With the news that BT will be switching off all analogue lines in 2025 and the way that the pandemic pushed businesses into operating remotely, more businesses are turning to Voice over IP (VoIP) telephone systems. VoIP allows employees to answer the business from any internet-connected device, in any location, while clients and prospective customers will never know the difference.
If that isn’t enough of a benefit, according to Microsoft 82% of organisations have reported saving money after implementing VoIP.
While VoIP is certainly the way forward for business, it’s not necessarily foolproof. If your VoIP system isn’t set up properly your business can experience issues including dropped calls, low bandwidth creating problems with audio quality, or simply having features that you’re not using to their full capability.
If you’ve found your VoIP system doesn’t work as efficiently as you’d hoped, or you’re considering implementing VoIP and you want to make sure you get it right from the start, check out our handy tips on VoIP setup best practices.
Check your network capabilities
Implementing a VoIP system isn’t as simple as enabling it and away you go. Your network may need adjustments to handle the extra bandwidth. This means reviewing the settings on your router to make sure it can manage peak traffic times. If you find yourself experiencing dropped calls or unclear audio, you may find you need to adjust your network hardware or increase your ISP bandwidth.
Prioritise your VoIP software using QoS rules
Quality of Service (QoS) is a router setting that allows you to choose which traffic is the most important. QoS sets up “lanes” that give priority to the traffic generated by specific functions. VoIP software should be prioritised to avoid issues created by less critical processes taking up bandwidth.
Using QoS rules can help to keep your calls smooth and improve the reliability of your VoIP system. It’s also a good idea to use QoS for other important Cloud activities.
Provide good-quality headsets for your team
This is a simple but critical step in having an efficient VoIP setup. A cheap headset can ruin the experience for a potential customer. If someone calls in and can’t hear anything, or gets a choppy reception, they’ll get very frustrated, very quickly. Avoid potential problems by making sure you issue employees with high-quality headsets.
Set up departments and ring groups
One notable feature of a VoIP phone system is the ability to set up ring groups. You start by creating groups for each department and then adding in the extensions of the relevant employees.
Creating a ring group allows you to have a call ring through to a department rather than the whole business, or just one individual. This means calls get answered faster, and callers are connected to the department they want to speak to straight away, rather than being passed around.
Create a company directory
Auto assistants are a useful tool that is included with most VoIP systems. By creating your company directory and allowing callers to simply press a number which corresponds with a department, you can easily improve customers calling experience.
It takes a bit of work to get set up to start with but saves a lot of effort down the line. There is no need for someone to route every call, and callers can get to the department or person they need quickly and easily. Not only does this improve the customer experience, but also boosts office productivity.
Have employees set up voicemail-to-email
Filtering through voicemail messages after a meeting or period of annual leave is a time-consuming task. Instead of listening to them to see what is a priority, why not read them?
Most VoIP systems have a voicemail-to-email function that will transcribe your voicemail messages and send them directly to your inbox. To boost office productivity, have employees set up this feature with their extension and email address.
Train your team on your VoIP system and call-handling procedures
Don’t leave your employees to figure out how to use your VoIP system by themselves. It’s important to provide training on both the system and the company’s call-handling procedures. This ensures your team understands and can make the most of the features available to them, and your callers get an efficient, consistent experience.
Get help enhancing your VoIP phone system
Are you looking to give your customers a better calling experience? Need to make the most of your VoIP system? Or are you looking to switch to VoIP? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and start your VoIP setup.