1. CHECK NETWORK CAPABILITIES 

It’s important to check your network’s capabilities before enabling a VoIP system. Simply assuming that everything will work seamlessly can lead to problems, especially if your network is not equipped to handle the increased bandwidth demands.

When assessing your network’s capabilities, it’s important to examine factors such as jitter and packet loss. Additionally, take a look at your router settings to ensure that it can handle peak traffic times without experiencing any issues.

If you encounter problems such as dropped calls or choppy audio, it’s crucial to address these issues promptly. This may involve making adjustments to your network hardware or increasing your ISP bandwidth to ensure that your VoIP system runs smoothly.

2. PRIORITISE YOUR VOIP SOFTWARE USING QOS RULES

In the router settings, the Quality of Service (QoS) feature allows you to specify which types of traffic are of the highest importance. Without QoS, you may encounter resource problems, such as a large cloud backup consuming bandwidth and disrupting your calls.

QoS establishes “traffic lanes” that prioritise specific functions, making it essential to prioritise your VoIP software to ensure it receives the necessary bandwidth. This helps prevent less critical processes from monopolising internet resources and causing issues with your calls.

By implementing QoS, you can ensure seamless calls and improve the reliability of your cloud phone system. It’s also recommended to apply these guidelines to other critical cloud operations to optimise your network performance.

3. PROVIDE QUALITY HEADSETS FOR YOUR TEAM

A poor-quality headset can easily ruin the call experience for a potential customer. If the caller can’t hear anything or the reception is choppy, frustration can quickly set in, and they may assume that your company lacks professionalism and attention to detail.

Your employees may not have the budget to invest in high-quality headsets, or they may not know which ones to purchase. To prevent potential problems, it’s advisable to issue quality headsets for your team to use. This ensures that they have the necessary equipment to provide customers with a seamless and professional experience, which can positively impact your company’s reputation.

4. SET UP DEPARTMENTS & RING GROUPS 

One of the great features of VoIP phone systems is the ability to set up ring groups. To set up a ring group, you first establish department groups (such as marketing or accounting) and assign employee extensions to each group.

A ring group ensures that a call to your customer support department goes to the entire team rather than just one individual, who may be unavailable. This approach ensures that the call is answered promptly by the first available team member.

Ring groups not only reduce wait times for callers, but they also eliminate the need for callers to leave voicemails and wait for callbacks. This results in a better caller experience and improves the efficiency of your support team.

5. CREATE YOUR COMPANY DIRECTORY

Auto assistants are a useful feature found in nearly all VoIP systems. To get started, you’ll need to set up your company directory and then record messages to prompt the caller.

For example, you can set up a message that prompts the caller to enter the surname of the person they are trying to reach. If they aren’t calling a specific person, they can be routed to a department.

While setting up a company directory requires some upfront effort, it can lead to significant time savings in the long run. Auto assistants eliminate the need for a dedicated person to route each call, allowing callers to reach the person or department they need more quickly. This not only improves customer experience but also increases office productivity.

6. HAVE EMPLOYEES SET UP THEIR VOICEMAILS TO GO TO EMAIL

Having to listen to a long list of voicemails after a meeting can be time-consuming. With the voicemail to email feature in VoIP phone systems, however, you can save time by reading transcribed messages instead.

This feature automatically converts voicemails into text and sends them directly to your email. By using this feature, you can quickly scan the message to determine who called and what they wanted, without having to listen to the entire message.

To set up this feature, employees can input their extension and email address in the system. Some VoIP systems also allow users to receive transcribed voicemails via SMS for added convenience. By using this feature, you can improve productivity and ensure that important calls are not missed.

7. TRAIN YOUR TEAM ON THE CALL HANDLING PROCESS

To fully benefit from a VoIP system, it’s crucial to provide your employees with proper training on its features and the company’s calling process. Leaving them to figure it out themselves can result in wasted time and a suboptimal experience for both employees and customers.

Investing in employee training helps them understand the various capabilities of the system, including call forwarding, conferencing, and voicemail-to-email transcription. Additionally, training can teach them how to troubleshoot issues and prevent any unnecessary downtime.

By providing your employees with the necessary training, they’ll be able to make the most out of the VoIP system and deliver exceptional service.