What to Expect from VoIP Phone Service Provider?

VoIP is the revolution within the telecommunications industry. It beats out traditional telephone lines in every area to such an extent many businesses are no longer using older phone systems at all.

VoIP is the telecommunications system changing the way businesses operate worldwide. All companies need to know what kind of VoIP phone service provider can do for them and why they should consider switching to this technology.

What is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.

Instead of using a traditional phone line to communicate, data packages are sent over the IP network itself. In other words, you can use your Internet connection alone to make phone calls to both traditional phone outlets, other VoIP users, and mobile devices.

The fact VoIP uses an Internet connection means you can use VoIP from anywhere and your number isn’t tied to a specific location.

Why You Should Be Searching for a VoIP Provider

There are a range of benefits businesses can reap from investing in a brand-new VoIP system.

Lower Prices – It’s often free to make domestic calls and international calls are heavily discounted. You’ll soon make back the money you invested in your VoIP service.

More Flexibility – Make calls from anywhere where there’s an Internet connection. You can use the same number from your desktop or mobile device, so you don’t need to be out of the office when you’re on the go.

Great Features – VoIP comes with features you would need to pay large amounts of money for if you got them from a classic landline provider. These include call forwarding, call transcripts, SMS and automated waiting.

Conference Calling – Conference calling is possible through a traditional landline provider, but it usually costs extra. This isn’t the case with VoIP providers. Conference calling is nearly always included in the base package, so you can make conference calls quickly and easily.

Simple Scaling – Scaling an old-style phone network is costly and time consuming. VoIP can be scaled according to your needs without the need to lay down additional cables or moving to a new location. And it can be scaled both ways.

What the Best VoIP Providers Offer

There are hundreds of VoIP providers operating on both a nationwide and local level. They each offer high-quality services, but you need to know what to look for.

Let’s take a look at what the best VoIP providers offer.

• Complete Telecommunications System in a Single Package- Every business has different needs. VoIP providers are there to give you the complete package, so you can install the features you need without changing systems. You only need to pay for the features you’re actually going to use, which is not the case with conventional telephone lines, where you’re forced into a certain type of package.

• Enhanced Mobility- Whether it’s a call, a text, or a fax, you need a system that can automatically route any incoming communications to your device(s) of choice. Call forwarding is the minimum standard and you should demand it with every type of VoIP package on the market.

• Simplified Setup- Depending on which VoIP provider you use, you may receive on-site installation/training, or you may be responsible for this yourself. Many national providers are unable to offer on-site services, but local providers can. When you purchase a new VoIP system you should expect to be up and running within a matter of hours.

• No Hardware Involved- One of the great advantages of VoIP in the modern era is there’s no hardware involved. You don’t need to wait for any specialized equipment to arrive from a vendor. You won’t have to take into account any type of hardware as installation can be done on the Internet. Many VoIP providers even offer central dashboards, so you can add and remove extensions at the click of a button.

• Exceptional Customer Service- Like with anything in the world of tech, things can and will go wrong. You want to make sure you get the problem resolved as soon as you possibly can. Search for a VoIP provider known for its customer service. They should be available at any hour of the day or night, and you should be speaking to someone who works for the company – not some outsourced agent.

Why You Need an Innovative Communications Hub in the Middle of Your Office

Don’t just look at VoIP as an opportunity to make cheap calls. VoIP is a total communications hub for your business. It can revolutionize the way you communicate with clients.That’s why you should expect an innovative communications hub from any VoIP provider you team up with. You should be able to make alterations to your system at the click of a button. Make sure that when you choose a VoIP provider you observe their dashboard and what you can do from it on the go.

Have you started researching VoIP providers yet?

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/what-to-expect-from-voip-phone-service-provider/

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How to Find the Best Virtual Office Phone System for Your Small Business

Virtual office phone systems are great for those with businesses working remotely. These systems use an extensive call forwarding solution to allow employees and clients to call a single main business phone number and be forwarded directly to you.

With 50% of the us population working remotely at least part-time, virtual office phone systems have become more critical than ever before.

What’s the Right Hardware for You?

In a traditional office setting, many companies consider the plain old landline. But there are an increasing number of businesses making the switch away from a landline to a voip system.

VoIP systems use your Internet connection and pair it with your telephone. So, you can access your communications system wherever you are. Typically, these systems are controlled from a central dashboard through accompanying software.

Virtual offices need to consider the needs of remote workers, therefore a system powered by VoIP may be the best option for your virtual office phone system without hassle of new hardware installation.

What Features Do You Need?

Virtual office phone systems come in all shapes and sizes. You need to figure out what you need as part of your business. And this is going to depend on the needs of your employees and your clients.

For example, if you have multiple employees all responsible for different things you might need call park and call forwarding  features that can forward calls to different people and departments.

Alternatively, you may be looking to create the impression of a fancy corporate office, thus you’ll need the IVR, and local and vanity phone numbers.

Don’t discount the extra PBX features such as call waiting, custom greetings, voicemail etc. within your phone system because you and your business have just seven seconds to make a good first impression.

How Easy is it to Train Your Team?

This is another point that often gets ignored. Different providers will have phone systems that are simpler than others.

If you’re not the sort of people who are ‘into’ tech then a complex system may be more hassle than it’s worth. You need a provider that offers a simple system and provides a good training program, such as thorough virtual step-by-step courses.

Does The Provider Deliver on Their Promises?

Reliability and quality are the two things you should expect from your virtual office phone system. Therefore, you need to take the time to research different providers.

You may find two providers offering the same service for the same price only to find one of them lacks quality.

Make sure you look up what other customers have to say before you commit to any type of phone system.

 Last Word – Be Willing to Change Your Virtual Office Phone System When Necessary

Your business is inevitably going to grow, and your needs will change. Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of not reviewing their virtual office phone system until something goes wrong.

Content Source: Cebod Telecom

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How VoIP Helps You Upgrade Your Pizza Delivery System without Breaking Banks

Pizza Power Report of 2019 found that three themes driving the pizza industry are:

Quality Ingredients

Technology

Youth Culture

Pizza fans are increasingly demanding the freshest and healthiest ingredients possible along with technology that makes ordering and fast delivery easy. Technomic’s study found that 83% of customers eat pizza once a month. There are 77 thousand pizzerias in the country to fill that demand.

Being a pizza fan myself, I know that almost all pizzerias offer a mouth-watering cheese blend, a wide variety of toppings to satisfy the taste buds, and a crust recipe to complete the meal. That’s why pizza brands are worried about what else they can do to stand out among fierce competition.

I already gave the answer at the beginning of this article.

Technology.

No matter how excellent your pizza is, the process starts with a consumer’s call to place the order. This is where you get the opportunity to make or break your brand.

The process of pizza home delivery seems easy, but at times miscommunication takes place without your knowledge. When consumers call to order pizza, they don’t get a menu to select the options, and your salespeople have to repeat a lot of things to make sure that consumers understand what you offer. It’s a time consuming process which irritates customers and makes them jump to competitors with faster services. Moreover, if we talk about consumer complaints, it takes ages to address the complaint of missing toppings or smaller quantities.

A single mistake leads to losing a long term customer, only to make you wonder what went wrong.

I know what you’re thinking

“Tell me how to solve the problem, create the best delivery system, and steal the customers from competitors?”

VoIP is your answer.

Before I tell you how it upscales your pizza delivery system, let’s have a brief look at what VoIP is and how it works. 

What is VoIP and How does it work?

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It’s a process to route your phone lines through the internet, allowing you to make call and receive calls from data-driven devices like smartphones, computers, or VoIP phones.

The main benefit of VoIP is that it’s budget-friendly. It only requires a speedy internet connection, an internet-compatible phone, and a business-class router. You save  a ton on equipment costs.

Other reasons to adopt VoIP and upgrade your pizza delivery system are: 

Make the customer feel in charge by automating calls

VoIP offers you a range of automated features to put your calls on auto-pilot mode. One such feature is auto-attendant, also know as IVR (interactive voice response). It lets you set up a prerecorded message and self-select options for callers.

For example, if the customers call, they listen to the numbered options like choose 1 to order, 2 for menu, 3 for locations, and 9 to talk with a customer service representative. Auto-attendant puts the control in the hands of customers, making them feel like a boss.

 

 

Make and receive calls from multiple devices with zero charges

Being available across multiple devices, VoIP allows you, your delivery drivers, and the customers to make and receive calls at any time from anywhere using any device, without paying any call charges.

VoIP works as smartphone extension which allows you to reach drivers using a three or four-digit number instead of fidgeting through big cell numbers.

 

 

 

  Utilize call waiting time for upselling

 Generally, businesses upload music files to streamline the customers’ call waiting time. VoIP gives you the option to ad promotional messages like special offers and discounts to tempt customers to upgrade their orders.

For example, you can record a message on today’s combo of veg loaded pizza with cheese sticks and 60 ml Coke. A limited time offer.

It triggers the taste buds of customers and lures them to take action now.

 

 

 Offer exactly what your customers are looking for

VoIP allows you to store customer data, like previous issues they faced, their purchases, etc. Businesses can use this information to tailor the customer interactions and meet their needs, making them feel more valued.

For example, if your customer orders Mexican pizza each weekend, you can offer a combo of Mexican pizza combined with drinks to elevate their happy weekend mood.

 

 

  

Respond at lightning speed without any breakdown

With VoIP’s advanced call forwarding options, your customers will never wait longer to connect with you.

For example, if one salesperson is busy with the customer, VoIP forwards the call to the next available representative at lightning speed, eliminating longer waiting periods which may lead to the customer hanging up.

 

 

Leverage busy hours as well as off hours

One of VoIP’s unique tools is custom scheduling. It hands you the power of time-based call routing. It responds to customers even at your busiest hours and connects you with them directly during your free hours.

You can set up an auto-attendant to answer customers’ calls quickly when you are too busy to pick up the call. And you can answer the calls directly during off hours.

 

Make real-time changes to your offers within seconds

In a pizza business, nothing is constant. You implement changes frequently, and call your customers again and again. VoIP is a well-known online call management interface. It lets you make real-time changes to inbound calls.

So if you want to change the offer in your prerecorded messages, you are just a few clicks away.

 

 

  

Never miss a single call

Last but not least, with VoIP, you will never miss a single call. As all your data-connected devices are in place to receive multiple calls at a time, you leave no stone unturned when it comes to responding to customers.

 

 

Your Pizza Delivery System After VoIP

Imagine the comfort of customers when you give them options to call from any device. They will enjoy a hassle-free experience when given the choice to select the desired pizza coupled with discounts and offers. The time for purchase decreases, and your sales numbers go up. Waiting time is almost negligible and enjoyable as well due to daily offer prerecorded messages.

In a nutshell, you will offer efficient customer service which will give you an edge over your competitors. See the infographic to understand it.

Content Source: Cebod Telecom

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How to Effectively Transition Your Business Communication to Home?

The current state of coronavirus is forcing companies and their employees to work from home. The day when your employees get ready to work at home in their loose trousers and t-shirts is near – something that is giving the creeps to business owners.

Businesses started to discover that working remotely is not as easy as it sounds. Employees are used to working in an office environment. When they have questions, they run to their mentors for an immediate solution. When the marketing executives are on the edge of selling products, they need a last piece of advice to seal the deal. All this takes minutes to implement in a physical location. When it comes to remote locations, it takes ages to answer queries leading to businesses risking to lose the customers forever.

Not mentioning the fact that customers hate to wait for long so instead, they turn to competitors offering immediate solutions.

To put your remote-work worries at rest, we found some tools that help you and your employees stay connected and productive no matter where they hang around.

Here are some tips and tools to set your remote-workspace up for success:

 Stay Connected 24/7 with Cebod Telecom’s Mobile App

 Cebod Telecom’s mobile app allows you to make and receive calls using your business number. Looking at your varying choices of data-connected devices, Cebod  Telecom offers apps for Android, Apple, desktop, and laptop. That means you can connect with your colleagues and customers from your on-hand devices and vice versa. Screen-sharing meetings become a piece of cake with Cebod Telcom’s uninterrupted apps. Our apps enable you to keep a keen eye on your employees and their work.

 Build a Virtual Office with Remote Features

 So, what if you don’t have a physical office to roam around? You can build a virtual office and virtually pat anyone’s back for their achievements. Cebod  Telecom lets you copy your business phone features in your home phone or smartphone from where you can call employees and inquire about their progress – an experience similar to a physical office.

Quickly Forward Your Business Numbers with Call Forwarding Feature

If you are required to shut down the entire office on a moment’s notice, you need to forward all your business numbers to your mobile or home phone. With call forwarding feature, it takes seconds to forward business numbers and enjoy seamless communication with customers from home.

If you are not comfortable with forwarding business numbers, you can simply take your Cebod Telecom phone at home, plug it in the switch, and continue your business at home the same way.

 Ring Multiple Numbers at a Time or in a Sequence

Want to talk to a group or a team? Cebod Telecom’s phone allows you to ring multiple numbers at a time or in a sequence to continue your urgent discussion or give further guidance to your employees. No matter whether the receivers are available on a smartphone, desk phone or any other device, our phone connects with anyone at any time from any corner of the world.

Cebod Telecom is keeping track of the situation and guidance given by the WHO and the Centre for Disease Control. Our plans always stay ahead to help you stay in the loop, keep increasing customers, and enjoy a productive environment regardless of your workplace location.

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/how-to-effectively-transition-your-business-communication-to-home/

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SIP - Who Can Use, When to Switch, Difference from VoIP and Calling from Android and iPhone

Who is SIP Calling For?

According to Nemertes’ recent Workplace Collaboration: 2019-20 Research Study, 18% of the 645 participating companies are currently using SIP trunking, while 34% are planning to adopt it within the upcoming two years. North America excels by converting 58% of PSTN trunks into SIP.

SIP calling is perfect for:

• Large Companies: If you are company with greater than 2,500 employees, SIP calling is a must when you consider the big expenses you incur from a traditional phone system. SIP saves you money on your communication costs by adding more to your end-profit.
• Medium-Sized Companies: You want to go from good to great? Offering affordable products with excellent customer service is the way to do it—which is possible only when you save money and invest what you saved back into your business growth. SIP calling can help you do it.
• Small Businesses/Startups: SIP calling is more necessary than ever for small businesses and startups. Its cost-effectiveness and flexible services save you from the ups and downs of new businesses and let you stay in communication on-the-go.

When Are You Switching to SIP Calling?

SIP calling continues to grow and thrive because it works on the internet, and almost all businesses are going digital. So, why not your communications system? Businesses are already marching towards cloud communications, and SIP calls are playing a crucial role. By embracing SIP services, you will accelerate your call centers, gain control over your phone numbers, and adopt 100% flexibility to face any sudden ups and downs—without affecting your business!

Pick up the phone and call your best SIP service provider. Or fill out an online form to start enjoying SIP services within a few hours. Get in touch to get a free quote.

Difference Between SIP and VoIP

Due to the similar work of SIP and VoIP, people often use them interchangeably, considering both to be similar technologies with common services. However, SIP uses VoIP to carry your call traffic over an internet connection.

SIP is used to manage various communication modes, like voice calls and video calls. It establishes and terminates phone call connections, controls data transfers, and even allows you to make calls anywhere in the world using services like Facebook Messenger and Skype.

On the other hand, VoIP is simply the process of making calls over internet-connected devices.

Can You Make SIP Calls via Android and iPhone?

Of course, you can! That’s what SIP calling is for—to enable calls from any device you desire. You just need a little configuration to your smartphone settings, and a VoIP app to prepare it for SIP calls. Let’s take a look at how to install SIP calls on your iPhone and/or Android smartphone:

Enabling SIP Calls on Android Devices

Generally, your SIP service provider offers the VoIP app for a flawless experience, as both go hand-in-hand.

Next, follow the below given steps to enable SIP calling on your Android devices:

• Download the VoIP app of your service provider from the Google Play store.
• Open the App.
• Login with the Extension Number, Company Number, and Password. (Get the credentials from your service provider.)
• Go to Settings -> Calls -> Calling Accounts -> SIP accounts. Enter your credentials here to get your devices ready for SIP calling!

Just four steps, and your Android devices are ready to make calls at any time and from anywhere!

Enabling SIP Calls on an iPhone

The process is a little different than Android:

• Download the SIP calling App of your service provider from the App store.
• Enter your credentials (Name, Number, and Password).

And you are done. It’s simple!

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/what-is-sip-calling-the-complete-guide/

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What are the Benefits of SIP Calling?

 There are many reasons why businesses are considering SIP calling as the future of communication. Some of the key reasons are listed below:

Cost-Effective Solution

Count the number of ways you pay, directly or indirectly, for your communications system. This includes the cost of international calls, traditional phone system setup, hardware purchases, maintenance charges, multiple networks, etc.

SIP calling wipes out all these charges by offering you a virtual system on which to make and receive calls. According to Tech.co, businesses who switched to internet-based calling have claimed to save up to 40% on local calls and 90% on international calls.

Here are the different ways SIP calling saves you a big on communication costs:

• SIP eliminates the purchase of equipment because it works on a virtual system;
• SIP turns all calls (local and international) into local calls, resulting in massive savings for your business;
• SIP removes the need for multiple networks, instead offering one centralized network with multiple communication capabilities. Thus, reducing the hardware or maintenance costs to almost zero; and
• SIP cuts out the PSTN gateway, which results in the removal of multiple subscription fees.
• SIP calling offers a higher return on your investment by and big savings compared to a traditional phone system. Its low-cost setup and elimination of hardware and maintenance requirements makes it the first choice of businesses.

Highly Scalable Option

With a growing business comes an increasing need of telephone lines. Waiting for these lines to be set up, installed, and readied for your business not only demands extra room for equipment but also drains your business financially.

With SIP calling, you don’t have to worry about an increase in future expenses as your business needs expand. A single SIP trunk holds an unlimited number of channels. A channel is equal to one incoming or outgoing call.

Because a single SIP trunk carries multiple channels, you don’t need an extra SIP trunk — no matter how many calls you make and receive at a time! New channels can be added to your existing SIP trunk at any time, within hours. No need to wait for and spend more money on physical installations or setups!

Flexibility

Traditional phone systems possess a static nature. You can’t make calls from a traditional phone line to someone who is only available through internet calling. And what about your remote employees? What if they are at a location where traditional calling is next to impossible? The same goes for your customers, too. If any of the contact modes (like instant messaging) are not available on traditional calls, then you can lose the client or some important information from your remote employee.

SIP calling converts your static business communications into flexible ones. It allows you to make calls to anyone with any device—no matter whether it’s an internet-connected device or a normal landline! Apart from that, here are more functions that SIP performs to aid you with offering excellent customer service:

• Identifies users’ location;
• Discover users’ availability;
• Dictates users’ information in real time;
• Reroutes calls if the particular employee is not available to receive the call;
• Enables video conferencing;
• Allows 911 emergency calls;
• Offers call forwarding and recording facilities; and
• Routes calls to different locations or operating centers based on your changing requirements.

Combine all these features, and your business is ready to reach new heights of communication with employees and customers.

Minimal Maintenance

When there is no physical infrastructure requirement, copper lines have been completely eliminated, and adding new channels has become a piece of cake, then what’s left to take care of?

Regarding the nitty-gritty care for your virtual system, SIP service providers can offer you some tools to constantly monitor your communications system and resolve any issues within minutes. Because the system works over the internet, many issues can be resolved on the internet itself.

Enjoy Better Voice Quality

Some business owners are afraid of switching to SIP calling because they worry about losing the sound quality they enjoy with traditional phone systems. If you are worried about this, let me tell you that today’s SIP services come with HD voice quality, extended frequency, and even twice the sample rate of telephonic audio. This means that instead of losing voice quality, you will enjoy better sound and understand clearly what the other person is saying. With SIP calling, you will rarely require the other person to repeat what they are saying.

Never Miss a Call, Client, or Data

Research says that the UK alone loses £90M worth of business each year due to missed phone calls. Another study found that each missed call results in an average loss of £1,200, which rises to £9,000 if your business is not available 24 hours a day.

With a traditional phone system, you can’t be available 24/7, as you can’t carry your office phone with you wherever you go. However, SIP calling makes your business available 24/7/365. You can make or receive calls at any time from any device, like your smartphone, desktop, or landline. No matter where your employees are, they will receive calls the moment they are needed. Even if some employees are not available at the time, SIP calling will reroute the call to an executive who can answer the call immediately.

All in all, whether it’s a remote employee who wants to share data with you or a client who wants to extend a relationship to your business, SIP will never keep you off the grid.

One Centralized Network for All Communication Channels

What does your day look like with traditional phone lines? Do you roam around the entire office in fear of missing calls from multiple communication channels? Does it affect your productivity levels?

Well, SIP calling will put an end to your struggles by giving you a unified communications system to make and receive calls from various channels through a centralized network.

Quick Disaster Recovery

Legacy phone systems are prone to disaster. A single damaged wire can lead to the breakdown of your entire communications system and take days to get it back on track. The matter worsens in cases of sudden accidents, like a fire. It will take ages to repair. Until then, your business will lose tons of profits and suffer financially when you must pay to repair the damage or replace the system.

On the contrary, since it is a part of the internet world, SIP is far more resilient than copper-wire-based telephone systems. It comes with virtually connected wires and minimal hardware requirements that are barely affected by disasters. Even if you face a network problem or a hardware issue, SIP will measure everything to ensure uninterrupted phone calls with the help of rerouting services.

Excellent User Experience

What matters in the end? Giving the best service to your current customers and potential new ones.

Right? Now, combine all the user-relevant amenities of SIP calling, like:

• 24/7/365 availability;
• Zero chances of missing a call;
• Call-forwarding facility;
• Diverse modes of communication, such as video, instant messaging, conferencing, etc.;
• The ability to add more channels within just a few hours during peak seasons;
• Real-time customer history data; and
• Unbeatable sound quality.

If these qualities don’t add up to excellent customer service, I don’t know what will!

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/what-is-sip-calling-the-complete-guide/

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What is SIP Calling and How It's Work

What is SIP Calling?

SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol, and it works with the Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) phone system. SIP calling is the process of transmitting calls over an internet connection using various devices, like computers and smartphones.

To understand how SIP calling can transform your business for the better, you must first understand how it works.

How Does SIP Work?

Right now, your business is running on a traditional phone system, which consists of three parts:

PBX (Private Branch Exchange): A telephone system used within an enterprise to make and receive calls.

PRI (Primary Rate Interface): A physical line that carries calls from one end to the other.

PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network): The world’s collection of various public telephone networks, like landlines and phones.

SIP removes the need for multiple phone lines and PRI lines. Your SIP service provider virtually installs the SIP trunk over your internet connection. It enables you to connect your PBX with PSTN via the internet, omitting the PRI lines. Basically, instead of using copper lines, SIP uses the internet to send voice calls.

Now, you may ask, “If this just a replacement of copper lines with virtual lines, then why should I switch to SIP at all?”

Well, SIP has tons of benefits that will save a fortune for your business. One primary benefit of SIP is reducing unnecessary spending on traditional phone systems equipment, like copper lines. At the same time, it improves your business’s efficiency to make multiple calls from anywhere, at any time, and on any communication channel, like internet-based calls and traditional phone calls.

There is more to the picture. But before we get to that, let’s clear up the differences between SIP and VoIP.

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