a pre-recorded message. Users can program it based on their needs. Often, an auto-attendant gives the following options:

  • If you know the extension, dial it.
  • A list of departments and a number to dial to reach that department
  • Dial “0” for operator.
  • An option to repeat the above menu

Global Expansion

Through the use international call forwarding services and by subscribing to local phone numbers or toll free numbers, even a small business can maintain a global posture. Consider the possibilities of being able to tap into markets in Singapore, Hong Kong, or Thailand. If you own a business in those countries, provide local phone numbers or toll free number to your customers or prospects in North America, South America or Europe and then reap the benefits.

Perhaps 2017 will continue to be a year of growth for small businesses around the world. The Dow has already eclipsed 20,000 for the first time in history. Why not try some of the above marketing trends and supercharge your business.

8 Customer Service Tips for Companies in the Travel Industry

Great customer service tips can be the difference between retaining clients and losing them. It means understanding clients’ needs and fulfilling them in a timely manner, even when you are in different time zones and countries apart.

Travel agencies, tourism businesses, airline and railway companies, and especially hotel chains need a customer service routine. Excellent customer service, especially on an international level, is imperative to your success. Global Call Forwarding personally engages with firms in the tourism and travel industry. This means more than just providing toll free numbers for your company. We want to help you provide personalized and intuitive service to your clients with ease.

We reach into countries as far as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Whether you are based in the United States and want local phone numbers in these areas, or you are an independent travel agent who needs a way to filter phone calls while they are on the road, Global Call Forwarding can assist you in creating memorable customer service.

It is time to foster loyalty and stand out from your competitors through engaging with clients in a convenient manner. For this reason we have provided 8 customer service tips for the tourism industry:

1. Communication. Always.

This seems like a given, but you would be surprised how many companies forget this simple concept. Inconveniences will happen and delays are inevitable. However, it just makes sense to tell your clients what is happening with their travel plans. Do not leave them in the dark during a delay. Tell them in person, on the phone, through speakers, with an email, over social media – whichever medium makes the most sense so that you are always communicating with them.

2. Don’t Allow For Unnecessary Disruptions or Waiting Time

Scheduling and reservation issues, lost baggage, gate changes, and ticket purchases can already make a customer feel on edge. Imagine these types of conversations in an unknown or unfamiliar country, such as Thailand or Singapore, and how time zone differences can make matters even more complex.

When an individual calls your customer service representatives, try as much as possible not to place them on hold. Instead, international call forwarding and the integration of local phone numbers into your systems gives you the ability to lessen their wait time so they can get back on the road.

3. Keep Your Internal Teams Informed and Organized

Consider that you run an airline based in the United States that books clients with flights into the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Your customer service agents and hospitality connections are based in Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. With all of these countries working together inside of one company, internal communications can easily go off the rails. You do not want to accidentally give conflicting information about a client’s travel itineraries.

Internal teams must stay up to date on the latest travel news and notices. Bosses and managers must stay connected as well, even in the busiest airports. Make sure that everyone is able to stay connected with each other.

4. Set up Different Lines for Different Needs

How does your current customer service team navigate hospitality services, purchasing airline tickets, making reservations, confirming itineraries, and contacting tour and cruise packages with new destinations? These are just a few but common essentials tourism faces on an hourly basis. However, if one client calls in asking about their travel reservations and is met with a confusing phone system, they are less likely to return to you for their future needs.

Instead, international call forwarding and other helpful phone features allows you to direct people to different lines. If possible, set up different lines for sales, lead generation, telemarketing, welcoming phone calls, inquiries and billing issues, as well as customer service. This is better for customer retention and loyalty.

5. Make Certain Calls a Priority

Every company receives spam numbers, including companies based in the UAE, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. However, you should not let this get in the way of excellent customer service. Utilizing black and white lists means that you can filter out unwelcome calls and give preference to callers who are considered top priority. This is especially useful in the hospitality industry, where it is imperative to reach the right people at the right time.

6. It’s Okay to be Automated

Many will suggest that automated systems are impersonal, and depending on how you use this type of system, they can be. However, having a reliable automated system can also be a functional customer service tool for your company.

Imagine calling a company over and over only to have a call dropped, or only to find that you keep dialing in the wrong line. Having an international call forwarding system done the right way will prevent this issue in the future. An automated system may even help them address the right information much faster than with a person.

When you address their needs right away, your team can move on with their day – and so can your caller. This simplifies the transition between calls as well.

7. Stay Friendly

Unfortunately, hospitality representatives can bring out the worst in people. Frustrated clients usually result in tension on both sides. However, even if a client has a terrible travel experience, they should remember your excellent customer service. So, be sure to alleviate the key frustrations of your clients and stay friendly with them.

8. Be Local

Finally, customers appreciate seeing companies as local. Customers are more likely to call your company if they do not have to pay a fee to do so. This immediately makes you more accessible than your competitors. So, using local phone numbers and tll free numbers based in their city is a great way for them to feel like they are staying with a business that cares.

Travel, Tourism, and Hospitality

Get ready for takeoff! Whether you are an individual agent who needs help filtering incoming calls or you are an executive at an internationally recognized airline, Global Call Forwarding makes the running of your business much smoother.

Global Call Forwarding can be extremely beneficial to the customer service of your company, whether you have roots in Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, or the UAE.

Call Center KPIs: 12 Metrics to Track for Customer Success

Which call center KPIs are necessary to help you understand how your business is performing and how satisfied your customers are? The following is a list of 12 important call center metrics to consider.

Call Center Standard KPIs: Important Metrics to Track

Call center KPIs or key performance indicators are metrics to help you measure how well your business is doing and what areas need improvement. KPIs are business-specific. Therefore, it is important to select them wisely by considering the strategic interests of your business. There are four basic areas to consider:

  • Affordability and sustainability of the call center
  • Maximizing your customers’ experience
  • Improved business outcomes
  • Efficient use of your human resources

The following is a list of call center KPIs to consider for your contact center. Identify the right KPIs for your business and strive towards a better success rate.

1. Average Time in the Queue

This call center KPI represents the total time callers wait to speak to an agent divided by the total number of calls. Reducing wait times should be every business’ top priority. Customer frustration increases with increasing queue time. Additionally, this gives the impression that your business has poor customer service. And unhappy customers won’t hesitate to find a business that can cater to them faster.

2. Service Level or Response Time

Service level is the percentage of calls answered within a specified period. More specifically, it is the number of calls attended to within a specified number of seconds. Call center managers often set a service level goal such as 90/30 (i.e., 90% of the calls are answered within 30 seconds). Some consider service level one of the most important call center KPIs since it is closely related to customer service.

3. Percentage of Calls Blocked

As the name suggests, this is the percentage of incoming calls that are blocked. Or in other words, calls not connected to an agent. Either the agents were busy or the call center software could not handle the call volume. Blocked calls lead to customer dissatisfaction and possible loss of future business.

4. Average Speed of Answer

This metric measures the amount of time taken to answer a call during a certain time frame. This includes the sum of time in the queue and time spent waiting for the agent to answer their call. It does not, however, consider the time the caller spends interacting with the business’ IVR. This metric helps measure the efficiency and accessibility of the call center team.

5. Average Handle Time

This is one of the most commonly measured call center KPIs. The average handle time is calculated by adding the agents’ talk and hold time to their post-call work time and then dividing this sum by the number of calls handled by the agent. Managers trying to reduce the average handle time must be careful in their approach as customer satisfaction could be affected. There are several steps to improve the average handle time:

  • Thorough training and coaching of agents
  • Continuous monitoring of agents’ performance
  • Recording of calls
  • Streamlining agent workflow and processes
  • Optimizing call routing
  • Using a detailed and useful knowledge base
  • Utilizing an internal communication system
  • Ensuring customer information is current

6. First Call Resolution

First call resolution occurs when a customer’s query is satisfied during their initial call, and follow-up is not necessary. Research suggests that this metric has a greater positive impact on customer satisfaction than any other KPI.

7. Average Abandonment Rate

The call abandonment rate is a measure of the number of times customers hang-up or abandon calls before reaching an agent. Long wait times, confusing IVR systems, jarring hold music, etc., can lead to a high call abandonment rate. Customers gravitate to companies that are easy to reach in a timely fashion.

8. Average After Call Work Time

After a call is completed, agents complete tasks such as sending out confirmation emails, updating databases and CRMs, and contacting call center teammates. This time spent after a call is referred to as average after call work time. Oftentimes, this can take up a lot of an agent’s time and managers are constantly trying to find ways to reduce this time. Easy-to-use and efficient CRMs where all these activities can be completed through one platform can help reduce the time spent on completing these activities.

9. Customer Satisfaction

Customer satisfaction rates or a CSAT score is one of the most important call center KPIs. These scores are important to measure as they can give you insight into how customers are interacting with or enjoying your service. Good customer satisfaction rates mean that your employees are doing a good job, leaving customers happy and satisfied. Companies can measure customer satisfaction or CSAT scores through customer surveys (email, phone, in-app).

10. Occupancy Rate

Occupancy rate measures the total time agents are on calls or completing other work-related tasks divided by the total work time. In other words, this metric measures how long an agent is occupied with work. Optimizing occupancy rates is one of the top goals of any call center manager. However, this can lead to heavy workloads and overburdened employees.

11. Agent Absenteeism

Agent absenteeism is, as the name suggests, the percent of days an agent is absent from work over the total number of contracted days. This KPI can provide insights when budgeting or planning ways to optimize agent work. Human resource personnel routinely track the days lost from work for all call center employees. Effective call center operations minimize absenteeism.

12. Agent Turnover Rate

This is another important call center KPI to pay attention to. The agent turnover rate is the percentage of agents that quit their employment. This can be due to a range of factors: monotonous work, no rewards or incentives, excessive workload, and so on. Keeping employees and agents happy can lead to better CSAT scores and improve sales or profits.

Which of These Call Center KPIs Does Your Business Need?

Global call center metrics can help you determine how satisfied your customers and employees are as well as how efficient your business is. Now based on your business and its requirements, identify which of these call center KPIs do you need to track. Once you make a list of necessary KPIs to measure, start tracking through helpful software, and watch your business improve!