A manufacturing factory in Auckland runs from 8am to 5pm, five days a week, with a team of three in the office and five in the factory. Can you believe they were still using call diversion in this day and age? Wait, what? You didn’t know that there was a better alternative?
Yes – they at least had an existing VoIP phone system, but… hold on, for those who don’t know what that is, let me pause and explain VoIP. It’s an acronym for Voice Over Internet Protocol, sometimes called IP telephony. It converts your voice into a digital signal that travels over the internet. This means you don’t need a landline.
Back to the story… but, they only had one phone number with three extensions. The manager frequently missed calls, and the calls were diverted after only six rings. He would also have to remember each night to forward the line to his mobile phone manually after hours and then remember to turn it off again in the morning.
Additionally, whenever a call was diverted to his mobile phone, and he returned the call, his private mobile number would show on the caller’s ID. So now they had his private number and would call whenever they pleased, quite happy they could speak directly with the manager anytime they wished.
Plus (I know, the list goes on), when he was on his mobile, he could not tell the difference between a personal call and a diverted business call. And (I think you’re getting the picture now) he could only check any after-hours messages left from the physical office phone.
Now that’s no way to manage a factory, let alone a business. This old system cost the company $250+gst per month, including the internet connection. Sounds standard, right? Not anymore.
They didn’t have to purchase additional hardware; we used what they already had. We recorded a welcome message that presented a more professional first impression, which, if not answered by the team in the office within 20 seconds, would automatically divert to the mobile app.
When using the app, you can tell which calls are for the business and answer appropriately. And if you make an outgoing call using the app, the caller ID shows as the company’s phone number.
The messages automatically adjust for public holidays and voicemail messages can be retrieved wherever you use the app.
We don’t think it’s rocket science, but it fixed many of their communication issues and saved them money! Their total cost savings on their monthly telecommunication bill was 38%. And the total cost on their monthly bill went from $250+gst to $155+gst per month (including the internet connection).
- No additional hardware costs as all existing desk phones and networking hardware were re-used.
- Have a professional welcome message for your callers.
- Forward calls to a mobile app if they’re not answered within a certain timeframe.
- Identify business vs personal calls on your mobile.
- Keep your mobile number private on outbound calls; use the business number instead.
- An after-hours message advises of an emergency option which then forwards the call to the mobile app.
- The after-hours message is automatically scheduled; you don’t have to turn it on and off.
- The messages automatically adjust for public holidays, including regional anniversaries.
- Voicemail messages are emailed for easy access from his mobile. There is no longer any requirement to navigate a complicated and frustrating voicemail menu system.
To us, it sounds simple – because it’s what we do all the time. We are committed to helping reduce business costs by providing high-end communication solutions at the lowest possible cost. If you’d like to discuss how we can help your business, please phone 09 242 1234.